The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-05-13

Government, ma People of tho
United Statesi
Onoe more, o, my Countrymenl do
pray you in behalf Of our long distress
ed, suffering, bleeding, and dying kindred
and people beyond the Cumberland
Mountainsl Twenty thousand of us,
perhaps, have run the mortal gauntlet
and are now among you, in these mighty
loyal armies, scattered far aud wide
among strangers; cut OF almost entirely
from all communication with those so sa-
credly pear and dear TO our hearts, whom
we have long ago left helpless in the
bloody hands of the mobs of most
dark and bloody rebellion.
We represent the noble freemen of the
highlands and mountains of these rebel
lious States. We come from that great,
lovely, and poetic section of our great
country-caled in the writings Of learn
ed travellers "the Switzerland of Ameri-
ca"--the garden spot Of this great
continent-East Tennessee.
Three months had hostile armies
traitors been marching, almost daily, over
our great railroad, toward Virginia and
Washington City-striking terror in ev-
cry heart in our land-before our traitor
Gus Governor and Legislature called
second time upon us to vote for or agai ST
the great free Government of our fathers
and still these loyal people of East Ten
nessee chung, toith death grip, to the glo-
rious Stars pangled Banner which waved
in such glorious triumph over the bloody
battles in the lOrg wars our fathers
fought for freedom and independence,
against despotic and naughty England
of old And, not content with merely
voting an immense majority for the Union,
we have, goodly number of us, vOlun-
tarily JaniShea ourselves far aDay from our
once quiet and com portable homes and kim
dred, escaping the blood thirsty and
subtle traitOrs-whose murderous pickets
were already guarding the narrow defiles
Of the mountains-and we have row long
been with you, with musket, sabre and
sword, in active service, many thousands
of US, for eighteen and twenty months
having left our aged mothers and fathers,
sisters, t0ires and helpless children, TO be
rolled, starved, and murdered by fry
flying serpents, in human shape,
which this horrible crater Of rebel
lion and civil war has been throwing
out upon them, from the Missouri
aud Ohio rivers to Baltimore, and from
the Atlantic TO tho Gulf of Mexico 10
the Rio Grande. They have even muir
dered innocent mothers and venerable chris
tan fathers whose Inequalities have
often been enjoyed by me. The pen need
only touch the names of the venerable
Pleasant Pierce, of Knox, and TALBOT
Staples, of Scott, recently murdered by
them, to cause the hearts of many loyal
soldier from those counties TO thrOb with
Indignant horrorl But we are cut 90
from hearing their cries. The daily
trains, freighted with many thousands Of
letters, bearing glad tidings and news
for your veteran and noble patriots from
the great free States Of the North, com,
in sJlenn and awfid silence 70 as. No mai
for us to-day None yesterday None
last week! nor month nor yearl Scat
tered nsBs and chance letters sometime come
by some brave son of Columbia, who has
again eluded the murderOus eye Of the
willy traitors, whose hands have long
been dripping with innocent blood!
We still CT aloud unto you, OIL my
countrymenl Paa as all together, and, Wsl
armed and equipped backed by you ,Os wil
cut our oagh tOay hopSe 10 ths redemption Of om
long lost hines and kindred. These N lnthl
with us drag sloiOly and heavily along. w,
know that our people are fast approach,
ing GImine ruin and starvation, if they
have not already come upon them, unless
we make great haste to their rescue ant
redemption. But we are scattered fa
and wide among you, like wandering
sheep among strangers IN tie regiments o
many different States. enlisted among en-
tire strangers IN Kentucky, nearly too gear
ago, and / knoV ;0hat Turtle 10 Be So TIL
only news from my fathers house ant
family was derived through a brothe
who, with 81 others, escaped to Ken
lucky in November last, and have mostl,
Joined the loyal armies OF their countrl
with us. My people had heard nothing
at all from me- though they had tried lonI
and hard to do so. This may be said, d
doubt, Of thousands Of others Of u
scattered wide among you, and when W
die, the chance ia that no tidings Of on
p death will ever reach our dear relatives
| have received the high encomium Of m.
commanders, Of having taken active par
10 the great battles near Perryville, KY
4 and Murfrcesboro, Tenn; Of being throug
, tho srduous campaigns under hsio
Gems. Rousseau, BUELL. and RosEcRAN
I in Kentucky and Tennessee. From th
, solemn, sileni marches through the street
r Of Louisville, in September 1861, wa
, ding the swift waters Of Salt River nsa
, NnIdro's Hill. where bsheld the Game