The Ohio Democrat. [volume] (Canal Dover, Ohio) 1840-1900, 1863-06-26
MURFREEsBoRo, June 10, 1853.

AAAC ltO0CCEhuS
Hands.-He is Hung.
MURFREEsBoRo, June 10, 1868.
informed you last evening by tele.
graph of the singular circumstances con-
nected with the hanging of two spies at
Franklin. l have this morning obtained
copy from the Adjutant Generals Of
nee OF this department of the CORES.
pondence on the subject which passed
between Colonel Baird, commanding at
Franklin, and General Rosecrans. -
This tells the story in language more
graphic than Inow have time to frame
it in, and with but few predatory remarks
send you the correspondence .
The two men were in reality: first,
Col. Lawrence A. Williams, formerly
Second United States Cavalry TAc.
cording to the Army Register he was
First Lieutenant of the Tenth Infantry,
and was appointed by President Lincoln
Major of the Sixth United States caval.
ry on September I, 1861. He must
have deserted the United States service
since September, 1862, as his name ap-
pears in the register of that date.-ED.
HERALD. AT one time he was on Gen.
Winfield Scott's staff, latterly on Bragg's
stall; and secondly, q Lieut.. Dunlap,
whose position in the rebel army do
not know. They represented themselves
on arriving at Col. Baird's headquarters,
as Col, Auton, United States Army, and
his assistant, Major Dunlap They were
dressed in our uniform, and had horses
with the equipments complete of Col.
onel and Major. They represented their
duty to be the inspection of the outposts
OF this army, and said they had come
from Murfreesboro via. Triune, and were
in haste to reach Nashville. Converse
tion became quite free, and their Ian.
guage grew somewhat suspicious so
much so, that Col. Watkins, command
ing the cavalry, began to doubt the
truth of their statements, and communi.
Gated his doubts to Col. Baird. After
further conversation with them Colonel
Bairdsent the following dispatch to Gen.
RoSecrans:
No. |.
TELEGRAPH FROM COLONEL BAIRD TO GEN.
RosECRANs.
FRANKLIN, June 8, 1868.
To Brig. Gen. Garfield, Chief of Staff -
Is there any such Inspector General
as Lawrence Auton, Colonel, United
States Army, and Assistant Major Dun.
lap? If SO, please describe their person
al appearance, and answer Immediately.
j. BAIRD, Col. Comd'g. Post.
No. 2.
GEN. GARFIELD TO COL. BAIRD
HEADo'Rs, DEPARTMENT OF THE !
CUMBERLAND, June s. 10. Is, Pm. !
Col. ]. P. Baird, Franklin
There are no such men as Inspector
General Lawrence Auton, Colonel Uni.
ted States Army, and Assistant Major
Dunlap, in this army, nor in any army,
so far as we know. Why do you ask
j. A. GARFIELD,
Brigadier General and Chief of Staff.
Upon the receipt of this dispatch
Col. Baird appears to have instituted a
search of the persons of the two men.
He appears to have found nothing sus.
picicus upon them, though their conduct
was singular enough to Great suspicion.
The following is the second dispatch of
Col. Baird in answer to Gen. Gar6eld's
inquiry as to his reasons for asking:
No. 3.
COL. BAIRD EXPLAINS THE CAUSE OF HIS
Suspicious.
FRANKLIN, June 8-l0:3O P. M.
10 Brig. Gen. Garfield, Chief of Staff:
Two men came into camp about dark
dressed in ourunforms, with horse equip.
ments to correspond, saying that they
were Colonel Auton, Inspector General,
and Major Dunlap, Assistant, having an
order from Adjutant General Townsend
and your order to inspect outposts; but
their conduct was 50 singular that we
have arrested them. They insisted that
it was important to go to Nashville to.
night. The one representing himself as
Colonel Auton is probably a regular
officer of the old army; but Col. Wat.
kins, commanding cavalry here, in whom
| have the utmost confidence, is of the
opinion that they are spies, who have
either forged or captured these orders
They can give no consistent account of
their conduct. l want you to answer
Immediately my last dispatch. 1t takes
so long to get an answer from General
Granger, at Triune, by signal, that I tel.
egraphed General Robert Granger, at
Nashville, for information. also sic.
nailed General Gordon Granger. If
these men are spies it seems to me i'm.
portant that l should know it, because
Forrest must be awaiting their progress.
General, am your obedient servant
a-a J.P. BAIRD, Col. Com'd. Post
A DRUM HEAD COURT MARTIAL.
The possession Of the order said to
have been given by General Rosecrans
at once established the fact in General
Rosecrans' mind that the men we're spies,
and he instructed his chief Of staff to
order a court martial of them. The fol.
lowing is the order -
No. 4.
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