, 1863-07-21
A RECORD OF INaUNidN CRU
l. ELITES.
Rebel Barbarities in East Ten
QfSSfe.
INNOCENT MEN HAkCED--CHltDREh
SHOT AND WOMEN TOR
TURED To DEATH.

| been upon visit to Nashville, attending =
| State Convention. He communicates the fol-
lowing to his paper and vouches for his infor-
mant. It is sfckenipg in detai1-horrib1e In
conception, and the wretches who perpetra-
| ted the outrages named, are not 1T for hang
/ ing. Some now and exquisite torture should
be invented for their especial benefit. Here
is the article:
From Col. Robert 4. Crawford, of Green
county, Tenn, who is refugee, and was one
Of the yice- presidents Of the late Convention
at Nashville, we learn the following facts In
reference to rebel rule In that beautiful
"svitzerland Of America" East Tennessee.
Col. Crawford has O personal knowledge Of
some Of the facts, having left the scene Of
their enactment quite recently, and vouehes
for the truth Of ali Of them, US bis informa-
tion vas obtained from trustworthy persons,
and written down on the spot
Last summer three young men, brothers,
named Anderson, left their homes in Hawk kins
county, and attempted to make their way into
Kentucky. They were arrested BY squad Of
Confederate cavalry on Clinch river, about
seventy. five miles IRON Knoxville, shot, and
thrown into the river. Their bodies we're
found floating in the stream, fifteen miles
from their own fo1saken homes.
THE scARoITY OF SALT.
In the month Of January, 1868, at Laurel,
n. c., near the Tennessee border, Ill the salt
was seized for distribution by Confederate
Commissioners. Salt WIS selling at seventy
five to one hundred dollars sack The Com
hayc none," and positively refused to give
Union men their portion Of the quantity to
bc distributed In that viciuity. This palpab1e
injustice roused the Union men; they assem-
bted together aud determined to seize their
proportion Of the ealt by force. They did so,
| to be their just share.
Immediately Afterwards, the C5th North
| Carolina regiment, under command Of Lieut..
| Col. james Keith, was ordered to Laurel to
arrest the offenders.
ARRESTS FOE SEEING SALT.
L. Al. Allen was Colonel Of the regiment,
but Ind been suspended for SIX mouths for
crime and drunkenness. Many Of the men
engaged in the salt seizure left their homes.
Those who did not participate In it became
tue En1is5ers;, Among those arrested we're
Joseph Wood. about sixtY years of age; Dav.
Shelton, sixty; Jus. Shelton, tify; Roddy
Shelton, forty Five; Elison King, forty j;
Ilniah Shelton, I'll, een: Wm. Shelton, twelve;
James Metcalf, ten; Jasper Channel, four
teen; eanll. Shelton, nineteen, and his
brother, nged seventeen, SONS Of Iifus Shel-
| ton-in Ill, thirteen men and boys Nearly
| all OF them declared they we're innocent, and
Thc5 begged for d trial, asserting that they
| could prove their innocence,
TIE EXECUTION.
| Col. Allen, who was with his troops, but
| not in command, told them they should lave
| trial, bnr they would be taken to Tennessee
for thut purpose. They bid farewell to their
| wives, daughters, and sisters, directing them
| to procure the Witnesses and bring them to
the court In Tennessee, where they supposed
| their trial would take place. Alas how little
| tley d1eamed what h fate awaited themi
HORRIBLE DARBAR1TEs.
The poor fellows had proceeded but few
| miles, when they were turned from the road
into gorge In the mountain, and halted.
Without any warning Of what was to he done
with them, five Of them were ordered to kneel
| down Ten PAGES In front OF these five, a 11te
| of soldiers were placed with loaded muskets.
| This terrible reality flashed upon the minds Of
TIT doomed patriots. Old man Wood {slxty
yctrs OF oge,) cried out; "For Gods sake,
| men, you are not going to shoot Us? II you
are going to murder us, give US at least time
tc pray.n Col. Allen was 1e!nlnded Of bis
! I,rulnisc 10 giSe them trial. They were in
| furmed that Allen had no authority; that
| Keith WAS In command; and that thero Was
no time for praying. The order was given to
fire; the old men and boJs put their hands to
their faces and rent tie mir with agonizing
cries Of despair; the soldiers wayersd and
II they did not fire instantly, be would make
| them change places with the PRISONERS, The
| soldiers raised their guns, tue victims shud-
deIed conFulsiEely, the word was given to
| fire, and the five men fell pierced with rebel
bn1lels. Old men Wood and Shelton were
| shot In the head, thcir bruins acattered upon
| ttc ground, and they died without 4 struggle.
