The Placer herald., 1864-11-19
From the Louisville Journal, September q.
The Acme of 0utrage.--Astounding Devel-
opments of Military Rule in Kentucky.

lucky serVlce was called Oy business into the
District Of Western Kentucky, then cons
manded by Brig. Gen. E. A. Paine. The
Colonel found the people completely cowed,
not daring to utter word, when every day
their most sacred rights, by military force,
were tlagranty violated. BY close observal
| llon lie became convinced that Gen. Paine
and his subordinates were exercising the
iron rule OF despots, were persecuing and
robbing the people under various tllmsy pre-
texts, and that the worst corruption prevailed
in his office and characterized all of his off
cial acts. Being convinced of these facts, he
sought Maj Gen. l3urbridge at his headqusr-
ters in Lexington, and fully explained the
case TO him. The General was 10th to be
lieve that crimes so enormous as represented
| by Col. Crsddnck could be openly pracliced
by man clothed with the authority and
honor of An officer of the United States Cow
ernmen,; but, on the solemn assurance Of
the truth of the statement, he concluded TO
appoint commission to investigate the case
On the 9th OF September An order WAS made
detailing Gen. S. 5. Fry and Col Brown as Il
commission to proceed to Paducah and fully
investigate the conduct Of Gen. Paine while
|
iucky Col. Craddock was appointed to ac
company the commission and assist them IN
| their abors. lust before the arrival of Cen
| Fry at Iaducah, Gen. Paine WAS relieved of
his command by Gen. Meredith Paine was
ordered to remain at his headquarters aud
meet all charges that might 10 preferred
against him before the commission. This he
refused TO do. When Gen. Fry and his ss.
sociaes arrived they found that Gen Paine
| had fled to Illinois, where he is still absent
without authority A OF his subordinate
officers also took "French leave" knowing
that their conduct would not bear investiga-
ton. Gen. Fry found it very difficult to
commence operations, as the main parties
| We're absent, and the clerks and orderes
with whom they had surrounded themselves
and possessing a know ledge Of their iranssc
tions, had been previous sent out of the
district. The citizens were so completely
cowed that they would not open their lips
with one word of complaint against the pol
icy pursued by Gen. Paine Acting on the
authority Of Generals Meredith and Fry, Col
Craddock publicly proclaimed the commis
sion in visiting Pa'lurah, and assured the
people that if they woul come forward and
testify to facts they should receive full pro
lection from all parties who might be impli
Gated 10y their statements. This had the
desired effect. Gen. Fry was received with
the greatest enthusiasm. Tie people threw
off their restraint and extended the warm
hand of welcome. They greeted him with
cheers and smiles upon the street, and
thronged his headquarters during the day,
showing him every kind attention in their
power.
Gen. Meredith is also very popular with
the people. We published an extract from
the Cairo papers some time ago of the cheer
ing demonstration that marked his advent
into office. With the feelings of true sol
dier, he afforded every facility in his power
to aid the commission in their abors. All
of the evidence taken before the body is in
the form Of atiidavts, aud the record is Qnile
vouminous. 1t was found that Gen Paine
had exercised the most arbitrary will AID
that the worst corruption prevailed in his
office. Citizens had been arrested and thrown
into prison without q show Of trial, and no
record of single charge preferred against
them could be found among his official pa
pers in the office. Prisoners were executed
without hearing, and often without de6n
lie charge being preferred sgalnst them.
Forty three graves, said to be those Of exc,
cuted prisoners, were counted at Paducah
Among this number @ers two men named
Nolin and Taylor of well known loyalty,
who by some act, offended the General in
power, and tragic death was Their dom.
To show the manner ia which the execu
tons were made we have statement from
the evidence gwen by Hiram r Enorh. Quar-
termasler of the One Hundred and Thirty
second regiment. Illinois volunteer infantry.
He says that he heard of four citizens being
executed without shadow of lriaI--Kes
erton, Tayor, Ma,hey and Hess. Colonel
McChesney, commanding a, Mayfed, 10y the
appointment and acting under the inslruc
tions of Gen. Paine, told him, about the lsl
of September, 1864, that he had shot seven
men at Mayfeld and had one more in the
guard house that he intended to execute the
mex, day. lie said that he gave them no
trial, and boasted that one Of the prisoners
was shot and covered pin his grave in forty
five inmates from the time that he was first
reported by scout at his headquarters The
whole of Gen. Paine's official career in the
district of Western Kentucky was marked
by the coarsest brutality, calculated to exas.
perate the people and send recruits to the
rebel army. He would order citizens to his
headquarters, and without provocation, would
abuse them, such as I'D rebels, id
scoundres," &c.
The people of Paducah we're driven from
their homes without any just cause. and ttisir
houses turned over to negro families fbr o.
cnpation. General Prince, commanding At
Smiihlsnd, states that fortytwo of the citi
zsns Of Paducah passed down the river on
boats under order of banishment beyond the
federal lines by order of Gen. Paine. The
property of these families WAS contiscated by
Paine's officials. as it was said, for The benefit
OF the Government. Two old widow ladies,
their hair sivered by more than sixty wid-