The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1864-02-24

acquired, some men we're bought, others
intimidated. The press was muszled
and Tree discussion suppressed, and, By
sueh neznss Tennessee, which less than
four months befors had given a miiority
, OF 60sOUo in favor Of the Union, was
through the mere form and nsocksrv Of q
popular election, declared in = state Of
insurrectlon against the United States.
Shll loyal East qennesseans refused to
acknowledge the validity Of the act Of
separation. With unwaVeEiag devotion
they still adhered to the Old Govern
ment" Through ths valley Of East
Tennessee ran one Of the most impor
tant railroads in the Oonfsderaey. con-
neciing the Southwest with The eapital
OF the rebel Governments GeOgrspbi.
eally snd sirategeticsliy considered, this
road was essential to the maintenance
Of the COnfederscy. The IS coo Uaion
voters inhabitiDg this section, mutually
encouraging each Others patriotism, and
strengthening feeling Of nationality in
all, constituted \ daugerout clemens ia =
very important locality. Prudence called
for VigiIsDce on the part Of the rebel
authorities, and malignitV demanded re
VeDge. Large armies were quartered
amongst as. Fer more than two years
the Federal Government was tiscted
from East Tennessee. Union cilizens
were dlssrmed-arFested without war
rant, snd, for alleged military offences
imprisoned at the pleasure Of petty mill
tsry tyrants in violation Of all law
forced to take osths against their Goa
scienoies and in derogation Of their al |
legiance to the Uaited States--taxed
with illegal costs to support corTu i
Otfcials-tnsir property seized for pub!ic
and for individual uses. Their fields
! we're laid waste; in sOmc instances, |
houses were burned over the heads of
/ families as 3 punishment for their low
l atty, aud in other instances, not a f10. |
men palFiOticailY sealed their deVO- |
/ tion 10 their country with their Efs /
blood, other butchersd by = lswless
soldi5ry or officially murdered by mil
itaFy court
Amidst this accumulation Of wrongs /
and expressions, being for the time hops- |
lessly removed from, and cut of from the |
Government to which they looked for
protection, the people were unable. in |
their unarmed condition, 10 Organizs any
thing Ike an adequate resistance 60 the |
70 always prese 1t among item Smart
ing under these wrongs they determined |
to be free. b. small companies, they |
gradually and stealthily withdrew from |
their cherished homes, leaving their
property and families behind, sought the |
Federal army in the neighbOring State of
Kentucky, organized into regiments, and |
claimed the high privilege Of returning |
with the flag Of their country 10 relieve |
their oppressed families and friends fr0m |
the CALLING tyranny of Confederate rule |
While some eight or ten thousand + sst |
TsHnesseans, by means Of conscription
and other appliances, were induced % /
enttr che rebel service, at least fifteen % 1
eighteen thousand lOyalists, being one /
half the loyal voting population, stole
their way through rebel pickett, and
across the Cumberland mountains In
search Of that emblem Of protection
the Stars snd Stripes-tO which they and
their families still looked for relief
This much We have deemed il proper
to say in justice to our people, aItaough
the recital of their wrongs NAV be 20
Your E KcellencY but the repetition Of 40
oft told tale. Were this all and did ths
suffering stop here, no murmur would
now be heard TO trouble the ear Of Gov
eminent But the patriotism Of our pso-
pie and the tyranny CT the rebels have,
naturally enough, eoopersted to impozer-
ish our country. Most of those who en-
tered the armies, both Federal and rebel
were laboring men, and thus more than
half the ordinary lsbor Of the country
was Withdrawn from the common indus
trial pursuits The productions suffered
. corresponding diminuiioD, while the
demand was increased by she pressing
necessities Of the rebel G1vernment. Ia
the fall Of 1861, for instance, E lss Tenn
essee furnished over $4,000 hogs to sup.
pert the rebellion. Ia 1862 the rebel
authorities vera mex rable for further
suppliee. E very svailabls hog vas hunted
ont and taken. The products OF our
farms we're 50 d wbersger found. Tue
stock 20 which We looked FOR future in.
crease was destroyed without stint, and
DeavV drafts were made upla the citi-
z -us for clothing sad blankets for ths
soldiery. The blockade OF the Southern
coast, so disastrous 20 tho C0Dfoderacy,
embFaoed "a, also. ia its Tuinous Gffsotp,
and deprived as Of most Of the comfJrts
aud nscesssries Of life to which We had
been accust9med.
In q word, we suffered al the ills Of
isolation, dePopulation aud oppression
The hope Of our Psople was neaa
while, in the coming OF tae U ai0n array.
Finally about ths Ist Of SeDtemblr, Of I
last year, that army came bus ia It's hur-
risd ana successful march across the
mountains, over steep and rugged roads,
IL could not bring supplies distance Of
one hundred and eighty nies from its
depot Of provisions. The advent Of TIE
Union troops was haiied with joy, and
the broken sud crushed spirits Of Uai0n
men and women rallied with new life ~
they bsheld the old Gag coming once .
more 10 signallEs the authority Of the
Of our fathers. But these
troops fund Us with = reduced crop, the E
producs Of lees than one half tbe ordina- :
~ labor Of the country, and much ef .
that, too, prodnced BY the labor Of women 7
and children whose tender hands lad '
hitherto been unused to the Bterner lsbOrs 2
Of the field. Tb s. troops required sub
siatence, sud their necessities could not .
await tie slow proEideEes Of commisss- =
ries and quarter masters. Tney maat 3
needs take supplies wherever found, bat :
The people, with hearts oveIfSTing with Z
gratitude for their deIiEeFaBce. gave up Q
sheir seanty stocks without seeming 70 Q
count the cost or consider the prooabil- :
Itiss Of psg ment Tns country was re- q
( aimed, aad for q tim, ve had Fess9a 70 q
believe that Es8t Tennessee, frJm one 2
extremity 10 the other, was about % Be, l
i not already, restored 70 he authority :
md protection Of the Federal d0Fern .
nent and tia. the native Industry Of our Z
people, Ia c1niaocti0n with The opening g
II oar eommunication with the Northern .
markets, wouid sooa reatore us 70 stats e
r comparative ccmforl Bui in this We q
we're disappointed. Early 10 NogembsF, r
Ias rebels uader L5ngsirsefs numbering 2
{ least 25 COO entering lower East Ten ?
iess1e, began their ma CD uq0n Knoxville q
'or the re- conquest of me whole of East {
Tennessee. Inc quick and unerring sa- o
,aoiiy of Gen. Grant saw the ad7An. c
ages which tNis division OF Eebei foraes Q
.ava 70 the Federal army, and accord ,
naly, by inatrQo ioas 30 Gso. Barnside, >