The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1864-10-19
WooDsFIELp. MONROE COUNTY, OHIO. OCTOBER 10, 1864.

drels, DC.
The people of Paducah were driven
from their homes without any just cause
and their houses turned ever to negro
families for competition. Gen. Prince,
commanding at Smithland, states that for
ty two Of the citizens of Paducah passed
down the river on boats under orders of
Punishment beyond the federal lines by
order of Gen. Paine. The property of
these families was con6scated by Paine's
officials, as it was said, for the benefit Of
the government. Two old widow ladies,
their hair silvered by more than sixty
winters, for no just cause, were tern from
their comfortable homes aud sent to Cam
ada under guard OF negro soldiers. The
people were swindled in the most out
rageous manner. Gen. Paine's rule was
absolute. A trade agent was appointed,
not by the Secretary of the Treasury, but
by the self created monarch, who Issued
his edicts from headquarters district of
Western Kentucky. He levied tax of
ten dollars on each hogshead Of tp5aceo
and each bale of Gotten exported, and
per cent. on all cotton or tobacco received.
j. & Woodruff was appointed trade agent,
assigned to this especial duty. The large
tobacco warehouse of Thomas Dale was
taken possession of; and all cotton and
tobacco subject to confscation or tax was
stored in it. Only particular favorites
and pets of the general were allowed to
carry on business, thas monopoizing the
trade, Paine sharing in the profits. Col.
w, H. Barry. of the colored troops, for
months kept company with notorious
prostitute, appearing in public with her
on all ecca asions. He forced one Of the
bankers of Paducah to pay this woman
one hundred and fifty dollars in gold, give
ing no excuse for the strange proceeding.
Captain Phelps Paine, son of the General
and Assistant Adjutant- General on his
staff, sent a guard to take from the house
of Mr. Scott Ford sufficient furniture to
furnish his private room in elegant style.
Aftor Thorough investigation, the
commission were satisfied that Hon. Lu-
Glen Anderson, member of Congress, r.
III. Hall, provost marshal 1st Congres-
sioual district of Kentucky, John T.
Bollinger; and Major Henry Bartling,
Eighth United States colored heavy artil-
lery, were guilty of corruption, aud were
sharers with Gen. Paine in his swindling
transactions.
At three different places in the district,
Anderson and Bollnger addressed the
people and told them that if they did
not vote for Lincoln. they would be grast-
ed no privileges, they would not be allow
ed to trade, their property would be taken,
and they would be reduced 10 beggary and
starving condition Every possible eff
fort was made to exasperate the people in
order to have pretextto seize their prop
erty. Col McChesney ruled May6eld
with an iron hand. He nearly destroyed
the beautiful town by cutting dewn the
shade trees and erecting a fertilization
around the court house on the public
square. On this work all citizens were
required to labor, neither sickness nor age
exempting man from duty. Ifa person
did not choose to labor, he was assessed
Gne of from $500 to sseo. The fcrti-
festion was useless piece of work, as
many of the hills surrounding the town
commanded the square. The commission
tLiAk that it was simply done to exasper-
ate the people and serve as pretext tc
| assess nSdEy uuoS Oh tuem..
a box was found at May field filed with
vsrious articles taken from the citizens
aud addressed to Col. McChesney's friends
lin Tnineis. 1t is estimated that the citi
zeus were assessed by McChesney to the
amount of $4,000, but Ss,eG0 Of whicl
uent to the government. This latter amour
Was seized by General Fry while in transl
| North. The postmaster of Mayfeld,
wsrthy young man, who proved his 10y
Ialty in the early part of the struggle, an,
has remained firm to the Union, becaus
he said that he could not approve of tn
policy pursued by the administration i
regard to the negro, ives stripped Of hi
oiilce by Col McChesney, and forced t
labor on the fortifcations for three weeks
J N jor Peck. of the One Hundred an
Thirty-Second Illinois, commanding for
I short time at Smithland, was one of Paine
subordinates, and faithfully executed tn
: orders Of his chief.
. According to his own statement the pee
; lple were assessed to the. amount OF S14
9 900, but 81, 600 OF which resulted to tn
: government. At Paducah, Gen. Pain
established trade regulations requirin
d permits for all goods bought and sold, an
. charging ten cents for issuing permit f
: goods valued as low as forty cents. N
account was kept of this money, and thel
}. is not paper to show that one cent of
, - Vs., turned over to the government.
rel.ef fund was established for the pu
: pose, as stated by the general, of bein
IS devoted to the support of the wives
es soldiers in the district. All of the cit
u zens were required to eontri butte, and y
y not single Kentucky soldiers wife wi
} ever benefited by the fund. Capt. Pair
y for his own individual wants, drew fro
'e the treasury at one time s. 900. The
., were three grand swindling schemes
'e full operation throughout the district
a the relief fund, the assessment to linden
!, nifty loyal people for losses suffered at Il
a hands OF guerrilles, and the tax levied {
"a tobocco and cotton. 80
= From various sources, it is estimate
that Gen. Paine swindled the people al
:. the governments out of not less than ol
:. hundred and fifty thousand dollars.
: the expedition after Adam johnson, pro
. erty was wantonly destroyed, and the pc
,inle robbed and persecuted in the mo