Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1863-08-01
A RECORD OF INHUMAN CRU.
ELITES.
Rebel Barbarities in East Ten
ncsscc.
INNOCENT MEN HANGED, CHILDREN SHOT
AND WOMEN TORTURED TO DEATH.


The editor of the Memphis Bulletin, who
has been upon visit to Nashville, commu-
nicatcs the following to his paper, in refer
cnce to the rebel rule in East Tennessee.
Col. Crawford, the gentleman from whom
the facts are obtained, has n personal know
ledge of some of the circumstances, having
left the scene of their enactment quite re-
Gently and vouches for the truth of all of
them.
Last summer three young men, brothers,
named Anderson, left their homes in Haw
kins county, and attempted to make their
way into Kentucky. They were arrested by
n squad of rebel cavalry on Clinch river,
about seventy five miles from Knoxville,
shot and thrown into the river. Their bo-
dies were found floating in the stream, ff-
teen miles from their own fOrsakcn homes.
In the month of January, 1868, at Laurel,
! n. c., near the Tennessee border, all the salt
was seized for distribution by confederate
commissioners. Salt was selling at seventy
! five to one hundred dollars per sack. The
commissioners declared that the "torics
should have none" and positively refused to
give Union men their portion of the quanti-
ty to be distributed in that vicinity. This
papable injustice aroused the Union men :;
they assembled together and determined to
seize their proportion of the salt by force.
They did so, taking at Marshall, n. c., what
they deemed to be their just share.
| Immediately afterwards. the 65th North
Carolina regiment, under command of Lieut..
Col. James Keith was ordered to laurel to
arrest the offenders.
l.. NJ. Allen was Colonel of the regiment,
but mad been suspended for six months for
crimes and drunkenness. Many of the men
engaged in the salt seizure left their homes.
Those who did not participate in it became
the sufferers. Among those arrested were Jos.
! Wood, about sixty years of age; David
shelton, sixty James SHELTON, fifty Rod
by Shelton, forty-five; Ellison King fifty A.;
Halen Moore, forty; Wade VI pore, thirty
| five; Isaiah Shelton, fifteen; VIM Shelton,
twelve; James Metcalf, ten Jasper Channel
fourteen; Samuel Shelton, nineteen and his
brother aged seventeen, SONS of Litus Shell
ton-in all, thirteen men and boys. Nearly
all of them declared they were innocent,
and had taken no part in appropriating the
salt. They begged for trial, asserting that
they could prove their innocence.
Colonel Allen who was with his troops,
but not i'll command, told them they should
have trial, but they would be taken to Ten
nessee for that purpose. They bid farewell
to their wives, daughters and sisters, direct
ing them to procure the Witnesses and bring
them to the court in Tennessee, where they
supposedthcir trial would take place. Alas !.
how little they dreamed what fate awaited
them
The poor fellows had proceeded Sbut n
few miles when they were turned from the
road into a gorge in the mountain and halt
ed. Without any warning of what was to
be done with them, five of them were order
ed to kneel down. Ten PAGES in front of
those five file of soldiers were placed with
loaded muskcts. The terrible reality flush
cd upon the minds of the doomed patriots.
Old man Wood (siXty years of age cried
out FOR Gods sake, men, you are not 60
ing to murder us give us ut least time to
pray Colonel Allen was reminded of his
promise 20 give them a trial. They were
informed that Allen had no authority; that
Keith was in command, and that there was
no time for praying
The order was given to fire. The old
men and boys put their hands to their faces
and rent the air with agonizing cries of de-
spair the soldiers wavcrcd and hcsitatcd
to obey the command. Keith said, if they
did not fire instantly he would make them
change places with the prisoners. The sol
dicrs raised their guns, the victims shuddcr-
ell convulsiyely, the word was given to fire
and the five men fell, pierced with rebel
bullets. Old man Wood and Shelton were
shot in the head, their brains scattered upon
the ground, and they died without strug-
gle The other three lived only few min
utes.
Five Others were ordered to knecl, among
them little Billy Shelton, a mere child only
twelve years old. lie implorcd the men not
to shoot him in the face. You have killed
my father and brothers" said he. "you have
shot my father in the face; do not shoot me
in the face" lie covered his face with his
hands. The soldiers received the order to
fire, and five more fell. Poor little Billy was
wounded in both arms. He ran to an officer
clasped him around the legs, and bcsought
him to spare his life, you have killed my
old father and my three brothers; YOU have
shot me in both arms-I forgive you all this
i can get well. Let me go home to my
mother and sisters" What heart of ada
mant the man must have who could disrc-
gard such an appeal. The little boy was
dragged back to the place of execution +;
again the terrible word "firc ~ was given,
and he fell dead, eight balls having entered
his body. The remaining three were muir
dered in the same manner. Those in whom
lite was not entirely extinct the heartless
officers despatched with their pistols.
hole was then dug, and the thirteen
bodies were pitched into it. The grave
was scarcely large enough some of the
bodies lay above the ground. \ wretch
named Sergeant n. b. ID. JAY Virginian,
but attached to a Tennessee company of the
65th North Carolina Regiment, Jumped
upon the bleeding bodies, and said to some
OF the men Pat Juba for me, while dance
the damned scoundrels down and through
hell" The grave was covered lightly with
earth, and the next day, when the wives and
families of the murdered men heard of their
fate, searched for and found their grave.
the hogs had rooted up one mans body and
eaten his head off,
Old Mrs. Unus Riddle, aged eighty-fvc
years, was whipped, hung and robbed of a
considerable amount of money. Many others
were treated with the same barbarity. And
the men who did this were called soldiers !
The daughters of William Shelton, man
OF wealth and highly respectable, were re-
quested by some of the officers to sing aud
pray for them. They played and sang few
national airs. Keith learned that, and or
dered that the ladies be placed under arrest
and sent to the guard house, where they re.
mained 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 and the perpetrators Of this were
clothed in the habiliments of rebellion, and
1 bore the name of sOldieFs