The daily Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1862-1863, 1863-07-25
A Record Of Inhuman Cruelties.
FROM EAST TENNEssEE.

FROM EAST TENNESSEE.
The editor of the Memphis Bulletin
has been upon a visit to Nashville, at
tending State Convention. He COM
municates the following to his paper, and
vouches for his informant 1t is sicken-
ing in detail-horrible in conception,
and the wretches who perpetrated the
outrages named, are not fit for hanging.
Some new and exquisite torture should
be invented for their especial benefit.
Here is the article:
From Colonel Robert A. Crawford. of
Green county, Tenn, who is refugee,
and was one Of the Vice Presidents of
the late convention at Nashville, we
learn the following facts in reference to
rebel rule in that beautiful Switzerland
of America, East Tennessee. Colonel
Crawford has personal knowledge of
some of the facts, having left the scene
of their enactment quite recently, and
vouches for the truth of all of them, as
his information was obtained from trust
worthy persons, and written down on the
spot 5--4 t g.
Last summer three young men, broth
ers, named Anderson, left their home in
Hawkins county, and attempted to make
their way into Kentucky. They were
arrested by squad of Confederate cav
airy on Clinch river, about seventy-fve
miles from Knoxville. shot, and thrown
into the river Their bodies were found
floating in the stream, fifteen miles from
their own forsaken homes. H
THE SCARCITY OF SALT.
In the month of January, 1868, at
Laurel, n. c., near the Tennessee bor-
der, all the salt was seized for distribu-
ton by Confederate Commissioners. Salt
was selling at seventy-fve to one hun
dred dollars sack The Commission
ers declared that the Tories should
have none, and positively refused to
give Union men their portion of the
quantity to be distributed in that vicinity.
This palpable injustice reused the Union
men; they assembled together and de-
termiued to seize their proportion of the
salt by force. They did SO by taking at
Marshall, N. c., what they deemed to be
their just share.
Immediately afterwards, the Sixty
Fifth North Carolina regiment, under
command of Lieut. Col. James Keith,
was ordered to Laurel to arrest the
offenders.
ARREST FOR SEEING SALT.
L. NJ. Allen was Colonel of the regi-
ment but had been suspended for SIX
months for crime 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 Joseph
Wood, about sixty years ofage; Dav. Shell
ton, sixty; Jas. Shelton, fifty; Roddy
Shelton, forty-fve; Ellison King, forty;
Halen Moore, forty; Wade Moore, thirty
five; Isaiah Shelton, fifteen; VIM. Shell
ton, twelve; JAS. Metcalf, ten; Jasper
Channel, fourteen; Sam. Shelton, nine
teen, and his brother, aged seventeen,
sons of Lifus Shelton-in all, thirteen
men and boys Nearly all of them de-
clared they were innocent, and had ia
ken no part in appropriating the salt.
They begged for trial, asserting that
they could prove their innocence
THE EXECUTION.
Col Allen, who was with his troops,
but no: in command, told them they
should have a trial, but they would be
taken to Tennessee for that purpose.
They bid farewell to their wives, sisters
and daughters, directing them to pro
cure the witnesses and bring themto the
court in Tennessee, where they supposed
their trial would take place. Alasl how
little they dreamed what a fate awaited
them!
HORRIBLE BARBARITIEs.
The poor fellows had proceeded but a
few miles when they were turned from
the road to gorge in the mountain, and
halted. Without any warning of what
was to te done with them, FIVE of them
were ordered to kneel down. Ten PAGES
in front of these FIVE, file of soldiers
were placed with loaded muskets. The
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