The other three lived only fsw minutes.
MURDER OF 4 DOT or TWELVE YEARS.
Fire others we're ordered to kneel, among
them little Bills Shelton, mere child, only
twelve years cid. He inplored the men not
| to shoot him in tho tlce. lyon hare killed
my fathcr md brothers," aaid he. "yon have
shot my father 1n the face; do not shoot me
IN ,he face;" he covered his face With his
ti1e. and five more fell. Poor little Bully Was
wounded III both arms. He rau to au officer,
clat ped him around tho legs, and besouyht
hEm to spare his life. "You have killed my
ola lather aud my three brothers; you have
shot me in both ozms-l forgive you all this
cr and sisters." What heart Of atlan,ant the
man must hare who could disregard such an
appeal. The little boy was dragged back to
the place OF execution; again the terrible
word 1nrel" was given. and he I'LL dead,
eight balls having entered his bodJ. Tho re-
manner. Those In whom lifb YVES not entirely
extinct, the heart1es officers dispatched with
their pistols.
A hole was then dug, and the thirteen bod
les were pitched into it. The grave was
scarcely large enough; some Of the bodies
lay above the ground. A wretch named
2ttr cy1fN fotv .{.,f. r..
tacEed TO . Tennessee company ct tue o5th
North Carolina Regiment, jumped upon the
bleeding bodies, and said to sorne Of tie 1nen:
I" Put Juba for me, while tlauce the damned
scoundre1a down 70, and through hell" Thu
grave VAS covered lightly with earth and the
next day when the wives and families Of tho
murdered men heard Of their fate, searched
tor aud found their graEe, the hogs had rooted
up one mans body, and eaten his head of.
1oKTrR1No DEFEssEIEss WOMEN.
Capt. Moor1ey, In charge Of cavalry force,
and Col. Thomas. In command Of a number
OF Indians, accompanied Keith's men. These
proceeded to Tennessee; Keith's men returned
cavalry had taken the prisoners with them to
be tried, In accordance with the pledge of Col.
allen. In their progress through the country,
many Union men were known to have been
killed md eca1ped by the Indians. Upon the
return Of Keith aud his men to.Iaurel, they
loyal men, to force them to tell where their
fa1icrs and husbands were, and what part
each had tnken In the salt raid. The women
refused to divulgc anything. They were then
whippedwith hickory switehes-many Of them
till the blood courscd in streams down their
this we're called so1diers! Mrs. Sarah Shelton,
wife Of EEan Shelton, who escaped from the
town, and Mrs. Mary Shelton, wifu of Lifas
Shelton, we're whipped and hung BY the neck
till they were almost dead, but would give no
information. Martha White, an fdiot1c girl,
was beaten, and tied by the neck oil day to d
tree
4 woMAS OF E1GHTF-F1vE HUNG.
Old Mrs. Unus Riddle, aged cIghty-Ave
years. was whipped, hung, and robbed Of
considerable amount Of money. Many others
we're treated with the same barbarity, And
the men who did this were called soldiersl
lie daughters Of William Shelton, q man OF
wealth and highly respectable, were requested
" some SO Of the officers to sing and play for
them. I rIhey played and Gang fey national
Mrs; Keith learned Of it, and ordered that
the Indies be placed under arrest and sent to
night.
Old Mrs. sallle Moore, seventy years Of ago,
ran in streams down her back to the ground;
and the perpetrators Of this were clothed in
the habiliments Of rebellion, and bore the
name Of soldiersl
One woman, who had au infant five or six
weeks old, Tas tied in the snow to 4 tree,
ler child placed In the doorway in her sight,
and che Was informed that if she did not tell
all she knew about the seizure of the salt.
both herself and the child would be allowed
to perish. Sergeant N. B. D. jay, Of Capt,
Reynolds company, and Lieut.. r. bl. Decyer,
assisted their men In the execution Of these
lellIsh outrages. Houses were burned and
torn down. ALI kinda Of ptoperty Tas de,