Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-08-04
n fYRNING EEADBE.
TUEsDAY 5IORNING, AUGUST !. 1888



One is almost restrained from repeating
some Of the stories of Aenaish cruelty that
are reported Of the rebels, lest their very
barbarity preclude belief The cases re-
lated in late number Of the Memphi
Bulletin are Of this character. But they
derive additional reliability from having
been related at the late Union Convention
at Nashville, by Colonel Crawford, of East
Tennessee, who was one Of the Vice Presi-
dents Of the Convention. It appears that
in Jsnusry last at Laurel, North Carroll
ns, near the Tennessee border, all the salt
vas seized by the Confederate Commits
sioners, who declared that F" the Tories
should have none," although the rebel fam
lies could obtain it from the Commission
ers The Union men determined not to
submit to the injustice, and seized what
they considered their just share. For this
a1i The families found were bsrbsrously
persecuied. Thirteen men and boys were
arrested and told that they should be taken
to tennessee for trial The account thus
nsrrales the siekening sequel Of horrible
barbsriiy:
The poor fellows had proceeded but a
few miles, when they were turned from the
road into gorge in the mountain, and
halted. Without any warning Of what
was to be done with them, i've Of them were
ordered to kneel down. Ten PAGES in
front Of these five, a file Of soldiers were
placed with loaded muskets. The terrible
reality flashed upon tte minds of the DOOM
ed patriots. Old man Wood go years of
age) cried out For God s sake, men, you
are not going to shoot US. If you are 60
ing to murder US give US at least time to
pray Colonel Allen was reminded Of his
promise to give them a trial. They were
Informed that Allen had no authority
that Kieth was in command; and that
there was no time for praying. The order
was given to FIRE the old men and boys
put their hands to their faces and rent
the air with agonizing. cries Of despair /,
the soldiers wavered aud hesitated to obey
the command Keith said if they did not
fire instantly, he would make them change
places with tbs prisoners. The soldiers
raised their guns, the victims shuddered
convulsively, the word was given to FIRE,
and the i've men fell pierced with rebel
bullets. Old men Wood and Shelton were
shot in the head, their brains scattered up
on the ground, and they died without a
struggle The other three lived only a few
minutes
MURDER OF a BOY OF TWELVE YEARS.
@Five others were ordered to kneel, |
among them little Billy Shelton 8 mere
child, only twelve years old. He implOred |
the men not TO shoot him in the face
{ You have killed my father and brothers.,
said he, you have shot my father in the
face; do not shoot me in the face He
covered his face with his hands, The SOL |
diers received the order to fire, and five |
more fell. Poor little Billy was wounded
in both arms. He ran to an officer, elasped |
him around the legs, and besought him TO
spare his life. You have killed my old |
father and three brothers you shot me in !
both arms-I forgive you all this-I can |
get veil. Let me 60 home to my mother |
and listers What a heart Of adamant |
the man must have who could disregard |
such an appeal The little boy was drag |
ged back to the place Of execution again |
the terrible word fire was given, and |
be fell dead. eight balls havin entered his /
body. Theremaining three were murder
ed in the same manner. Those in whom
life was not entirely extinct, the heartless
officers dispatched with their pistols.
THE BURIAL.
A hole was then dug, and the thirteen
bodies were pitched into it. The grave was
large enough some of the bodies
lay above the ground. a wretch named
-
attached TO q Tennessee company Of the
65th North Carolina regiment, jumped up
on the bleeding bodies, and said TO some
Of the men Pat Juba for me while l |
dance the damned seoundrels down to, and
through hell The grave was covered
lightly with earth, and the next day when
the wives and families Of the murdered
men heard Of their fate, searched for and
found their grave, the hogs had rooted up
one mans body, and eaten his head off.
"roRTURIEG DEFENCELEss WOMEN.
"Capt. MOOreiy, in charge Of a cavalry
force, and Col. Thomas, in command of a
number Of Indians, accompanied Keiths
men returned to Laurel, and were instruct
ed to say that the cavalry had taken the
prisoners with them to be tried, in accord
ance with the pledge Of Col. Allen. In
their progress through the country, many
Union men were known to have been hung
and seslped by Indisns. Upon the return
Of Keith and his men to Laurel, they begun
systematically to torture the women of
loyal men, to force them TO tell where their
fathers and husbands were, and what part
each had taken in the salt raid. The
women refused to devulge anything. They |
fhov, III
many of them till the blood coursed in
streams down their persons to the ground;
ard thezmen who did this were called SOL
1iers Mrs. Sarah Shelton, wife of Esau
shelton, who escaped from the town, and
Mrs. Mary Shelton, the wife Of Lifus Shell
-on, were whipped and hung by the neck
i'll they were almost dead, but would give
10 information. Martha White, an idiOtio
girl, was beaten, and tied by the neck all
lay TO tree.
p \" FoNAF OF EIGHTY-FIv HUNG.
"old Mrs. Unus Riddle, aged eighty-fve
7ears, was whipped, hung, and robbed of
! considerable amount Of money. Many
Ithers were treated with the ssme barbar-
~. And the men who did this were
allied soldiers The daughters of William
shelton, a man Of wealth and highly re-
pectable, were requested by some Of the
Ifioers TO sing and play for them. They
,layed and sang few national airs. J
Keith learned of it, and ordered that the
aides be placed under arrest and sent to
he guardhOuse, where they remained all
light.
."0id Mrs. sallie Moore, seventy years
( age, was whipped with hickory rods till
he blood ran in streams down her back to 1
be ground, and the perpetrators Of this
lere clothed in the habiliments Of sol !