Daily Nashville union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1862, 1862-04-25

lily to receive their deserts. But there Is
such gentle spirit of Cancellation in the
South, and especially here, that 1 have
no idea that one of them viii receive
such sentence at the hands of any jury.
| have been here at this station for three
months, half the time in command of this
post; and | had good opportunity Of
learning the feeling pervading this coun-
try. 10 as hostile to the Confederate GoueT7s-
n'ent. They wiH take the oath Of allegiaes
,0fh no intention 10 Observe 1t. They are ths
SLAVES Of johnson, and Maynard, and neue-
intend to be othaDise. When arrested, Mey
suddenly become pery s,s5s,sissise, and declare
they are for peace, and not supporters ef
the Lincoln Government, but yet 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. 1 rsl., II,
At the tOithdra,oal of the army fran here to-
the Gap, and the first intinsation of the ap-
preach Of the Lincoln Aray Aey ,Oers 10
arms, and scarcely a mdn6m l0as reaayt to ioiis
a, and make scar upon as. The prisoners
we have all tell us that they had every
assurance that the enemy was already in
the State, and would join them IN few
days. l have requested at least that the
prisoners haya taken be held, if not az
traitors, as prisoners of war; To release
them is ruinous.q To convict them before
court is next 10 impossibility. But if
they are kept in prison for six months,
it win have good effect g.,
The bridge burners and spies ought
to be tried at once. -.
Very respectfully yours, pf
.luba3 aaa1d 20 ini1l ",fpof'ooD-
20 haeo BENJAM1N's REPLY.
:, 80 eat WAR. DEPARTMENT,
+. q-f RlcHMoNp, Nov. %, 1861.}
Col. W. b. Wood! sidaTssiH 9s1a5
> 7s'''--1 HO0~i & rtr79 oTl-TK
= SIR-Your. report Of the 20th instant
is received, and I now proceed to give
you the desired instruction in relation
TO the prisoners of war takeniby you
among the traitors of East Tennessee:
Frst-All such as can be identified in
having been engaged in bridge burning
are 10 be tried -summarily by drun-heaG
Court Martial, and if found guilty, sre-
euted on the. spot By hanging. 10 mould bs
nell to leave their bodies hanging IN The vicsH-
| ity Of Hs burned bridges rnrs
.Seoond-All such as have not been so
engaged, are TO be treated as prisoners of
war and sent with an armed guard to
Tuscaloosa, Alabama, there to be kept
imprisoned at the depot selected by the
Government for prisoners of war.
Whenever you can discover that arms
are concentrated by these traitors, YOU
will send cut detaehments, search for
and seize the arms. In no case is one of
thenaera k1O,cn to haue5ees up tn arms aqaisasf
the Government to be released on any pledge
or oath Of allegiance. The time for such
measures is past. They are all to be
held as prisoners of war, and held in
Jail to the end of the war. Such as come
in voluntarily, take the oath of allegi-
ance, and surrender their arms, are alone
to be treated with leniency.
Your yigilant execution of these orders
is earnestly urged by the Government.
Your obedient servant,
j. 2. BENJAMIN,
Secretary of War.
Col. W. B. Wood, Knoxville, Tenn.
P. S.-Judge Patterson (Andy john
sons son-in-law, Rem. Corresp), Colonel
Pickens, and other ring-leaders of the
same class, must be sent at once TO Tus-
caloosa to Jail as prisoners of war.
I