Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1864-05-06
In Array at CarsOndale..a History OF
COpDcrhead Oufrages.

onel Of the 3lst and several other per
sons, Who we're conversipg. The soldier /
stepped up IN fr0ntof Colonel Osborne,
and, without any word or notice, struck /
him heavy blow upon the left side OF
the head, which knocked him senseless /
over the counter Upon examination.
the skull was found 20 be broken. Coo /
mel 0sborne's situation Is very critical I
and there is little hope Of bis recovery. |
I lie was not popular In his regiment rs . |
commander, and since his resignation
and return home has been one OF ths
most virulent Copperheads in the eoun-
/ try, denouncing the Administration ID
the most unmeasured terms The attack
was prompted solely By the hatred his
conduct bad eugendered among BIS men,
several OF whom bad threatened 70 take
/ his life upon the first opportunity.
/ Williamson and Union counties have
always been among the strongest Demo
cratic counties in the State The former
county Is the home Of Josh Allen, and
| has enjoyed the full benefit of bis teact-
inga Here the knights Of the GoldeE
Circle held high revel, aud ruled with an
iron sway over-the lives and property Of
the Union Eaen. Among the leaders Of
the knights was one Geo. w. Akin, OF
I Blairsyille, former Sheriff Of the county,
and subsequently Quartermastsr OF the
I28th regimen. Among thoss who were
indaeed 70 join the knights were Joseph
/ T. Williams and Wesley Bandy, two Of
the most respectable aud worthy farm
srs in Southern Illinois The oaths ex-
acted of these mea proved too much Tor
.heir loyalty, and they withdrew from the
order, publicly denOuneing 1t as treasoa-
able One night, not long after vii
liams and Bandy bad thus openly de-
nounced the knights, they were seized
in their beds, taken some distance from
their homes into the woods and whipped
most unmercifuilg Being men advauc-
ed in years, the severity Of their punish
ment proved we'll nigh fatal. The wife
OF Mr. Williams recognized George w.
Akin as Que Of ths party who TINS mis-
used her husband.
A large number cf robberics we're
committed in Williamson and adioiuiug
counties by mea in the garb Of soldiers.
and the army was accordingly credited
with tbs outrages Seven Union men
we're asea asinatsd, but the civil authori-
ties being all Of The Copperhead persaa-
sion, took no notice Of zaeh affairs, ex-
cept upon one occasion. when the MUIR
derer was acquitted upon the ground
Of unsuitable homicide" sSome foar Or
Eve weeks since q man named stuart,
living in White county, sias murdered,
and the murderer wac tracked across The
country TO the house Of Akin, where
property belonging to the murdered maS
was found. Akin vas arrested, but gave
bail in the sum OF $1,000. Since that
time be has not been sseg IN his neigh
horhood His son, John Akin, anu tHo
brothers living upon his farm, named
Charley aud flaf Glydes, alias Brown,
we're believed 10 be the real HnurdsreFs.
John Akin was arrested 81 De Soto,
jackson county. aud convened 10 White
county, when he made u full confession
OF the bloody deed. He said that two
gangs VI Williams, which toek their origin
i. ia the bastiles Of the Golden Circle. had
for some time existed in Williamson
county, for the purpose Of robbiug Union
saen, but afterwards they levied their
contributions somewhat unfortunately,
stealing from friend and foe Ous Of
these bands were led by James Chem
worth, Assessor Of Williamson eoaaty.
the other by noted horse thief uamed
Johnson, who was hang some three
mouths ago By somv citizens OF Jackson
county. When johnson vas hung be
made a coufession duplicating Chen
worth and Akin.
Two Of the gang, named Brake aud
, Lewis, we're arrested for stealing and con
fiued in the Saline county jail Chen
worth, fearing that Brake and Lewis
would bios" on him, empioyed John
Aiken and the two Clydes 10 murder the
: prisoners, agreeing 70 pay them $500 as
soon Is the Job vas accomplished The
parties started for Saline coaatY, Aad
whan near Harrisburg they settled upon
their plan Of operation, which was to
leave one of their number with their
|, horses in the woods, ready saddIed for
immediate flight; the others were 70
proceed to the residence of the Sheriff,
obtain possession of the keys, when they
would have no difficulty In entering the
jail and dispatching Brake and Lewis
Qas Of the scoundrels has relative lis.
ing near Harrisburg, to whom they de-
Eeloped the plan, and solicited bis assist
anceT but he was horrifed 90 The intsn-
, ded crime, and threatened to have ihes.
arrested FINDING him resolute, they
consented TO drop the affair The Clydes
are very shrewd, intelligent fellows, and
improved their short trip to Saline 10
such good advantage that they bargain
cd with the copperheads Of that country
! to return in a short time and establish a
, Copperhead paper, for which they pledg-
! ed ample funds.
From Harrisburg, Aiken and Clydes
went directly TO the house of Mr.. Stew
art, in White county, where they murder
ed Stewart and took fron him $3.50 and
, few other articles
Akin implicated eighteen residents Of
Williamson county, as being concerned
with these gangs; some few were imuas-
diatelY arrested, few had entered The
army, and ssothers had started for
Idaho aud Oregon. Chenwcrth, snding
his murderous plan had miscarried, i'm
mediately left home and has not since
been heard Of The citizens of Akin ;
neighhorbood have fully determined "a
! rid the country CT snch scoundrsls, aud
gave them several notices to leave. which
kindly hint was Immediately acted 1por
AL the members of these two gangs
are capperheads, and have > holy horror
of niggers, and have even been foai-
: mouthed in their denunoiations OF the
war Akin was q prominent man IN
! bis party, and delighted in persecusinE
Union men, as did also the whole Of the
gang The coaasryois happily rid of
these desperadoes; and their influence
being destroyed, the Union feeling has
increased and strengthened, until It Is
quite safe to say that Williamson is at
length redeemed, and will give Union
majority st the next election.
BrxxETTsGASo.-A hnrridly written
noe frem Morganfeld, Union county,
Ky, 10 the Louisville Journal informs
that paper that Captain Brown succeed