, 1862-01-11
HORRORS OF EAST TENNESSEE.
Oppressed Condition Of the Loyal Peo-
ple.--HanEfng of Union men--Pa.
Ihette Appeal for Help

The National hatcIligcntsF IS permitted TO
take the following extract from private letter
addressed to Mr. Senator johnson, Of TenDes-
See, BY gentleman at Crab Orchard, Ken
tucky. The writer is IN East Tennesseean and
an assistant surgeon in the army. It is impos-
sib1e to read his pathetic narrative Of the suf-
fering Of his people, and not repeat the EN-
phatic inquiry with which this extract con-
cludes:
II have visited our friends Of The two East
Tennessee regiments at Somerset, and saw
number Of my acauaintance5 from Hamilton,
Rhea, B1edsoe, and Marion counties. Accor-
ding to their reports {and they are feliable) no
people were ever SO cruelty treated IS our
Union friends are in those counties. Squads
Of rebel, soldiers are IterallJ securing the
country. The Union men have had to flee
from their homes and hide amid the tastnesses
and caves Of the mountains, and the rebels
pursue and hunt them day and night like wild
beasts. Hundreds arc trying to make their
way to Kentucky, while hundreds despair Of
reaching here, and still lie concealed in the
mountains freezing and starving: All that the
rebels can capture they hurry of to Tuscaloo-
sa, Alabama, or to the Penitentiary at Nash
vile; or, which is worse still. murder and
leave them to rot II tue mountains. They also
destroy and steal ali kinds Of property horses,
cattle, hogs, corr, bedding furniture, cloth
ing, cloth, ETC., and tAey report that it is get
ting worse every day. Good HeaFens! can
not, will not the Government send help to
tlemi''
4 correspondent Of the Nashville Rst,iot,
WriliDg from Knoxville, Tennessee, under date
Of Dec. 10, gives the following account Of the
hanging Of one Of the hridgc-burners:
On Tuesday last, FIVE minutes after u, H.,
The execution of Charles Alexander Hmm, con-
HI$.
acy to burn tie bridges on the railroad in
East Tennessee, took place just outside the
corporation limits Of the city, in the presence
| Of large concourse Of citizens and soldiers.
deep feeling seemed to pegyadc the large
! audience in sympathy with this deluded man,
| He was conveyed from the city prison to the
| galloWs, distant about one mile, IN an ordi~
narE wagon, drawn BY two mules, and at
tended BY 1le Of soldiers. When they had
much affected, and, in answer to gentleman
who interrogated him, spoke, in substance, as
/ follows:
| II leaye a wife and three small children;
but for them could die satisfied. I did want
| to live long enough to raise these little oues
| up in the way in which they should go; but
am doomed to die. I also leave . gray
! haired mother, q mother who raised me
| right, and too leave her, too it breaks my
| heart. Gentlemen, have ever been a con
situation is more attributable, assure you,
to the teachings Of base men than to any
evil motives Of my OWL. have been asked
If my time was to 20 over again would be
| guilty Of the crime which has brought me to
the gallows? Idnssse7 most ,sszaesitatinglY, that
! under The sane circumstances srould burn the
bridge again. lask the prayers Of every Chris
tan in this audience I die with full assur-
ancc Of meeting all such in heaven. ! de-
sire my remains to be Conveyed TO Midway,
| Eraru cnnptu fp lnro1, HorY,
After most impressive prayer for the
spiritual welfare Of the cu1prit, By the Chap
Tain, the black cap vas placed on the prisoners
head, adjusted By himself, and the rope
tjghtened about his neck, the trap-door fell
Shrek, a sludder, and all was oycr-the
spirit took it's fight into eternity!
[From the Mt. Sterling Ky.) Wing, 3d.J
New recruits are daily arriving within our
| lines from East Tennessee. They all have a
most pitiful tale to tell Of the expressions and
| sufferiDgs Of those poor and eclf-sacrihcing
: people. The rebels are using every means OF
torture and oppression to subdue the spirit
J and loyalty Of these true and constant hearts
| sex OF age are not spared. The loyalty Of that
| portion Of Tennessee will be one Of the things
That we're, By the time our Government il
} ready to move to their aid. Every person re-
J | naming there capable Of bearing arms, il
either forced into the Southern army, or mer
s1essiy thrown Into prison. AL who escapt
r have to run the gauntlet Of their lives, as al
.wbo arc caught in the attempt are either shot
or hung. Suspicion of their loyalty to tht
!, Union is a11-sutficient. A conviction is no
| required.
; From the Cincinnati Commercial, 9th-1
: The news from East Tennessee-the Swift
s. zerland Of the Soutll-is terrible; and it i:
: most mort1Jing and hu1uiliating when TT
- come to consider the agency which our Cor
eTnmcnt has bad In betraying the loyal people
I Of that section into the hands of their enemies
80 f<r1 +xf
: rcc1ly, that bridge~burners are being hung it
.. East Tennessee, and that Union men are per
; scented with aggravated fury.
a We happen to know that the bridges were
burned in East Tennessee epurEuant to IN un
4 derstandiDg with our Government, and t1a
y :. Gen. Sherman made solemn promise that a
u soon as the newB of the destruction OF tn,
bridges reached him he would push stron!
u column through Cumberland Gap or SOM
r other gap, to the assistance Of the uprlse7
q Union men. After the news Of the battle O
if Wild Cat, the time fixed for burning th
Y bridges vas changed, and they were burned
5 week sooner than was originally intended, rs
S Tas thought desirable to cut of, reinforce
ments iron. Zollieofer just as our troop
e would be chasing him through the defles q
= the mountains.
The Tennesseeans, who crossed the noun
= ta1ns to give definite information Of til
+. bridge burning, found our troops maxim
, that horrible and fatal retreat from London
+ | luc IleshEuEEIs 11itu tApttLGu t0 Uttt oU
Is victorious standards and gaitterng baycncts
far on their way to deliver their oppresse
Il fellow citizens, but they overlook q stEae
l. Cling, aickeuing, de1noralized, xetzeatin
army, absolutely retreating By forced marche
l. after yigtolJ,) and their hearts sunk With
them We have sean some of these men
\. and their grief il distressing in the az
y treme. ne neTer before saw mourner
d so inconsolable; The worst q. 1t is II
3 | have been betrayed. They are exiles, an
!. their brothers are being hung as fclous. Wh
4 can comfort them t: t Is lnockery to repea
r. to them the old promises Of speedy ai
II vance. They do not believe in Ii. They hay
IA | felt in the mnrTow Of their bones the tror
= b1cs that havs only haunted us at a distance
+ And al the while nothing has been wantin
T. but little enterprise to enable the Unlo
l. troops to SO into and take possession Of Eas
70 EN- Tennessee. Nothing but an iubecilit
- that Is absolutely hightf1l, has prevented on
troops from: :eatablis ishing themselves here Gh
re- fortidcatioRa at Cumberland Gap are nothing
4 There are scores Of gapa where alert, emerged
u men, can pass
IL Cur Capabilities for Building a Fleol
:. We: copy tho following very interesting e1
y. tract from letter By Donald Mckay, in Ii
a Boston Commercial .Hst0etin, showing our c;
+ pablltiea for the immediate building Of a f1cs
as which Would place us in = positiont to aueeea
n. fully cope with all the war vessels TINT Ea!
land may send against us:
IT, | Alt would be easy for US to build, in o1
of yeef, 3 1eet.of 500 to Goo ships, rum gu
:. | boat I'D to the largest class Of irIn-cased fiji