The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-09-30
southern SdITsEss Upon BTisish
Subjects.
The following letter has been addressed
to Earl Russell;

70 Earl RUSSELL
No. 20 BIsHorsGATE STREET, WiTHlNl
LONDON, Sep. o, 1868,
My Lord; Having arrived In England
| | take this opportunity Of addressing
your Lordship in reference tony case.
With the general facts of il prefume
you are already officially acquainted
through the representations Of her Msj
esty's Ministers at Washington In or
der, however, to remove any erroneous
impression which may exist through
public report or otherwise, / shall re-
specially request your Lordships at
,ention TO a brief statement Of the out
rages TO which /, in common with others,
have been exposed in the States of Ala
bamA and Tennessee.
Explanatory of my being in America,
l may here say that ia the summer of
1852, sailed from Glasgow to New York,
and subsequently lived seven years in
Brooklyn, during which time remained
faithful in my allegiance as British
subject.
In 1860 l removed to Montgomery, Al
ALBANIA, TO settle the estate of a deceased
brother, and on which became admin.
istrator. By decision Of their law any
inhabitsnt could do so, though noH-
resident citizen could not. Pendine it3
settlement which promised TO tie tedious,
| went into business on my own account
During the excitement which followed
the commencement Of the war, several OF
my employees left, they not considering
it safe to remain any longer. 1t being i'm
possible for me to close up my business
in consequence of non payment of deb p,
&C., was under the necessity of re
naming. The fact of my being a Brit
ish subject was very generally known.
To prove an official knowledge of it, |
may state that shortly af er ing there,
was notified TO attend jury for the
trial of slave who was subsequently
executed for killing his master. | de-
clined On the ground of alienage, which
excuse was accepted by the court.
Last February l was arrested az a
conscript in my own house by the en-
rolling officer of the de facto Government,
and, under strong military force, con-
veyed to the guardhOuse ia Montgomery,
where | was detained three days and
three nights, and then released. Not
withstanding the production OF my con-
+ sular certificate of nationality and
compliance with the requirements of the
; Secretary of War, was again arrested
, in the name of the de Jacto Government,
taken from my residence, hurried off to
Camp Watts, in Alabama, and from thence
to Gen. Bragg's army in Tullahoma.
Several other British subjects were also
sent at the same time by Major Swanson,
} the commandant of conscripts for the
State. He had them forwarded under
guard in chains, with heavy iron collars
riveted on their necks.
On our arrival in Tullahoma we were
4 all put into the guard house, an abomi-
Z nably filthy den. After being there
nearly a week, Confederate officer came
in one day TO know if we would volun-
!. teer Under the circumstances, we de-
e clined to embrace the oppor tunity of fight
ing for his country. In this way be called
several times TO know if we thought any
better of it, until at last, finding the in
:, ducements were not sufficiently strong
he came one day and took as out to the
Provost MarshaPs Office. While there he
tried to ooerce uI into taking the oath OF
allegiance to his government, amid tht
eers and tsunts Of q crowd of commits.
. stoned officers, whose hatred Of England
= was only equalled by their affected ig.
= norage of her power.
= Our pary, cons listing of Danish, Ger,
= man and British subjects, all refused &c
= renounoe our allegiance. We were ther
put into the camp of the First Louisiana
: On refusing to do duty the next day--ir
a obedience TO the @ leen's Proclamation
4 | underwent the punishment known al
: "bucking" in front Of Gen. Bragg's head
|. quarters, and also the others, after which
y we were turned into the guard house
% On refusing again some days afterwards
n the Sucking" was repeated, with th,
a addition of water being thrown over som,
a of US. Still continuing to refuse, wa
:, subst quently tied up By the thumbs hal
4, an hour TO the raftess of the guard hous
=. along with another British subject nance
n Kelly, graduate ofthe Qaeen's College
i Galway. | saw hin afterwards undefg
y the punishment called by those VIII
10 practice il spread eagle" kind of cru
10 cifxion.
4 Ga another occasion | saw him hel,
70 dOwnwards in . tank of water thre
,e times until almost drowned. The pun
40 ishment of slaves has been inflicted OF
Al us with full knowledge of our nation
n atty in broad daylight, and within
rs few yards of General Bragg's headquar
ters, in the presence Of at least fifty or
of hundred spectators. For refinement o
nt cruelty, and democratic insolence gener
NJ ally, Colonel Strawbridge and his creol
az commissioned officers OF the LIST louisa
ne ma stand unrivalled. The de factO gov
IA ernmont have now assumed the respon
Nd sibility, by decision of their highes
40 court at Mobile, declaring me liable I
,b military service This trial cost 10
Al four thousand dollars, to which must b
81 added three thousand dollars for sub
be stitute, which was only good for a shol
ne time, as l was afterwards notified by tn
ne authorities for six monthss service i
o. North Alabama. Seeing there was n
p end to the imposition and outrage lef
as and at the expense of three thousand dol
he lars more, l am so far home out of ia
Al Southern Confederacy.
A Having been unable to close my estai
Al l have left my sister ia charge Of il, a
y to her exortions on nay behalf more tina
b. to the money actually expended am in
" debted for my deliyerance from captivity
~ Some ae JQcto compensation can surely d
ar had for a series of very gross outrage
e. committed by the de tacto Government
IN ! With this brief statement of facts, as
Y. British subject 4 now respectfully ca
be upon your lordship for such indemnihca
ID ton as the Government may think prop'
al 20 demand for three month"; continuOU
es outrage and imminent risk of life, Il
/ = I,aa ,N 81 Il