, 1862-03-07
HEROIC TENNEssEEAXS,
Account Of tho: Bridge Burning by
- Loyal Hem.
THEIR TERRIBLE FATE.

kFfou Inc hno47lHe AeG1stef,! Ee0. ~ -
Ina short r few weeks ago, announe-
E E es e ppsea q te s sh a. aati
some OF the facts connected with the burning |
Of the railroad bridges in East Tennessee. Il |
viii be remembered that there were five |
bridges destroyed BY the Lincoln traitors, to |
wit: The Holston bridge, the Lick Creek, the |
Hamilton eounty-ail occurring on the same |
night-the night Of the 8th or the morning Of |
the 9th Of November. An attempt was made |
also, at the same time, to fire the Strawberry |
1oIc conduct Of of the watchman, keelan. No |
doubt efforts were made to destroy the bridge |
at Ioudon, and it doubtless would have been
done had not military force been stationed
there. :. :: 49,. ::.
These concu.ring facts indicated most clearly
a general conspiracy for the destruction Of all |
tDt bridges from Bristol to Chattanooga, and
ageneEal uprising Of the Unionists Ia East
Tennessee. The latter would have occurred in
correction with the former, had it not been
for TIC prompt action Of the military authori-
tits of the Confederate States in this end Of
the State, and the future of the lincoln forces
to push Z column across the mountains. as
had been promised the Unionists here.
The uprising Of the Uniontsts manifested it
self in several localities BY the assemblage Of
armed men, for the purpose of resistance to
the Confederate Government, to Wit In tic
counties Of Carter, Sewer, Bradley and Ham
lton- Expeditions were fitted ont with dis
patch by our military commanders, and the
instructions III the various localities prompt
1y suppressed. Many Of those who were in
arms, and those whose conduct had been such
as to incite the rebellion aud insurrection, al
though not actually in arms, were taken pris-
ouers, and, By order Of the War Department,
sent to Tuscaloosa as prisoners Of war. None
Of the actual bridge burners were arrested,
except those concerned in the Lick Greek
bridge in Greene county. Ten or twelve Of
these we're captured, two Of whom we're exc.
cuted at Greeneyille upon their own confess
sion, ard the remainder sent to Knoxville for
trial by military commission, three Of whom
were punished with death upon most incon-
trovertible testimony, and upon their own
confessions Of t1eir guilt. As We have stated
before, these persons we're all guaranteed a
fair trial before the board Of officers convened
for that PURPOSE, havlng tue benefit Of all
criminal tr1a1s, and Of the most distinguished
counsel that could be procured.
The facts connected with the burning Of the
Lick Creek bridge, as they appeared in the
testimony elicited by the court martial, have
come into our possession from an authentic
source, and are as follows:
man BY the name Of David Fry, in con-
ncetion with William B. Carter, both citizens
Of East Tennessee, but who had lately desert
cd the land Of their birth, fed to Kentucky,
and connected themselves with the enemies Of
after the repulse Of General zollicoffeT's cou-
mAnd at Rockcastlc Hill, for the purpose Of
melting conspiracy With the traitors on this
side, which would result in the entire destruc-
ton Of the railroad facilities here, and then
break up and entirely cut off communication
between Virginia and the remaining States Of
the ConfedeIacy, prevent the transportation
| Of troops, provisions and munitions Of War,
| and thus open the way for the successful inva-
sion Of our State. These two men, as is sup
l ftw-$S Sr$~ Al
| and then, concealed at the house Of . Union
| nan, sent, as one Of the witnesses heard, for
| William Pickcns, Of Sewer. who made The at
tempt upon Strawberry Plains bridge, but
| who, with lis gang Of fifteen men, WIS ro-
pulsed b: Keelan, single handed aud alone.
P:tkens himself falling seriously wounded.
ut is known that Fry and Carter passed. on
| into Roanoke county, and parted at Kingston.
At this point We lose sight Of Carter, as no
evidence has yctappeared OF his Whereabouts
after that time. Fry, however, proceeded on
his journey up the country, passing through
Loudon mo doubt making every arrangement
| for the destruction Of that bridge), then pass
ing through Blount county, and finally rcacll-
ing Greene county two days before the burn
| ing Of the Lick Creek bridge.
