, 1864-04-10
MATTERS At KEoXsILLE, TENN.
Letter nom Rev. w. w. Patton.

Ksoxy111a, Tenn, April I, 1864.
Editors Chicago Tribune: -.
One crf comes up1rom alt the camps: S:nd
VI ,.,gt4oxts. The medical department, from
DR.. Hewitt, the Medical Director. Of tho do
partment, aud Dr.. shippen, Director Of the
poet, down to tho :nmnblest assistant sur
ceop, proolaims tho necessity of q continual
supply Of tL1s essential article Of dict. But.
SIN more carncstly do the soldiers md their
officers beg the Sanitary Commission to meet
this wept. At this distant section tho Gov
crnmcut Issues small quantity OF dcssicatcd
vegetables. which make q valuable Boup, =.
though sayor1ng strongly OF carrots, but
give out no potatoes, onions, pickles or sour
kront. The Sanitary Commission has been
furnishing eacl regiment in this region with
taste, say enough for two, or three meases,
but Its supply il exhausted for the present
In no quarter docs the Commission meet with
more general praise than here, where Che
army has suffered such privatlons and recefv-
cd such valuable aia. The surgeons In Charge
Of the large hospitals here declare that 1t has
saved very mapy lives, and ontreat me to
urge The people to contribute additional
stores Of vegetables. !, Let single case {llus-
t1nte the yalue Of such MD. A soldier was
supplied with small quantity Of, pota-
toes by the distribution of the sani-
tnry Commissfou. He hid long been
suffering from diar7bee which medicine did,
not relieve. Immediately on eating those two
or three potatoes his discasc abated, and be
sent out BY friend aud gave farmer dol
lar npd.a, half for one peck. These be ate
with the greatest appetite, and they gayed
his life. 1iB dinrrhoa wns caused by talnt Of
acuryJ. have just spoken with two mcli-
,t- Iin~
the regiments In front, who report the sol
dlers IN ectasfcs oyer the few potatoes sent
them week ago by tho Commission. Allow
me to express my personal obligations to
DR.. Hewitt, who not only gave me all the in
formation desired, but offered the use Of
horse. and placed an ambulance at the dis
posal OF our sanitary party to convey us
wherever We wished
News came in to. day from the front that d
Gag Of truce bad gone through Bulls Gap to
GrecuviIIe, which has been the rebel head
quarters, and found that the enemy had re-
treated to parts unknown. perhaps to Rich
mond, perhaps to invade Kentucky. a rebel
Captn1n was arrested us a Spy In Knoxville,
yesterday. He claims that LIE was only here
|. secretly to visit his. wife. Who lives In this
Place ganowss stands y the aide o. 9ns
about two. moths since. It may receive
another victim. Refugees continue to pour
in The train today, from further east,
brought a family consisting OF q father,
mother and eight childrenI There
the loyal Tennessceans and the rebels who
have lately taken the amnesty oath. The
former lind 1t difficult to see those who Lave
abuecd and plundered them allowed to come
in, take an oath, retain their property and
settle down es loyal citizens. In some cases
threats against life, while few hare been
driven 1Wny. ,.,.
| This morning called on Parson Brownlow.
he looked feeble, having been eerious1p III,
| but conyersed with ~muCh animation and
| force. He handed me a copy Of his paper,
issued this morning, requesting me to read
to late article in the Richmond Mttg upon
his supposed death. 1t Was very keen and
he enjoyed our comments much. He goes
1 strongly for the reelection Of Abraham Lin
coin, and has warm hopes that the rebellion
PEELED to obey sold Abe'' for the four years
An interesting slave case is reported on The
street to-day. The facts arc said to be these:
There ia q free colored man here, employed
by the correspondent Of the New York III
one Haskell, the assistant Of Parson Brown
low in the Custom House department. The
s1are ran of, was caught BY Haskell, and ter
rb1y whipped and locked up IN the house
Haeken then applied to Gen. Garter
who is from East Tennessee, for {
guard oyer his house. A. guard wa|
Furnished from the 2d Ohio cavalry
But the free brother put up q ladder be
hind, and got ont, the slave. Haskell
guve the alarm and fired twice a.
the elavr while the guard hid. wisely behlnt
the fence. The elaye has not been seen since
but the free brother hns been arrested ant
put IN prison. General -Schofleld has tht
matter under consideration. Tho laws Q
Tennessee recognize slayery, and the Stat4
was unfortunately excepted from the Prest
dents Proclamation Of Emancipation. Henc'
Gen schofleld may not be able to free th
imprisoned colored man; but what abou
the alleged action Of Gen: Cnrterin furuishfn.
guard to Haskel? '-'s..
This afternoon visited; tho cemetery
where eight hundred Of our bravo sol
diers eleep their last sleep. The grave
are arranged in consecutive circles. Thtr
teen contiguous graves had neat marble hen
and foot stones with n monument in th,
centre. erected by their companions Of til
10Th New Fork volunteers; (Highlanders,) } i
touching token Of affection. Onaloyat colore
| ored soldiers grave had been with the rebc
| dead; another Instance Of the yile prejudic
that follows its victim even after deatt
; "Uncle SAM has evidently made up his min
to stay in Knoxville. The Notifications ar
ample to defend 1t against a1l future assaults
and every dGy finds It even stronger.
Yours truly W. W. PATTON.