Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1863-08-05
met the hear,less officers despatched with their

AHoie was tnen Dug, and the thirteen bod
les were piched into it. The grave wa
scarcely large enough; some of the bodies
lay above the ground. A wretch named Ser
geant N. b. d. Jay, Virginiau, but attach
ed to Tennessee company of the 65th Norti
Caroiina Regiment, jamped upon the bleed
| Ing bodies, and said to some of the men
'fat Juba for me, while dance the Canned
scoundrels down and through heli' The
grave was covered lightly with earth and the
next day, when the wives and fam lilies of the
murdered men heard of their fate. searched
Tor and found their graves, the hogs had root
ed up one mans body and eaten his head off.
Captain Moorley, in command of a cavalry
iofee' and Colonel Thomas, in command of a
number of Indians accompanied Keith's men.
These proceeded to Tennessee Keifh,s men
returned to Laurel, and were instructed to ~
that the cavalry had TAX en- the prisoners with
them to be tried, in accordance with the
pledge OF Colonel A lien. In their progress
through the country many Union men were
known TO have been killed and scalped by the
ihdlans. upon the return Of Keith and his
men to Laurel they began systematically TO
torture woman of loyal men, to force them
to tell where their fathers and husbands we're
and what part each had taken in the salt
raid The women refused to divulge apy
thing They were then whipped with hickory
switches, many OF them till the blood coursed
In stream down their person to the ground
aud the men who did this were called sold
iers ! Mrs Sarah Shelton wife O f Rsau Shel.
on,who csc aped from the town, and Mrs. Mary
Shelton, wife of Lifns Shelton, were whipped
and hung by the neck till they were alreost
dead, but would give no information. Mar
tha White, an idiotic girl was beaten and tied
by the neck all day to a tree.
Old Mrs Unus Bddle, aged eighty five
years, was whipped, hung and robbed of a con-
siderable amount of money. Many others
were treated with the same barbarity. Aud
the men who did this were called soldiers
The daughters of William Shelton, man of
wealth and highly respectable, were requested
by some of the officers to sing and pray for
them. they prayed and sang few national
airs Keith learned that, and ordered that the
ladies' be placed under arrest and sent TO the
guardhouse, where they remained all night.
Old Mrs. SallIe Moore seventy years of age,
was whipped with hickory rods till the blood
ran in streams down her back to the ground
the babiiments of rebellion, and bore the
name OF soldiers
One woman, who had an infant five or six
weeks old, was tied in the snow to a tree, her
child placed in the doorway in her sight, and
she was informed that il she did not tell all
she knew about the seizure of the salt, both
herself and the child would be allowed to per
ish Houses were burned and torn down. All
kinds of property was destroyed or carried off,
All the women and children of the Union
men who were shot, and of those who escaped,
were ordered by Gen. Alfred E. Jack son head
quarters at Jonesboro, to be sent through the
lines by way of Knoxville. When the first of
them arrived at this place the officer in charge
applied to Gen. Donelson( formerly speaker of
The House of Representatives at Nashville) TO
know by which route they should be sent from
here, whether by Cumberland Gap or Nash
vile. Gen. Donelson Immediately ordered
them TO be released and sent home, saving
that such u thing unknown in civilized
They were then sent home. and |
Ill the refugees met on the road we're also
turned back.
On the 14th of February, 1868, squad of |
soldiers were sent to conscript James MeCol- |
um of Greene county, Tennessee very re-
'pectable, industrious man, thirty five years
'f age. They found him feeding his cattle.
W hen he saw some of them he ran to the back
'f his barn. Others were posted behind the
arrest him, one of them shot him through the
leck, killing him instantly. His three little
children, who saw it, ran to the house and
old their mother. She came out, wringing
Ter hands in anguish and screaming with ter
or and dismay. The soldiers were sitting
N the fence. They laughed at her agony,
nd said they had only killed ssd-n tory
he murdered man was highly esteemed by
is neighbors, and was firm Union man.
In April last two rebel soldiers nam ed W ood
nd Ingole went to the house Of Mrs. Ruth
Inn Rhea, living on the waters OF Lick creek,
ireen county, to conscript her son. The old
ady was partially deranged she commanded
tick to strike one of them. He told her if
he struck him he won Id run her through with
is bayonet !; she gave the blow and he shot ,
er through the breast. {
In the same month Jesse Price, an old man
xty years of age, two sons and two neph-
VS., were arrested in johnson county, Ten I
essee, bordering on Virginia, by Col. Fouke's :
avalry composed of Tennessee and North
arolina men. They were taken to Ash Coun- I
:, North Carolina, to be tried for disloyalty to