, 1863-05-05

ANNA, UE1os Co., Ill.,, April q, 1863.
AT last have plenty Of news concerning
the Copperheads Of Southern Illinois. For
nearly year have kc;t you posted regard
ingFtlle treatment tosEhcA Union men hare
been subject; and I add that within the last
lew months matters hare grown SO much
worse that not only have large, fine orchards
be!onging 10 Union men bcen ruined, and
other property destroyed, bnt they have been
assaulted, beaten. 1nallned snd some SO much
60 that they can hut be crIpp!cs for life. This
in Cniur county. You hare printed the &C.
count Of the attempt to arrest two dese!ters
In JGncEboro, the county seat. Of the mob
whicA caused their release by threatening to
hang tie officers, and tho 1uurder Of Mr.
Welsh, who assisted them, by the mob This
WAS on the 18th. Since then serera. Union
men are reported to have been hung By this
JontsboFo lnob' and it is certain that one of
them, Mr. kcc]cy, was shot by Mr. Nash, and
1t is Thought dangerously wounded.
The next day company of Iowa soldiers
came up from Cairo By special train, AMI
reached Anna, Que mile from Jonesboro. to
which place they proceeded, but when they
arrived every man Of the town, containing
LOO Inhabitants, had fled, and they could d.
1othlng: They returned the Ea,ne night to
Cairo. But the next day they came up On the
regular passenger train at 5 o'clock .. 1n.,
and going over at once, they surrounded the
business part of the town before the alarm
was sounded, and at once proceeded to make
arrests.
They took possession of the Court House,
aud no one WIS allowed to leave the town
The time Of haryest-tor everything, be it
good OF evil, has its haryest-had clearly come
It is proper to remark Eere that it has long
been known that there are only three Union
men in this town. One is the Postmaster, one
John Dougherty, and one mechanic
About twenty Of the principal men were
Can+ 4n md 1nt- hf.T,
thing like tlle same number were added. They
will he forwarded to Columbus, Ky., where
they will b. tried and sentenced, or furnished
transportation into Dixie, where they belong.
They include the business men Of the town,
and their miserable, drunken, negro-hunting,
the former are wealthy, and the physicians
and lawyers are well represented.
Among others is the keeper Of the jail, the
Rev. j. y. Albright. He is the precious inii-
viGnal who figured some time since as the
claimant, or some such character, Of fugitive
at Ottawa, In this State, which affair mid.
great stir at the time. lie Is a Methodist
preacher, and since the war, In sermon and
conversation, has bewGiled tho hard lot of his
Southern brethren, forced to fight for their
rights There arc several very big fish in this
net. but as II is not yet clear what is to be
their fate, will not speak Of Them ut pres
cnt.
To-day Affairs have assumed new propor.
tiuns, arrests ARE commencing through the
county, and the CONSERVATION could not he
greater were the cholera present. In all about
70 are lying guarded in The Court House, or
have gone South, but as soldiers are going
through the country and picking up more, il
Is impossible TO tell how many will 6e !" forced
from home and all Its pleasures
There Is something yerC remarkable about
tic case and certainty with which the officers
seize upon the right man; for instance: they
met n !, buttsfnut and Ak him if his name is
t'2 his he says no what hut is n; it; ~ Hs s;
"N hat fur.'' "You come along" "But
Hat,t want to sef my wife1 did Mt Eou ever sec
along. and slut up"
So far us I can learn the facts. 1t appears
that while the Union men we're living, with
their lives and property in the greatest jcop-
ardy, and wondering with species Of de-
srair, why Government did not protect them.
there were certain Confederate agents busy ;,s
beavers going through the country, but sub
ordinate to tile Order Of the Golden Circle,
and with the ayowed object of asccrElining
Two things: one, Of knowing who tue Uuioa
men were and taking their names, and the
oft% OF learnin:. who were opposed to the
and in favor either OF the South or L
Northwestern Confc3eracy.
During the progress of the business certain
papers were drawn up f:svorislg this last prop
osltion, and the names of the principal men
Of tile county we're subscribed tn it in their
own hand. When add that those papers, by
some process, Of which know nothing what
ever, hare got into the hands Of the Union
authorities, it is seen how easy it is to fix
upon the right men.
The following is the condition Of the people
through the county: One sees men riding
horses at full speed along quiet roads, and
with guns On the shoulders. Formerly runa-
way slaves used to fix up lodging places in
woods, or in caves, where they stopped to
rest few days, Or for the night. Many Of
thcsc Identical lodges are occupied by the men
who formerly hunted them. They band them
selves together and live in large barns, keep
ing Sa'ch night and day, and have guns al-
| ways loaded. But when the soldiers come,
they flee, if possible; they dare not shoot
| Some sleep in hollow logs, others cannot
sleep anywhere. Often one comes across a
dozen OF more camping In remote valleys.
-. Amid this terror, Union men and their fam
| nles are at peace: and not more quiet arc
| birds in their nests while the storm rares.