Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1862-02-13
East Tennessee Loyalists.

disclose settled ferocity toward Union
men, but that majority Of the people
of Eastern and Central Tennessee were
ayowed. Unionists when the usurpations
forced that State into Secession, and that
they made heroic resistance to the rebell-
ion, and were finally crushed down only
by the most cruel tyranny of the leading
traitors.
From the orders given by the rebel War
Department to its officers in Tennessee, it
is altogether likely that large numbers Of
loyalists have suffered martyrdom, and
that others of them are now imprisoned
in jails of the extreme South, suffering
hardships and that are revolving to think of.
The strength of the Union sentiment in
East Tennessee is still admitted by the
rebel officers. Thus, Major Slasson, COM
manding at Lowden, Tennessee, wrote to
Col. Wood, under the date of the 10th of
November last:
"The Union feeling of this country is
exceedingly bitter, and all they want in
my opinion to induce general uprising
is encouragement from the Lincoln armies.
They have great many arms, and are
acually manufacturing Union flags to re-
ceive refugee Tennesseeans when they re-
turn they are getting bold enough"
Col. Wood, commanding at Knoxville,
writes to Gen. Zollicoffer under the date
of October 2S:
"The news of your falling back to Cum
Ill Ino l.I ho nGa of Haval-
oping feeling that has only been kept
under by the presence of our troops. 1t
was plainly visible that the Union men
were so glad that they could hardly repress
an open expression of their joy. This af-
ternoon it assumed an open character, and
some eight or ten of the bullies or leaders
made an attact on some of my men, near
the Larmar House, and seriously wounded
several. < The Southerners here
are considerably alarmed, believing that
there is preconcerted plan for united
movement among the Union men, if by
any means the enemy should get into
Tennessee"
Again Col. Wood wri'es under date of
November Ist.
81 do not believe that the Unionists are
in the least reconcilled 10 the Confederate
Government, but, on the contrary, are as
hostile to it as the people OF Ohio, and
will be ready to take up arms as soon as
they believe the Lincoln forces are near
enough to sustain them.'
Gen. Zollicoffer, on the 18th of Nov.
responded to these representations by Or
dering bis forces to disarm the Union men
He said:
81 will Tomorrow send dispatches to
the forces near jamestown, the cavalry
near Huntsville, that near divers, and
start out the cavalry here to commence
simultaneously disarming the Union in
habitants. You will please simultaneous
ly send orders to all dctachments under
your command to inaugurate the same
movement at the same time in their vari
GUS localities. Their leaders should be
seized and held as prisoners. The lenien-
cy shown them has been unarailing. They
have acted with duplicity, and should no
longer be trusted"
Col. Wood, however, finally appealed
to the Central Government at Richmond.
On the 1lth of November he wrote from
Knoxville to Adjutant General Cooper:
81 felt it to be my duty to place this
city under martial law, as there were
large majority of the people sympathizing
with the enemy and communicating with
them by the unfrequented mountain paths
and to prevent surprises and the destruc-
ton of property. l need not say that
great alarm is felt by the few Southern
men here. They are finding places of
safety for their families, and would gladly
enlist if We had arms for them. l. have
had all the arms in the city seized, and
authorized Major Campbell to impress all
he can find in the hands Of the uuion men,"
And on the goth of November Col.
Wood wrote thus to Mr.. Benjamin, the
Secretary of War:
II have been here at this station for
three months, half the time in command
of this post and had a good opportunity
oflearning the feeling pervading this couns
try. Il is hostile 10 the Confederate Gov
ernment. They will take the oath of al
legiance with no intention of observing it.
They are the slaves of Johnson and May
nard, and never intend 10 be otherwise.
When arrested they suddenly become sub
missive, and declare they are for peace and
not supporters Of the Lincoln Government
but vet claim to be Union men. AT one
time while our forces were at Knoxville,
they gave it out that great change had
taken place in east Tennessee, and that the
people were becoming loyal. AT the
withdrawal of the army from here TO the
Gap, and the first intimatiou of the ap-
proach of the Lincoln army, they were
in arms, and scarcely man but was ready
to join it and make war upon US. The
prisoners we have tell US that they had
every assurance that the enemy was ready
in the State, and would join them in
few days. l have to request at least that
the prisoners l have taken be held, if not
as traitors, as prisoners of war. To release
them is ruinous. To convict them before
court is next to impossibility. But if
they are kept in prison for six months it
will have good effect"
Mr.. Benjamin replied 10 Col, Wood as
follows, under date of the 25th of Nov.
"Your report Of the Goth instant is re-
ceived and l now proceed to give you the
desired instructions in relation to the pris-
oners taken by Won amonp the traitors of