"Trayeling, as he did, at night, aud lying
by in daylight, stealthilr and trcacherously
creeping from one traitors house to another,
his movements could not be traced until he
arrived, on the night Of Wednesday, the Gtn
Of November, ut the house of Anderson Walk.
er, in Greene county. Here lie remained until
the night Of Thursday, the It'll, when he pro.
ceeded to Martin Walkers, arriving about
o'clock 1t night. At Martin Walkers he met
bis wife, aud remained until 2 o'clock in the
morning Of the Sth, stating to Walker that he
see friend near Midway Lick Greek bridge)
and asking if Jacob Harmon was as good /:
Union man as ever. As appeared from thu
testimony, Fry made no revelations to Walker
Of his plans; but starting as he did at 0 clock
and not being familiar with the roads, Wa1kei
pointed him about three miles in the direction
Of Midway.
etAftcr leaving Walker, Fry stopped at th'
| houec Of Daniel Smith, q noted Union man
living five or six miles from tic bridge, arriy
ing there about one hour before daylight. I'm
| medmtcly Fry laid his plans before Smith. VIII
agrecd to act as messenger from Fry to Jacol
: Harmon, to communicate to Harmon that Il
(Fry) was at Smiths house, that he had com
to destroy theR. n bridge, and that be wanted t.
/ see HARMON at Smiths house that morning
THIS message WAS communicated By Smith t
Jacob Harmon about eight O'Clock on til
morning Of the Sth OF November, and, accord
, ing1y, Harmon, who was leading Cnio
spirit in the rcighborhood, repaired to Smith
house, wheref the Plaus were unfolded, and th
plot and programme agreed upon. Harmon
| was to go home, circulate the fact throughou
the ncighto1hood, and gather the Unionists
5 | assembling them at his house on that night
i | while FRI would remain at Smiths until night
[ fnll, and then repair to Harmon s house to cor
: summate the conspiracy.
: "Harnlon did his share Of the work well, ia
: az carly as 9 o'clock at night between thirt
, | and forty conEpirators had met at his house
9 ready to be led By their chief on his arriya
| and eager for the destruction Of the ,propcrt,
5 At that hour Fry alighted from his horse, an
bounded into the yard, qzclaiming, Friends
: am Colonel Fry, and a.n come to shar
{ with YOU The party Immediately assemble
1 in TIE house, when FIT commenced haraugs
, ing the crowd BY revealing his plans, and urs
{. crowd were almost unanimous in their expres
) sions Of appreciation, and with one accord d.
i, | termined that the bridge should be destroyed
I that Fry should be their leader, and that the
s would follow him. if necessary. to death.
. "FEy drew forth a. United States flag, anf
: the room, called upon his followers to su
1 rourd that emblem Of the Union and tux
q, with him the oath Of allegiance. This ws
j. late in the night; and after the whole pl<
had been fully understood, the eonspiratol
|, reetion Of the leader: placed their left hint
c upon the folds Of the fsg, raising aIoft the
) hight bands, and swearing to support the Cor
e ssitut;on Of the United States, to sustain th
a flag there spread before them, and to do tn:
night whaterermight be impressed upon the1
:, By their chief This, oath was taken BY all e,
!, | ccgt two or three, in solemn earnest and in E
+ lepce-the darkness relieved alone By the dil
0 and Pickering light Of ! solitary candle. tt
i ecene was impressive; the occasion was full
d moment; the hour was fit, and eFerTtaiu
q conspired to fill the hearts OF the traitors wit
E fixed determination.
0 nArouscd to the highest pitch Of malice an
L revenge, the chief Of the onspIrators ipmed
. ately led the way to the bridge, and was TO
+ lowed in eager haste by the willing crow.
: The Confederate guard, consisting Of i've SO
,d1trE, watching the bridge, were immediate]
e surrounded BY the infuri1ted mob, and We,
: feld in close confinement, while Fry: SD
leading Tie way, and still followed By the box
# est Of his clan, hastened to the wooden stru
T. ture, applied the torch, and the whole Y:
b consumed and burnt to- the ground fn an hou
d Upon returning to the guarded soldiers, Ii
o grac!ons1y extended to them their LIVES, up1
condition that they would take the oath Of q
c / 1egiance to the United States, saying that no
: che bad them under his thumb, and the D.
: telegraph and railroad won1d tell upon the
f no longer''- This closed the Scene, the pa<t
+ i of traitors dispersed to their homes for Il
/. night maoy. Of them to. he captured on tt
J. morrow, and the remainder to ice to:tl
i, woods and mountains,- IS outcast5 from the
hoInee.
n TIE foregoing are the leading facta as we
4 developed in the trial Of number uf the CO
0 | epirators, aud the leadipg spirits in the deed
i | c. A.: Hsnn, Daniel Smith, Henry Haf1no
;. Henry Fry, and twenty OF thirty Others, who
d uanes it is not prudent to mention.
Z How Floyd the was Force
=: = to Res tEu.: :.
Mr.. Thurlow Weed writes letter to Il
= l. London Scr Of February 18th, in which I