The Shasta courier., 1864-08-06
Romance ofthe War in Tenncssee--A Young
Woman Shoots a Guerrilla tosAyenge the
Murder of her Lover.


Murder other Lover.
The following simple and unyarnished
story. says the Nashville Times, has hardly
a parallel in the page of fiction. Its strict
ruth is beyond question:
NEAR MURFREEsBoRo. June %. 1864
To the Editor Of the Times: The original
of the following letter is in my possession.
The events SO graphically narrated transpir
ed in Overton county. Tennessee. | knew
DR.. Sadler from a small boy. The men who
murdered him were noted guerrillas, and kill
ed him for no personal g.udge, but on ac-
count of his sentiments. | have no personal
acquaintance with the Young lady, but have
the highest authority for stating that she is
pure. high minded girl. the daughter of ii
plain farmer in moderate circumstances II
only remains to state that Peteet was killed
january 30tb, and Gordenhire February T.
1864, so that the vengeance they invoked has
overtaken all three of the murderers of NJ
G. Sadler.
MARTINS CRzEk, April 80. 1861.
Major Cliff: According to promise ! now
attempt to give you a statement ofthe reasons
why | killed Turner. and a brief history of
the affair. DR.. SadIer had. for two years pre-
vious to his death, seemed equally as near
and dear to me as il brother and for several
months nearer than any person-mv parents
not excepted. If he had not. never would
have done what did-promise to be his.
The men who killed him had> threatened
his life often because he was a Union man :;
they said he should not live, and after he had
taken the oath they arrested him, but Lieut..
Oakly released him at PAS gate. He staid
at Pas till bed time. and | warned him of
the danger he was in; told him bad heard
his life threatened that day. and that | felt
confident he would be killed if he did not
leave the neighborhood, and stay off until
these men became reconcied. lie promised
to 60, said he had some business at Carthage
and would leave. He promised Us he would
leave the neighborhood that night, or by day
light next morning. and we felt assured he
had gone. Bat for some unaccnuntable rea-
son he did not leave. About three o'clock
p. NJ, next day news came to me, at Mr..
Johnsons, where had gone with my broth
er, that DR.. Sadler was killed. | had met
Pe;eet. Gordenhire and Turner on the road.
and told my brother then that they were
searching for DR.. Sadler to kill him. Sure
enough they went to the house where he was,
and strange to me. after his warning he per-
mitted them to come in. vhey me, him ap-
parently perfectly friendly, ami said they bad
come to get some brandy from MIR Nelton
which they obtained, and Immediately after
drinking they all three drew their pistols and
commenced firing at Sadler. He drew his
but it was snatehed away from him he thea
drew his knife, which was also taken from
him. He then ran round the house and up
a stairway, escaping out of their sight. They
followed however. and searched till they
found him. aud brought him down and laid
him on a bed, mortailv wounded. He T-
queSted some of his people IN send for D..
Diilin to dress his wounds 1t is strange to
ne why. but Sadler's friends had all left the
room. when Turner went up and put his pis-
tol against hi temple and shot him through
the he'd They ali reioiced ike demons and
stood by till he made his last struggle They
then pulled his eyes open and asked in loud
voice if he were dead. They then took his
horse, and saddle, aud pistols. and robbed
him of all his monney. and otherwise insult
ed and abused his remains.
Now, for this | resolved to have revenge
Peteet and Gordenhire being dead, | deter
mined to kill Turner and to seek an early
opportunity Of doingit But kept tnat res
olution to myself. knowing that | would be
prevented. | went prepared, but never could
get to see him.
On the Thursday before killed him.
learned he was preparing to leave for Louis.
lana, and determined be should not escape
i. | could prevent 1t. arose that morning,
and fixed my pistols so that they would be
sure fire, and determined 10 hunt him all that
day Then sitting down, | wrote a few lines,
SO that if | fell, my friends might know
were too look for my remains. | took my
I
with a neghbor living on the road towards
Turner's. 1t rained very severely, making
the roads muddy. so that became fatiguel.
and concluded to go back and ride next day,
or Saturday. Ma rode my horse on Saturday
and left m to keep house We had company
Sunday morning. SO that could not leave,
but the company left about noon. and star
ted again in search of Turner Invent to his
house. alb nut two and a half miles from Pas
| found no one at home. and therefore sat
down to await his return. After waiting
perhaps. one and half hours. a man came
to see Turner and not finding him. he said he
supposed that he and his wife had gone to
Mrs Christian 5. his sisterin- law, who lived
about one half mile distant
| concluded to 20 there and see, fearing the
man would tell him ! was wa ding for him
aud be would escape me- found him there.
and a number of other persons. including
his wife and her father and mother. Most Of
them left when | entered the house. ask
ed Mrs. Christian if Turner ssas gone. She
pointed tn him at the gate, just leaving. |
looked al the clock, and it was half past four
P. NJ. | then walked out into the ward, and
a> Iaruer was stirling called to him to stop.
He turned. and saw | was preparing to shoot
b IN; he started to run. | fred at the dis
lance of about twelve PAGES. and missed. |
fired again as quick as possible. and hit him
in the back of the head. and be fell on h
face and knees. fired again, and hit him
in the hack aud he fell on his right side. |
/ fred twice more, only one cf these shots TAX
M effect. By this time | was within FIVE
/ steps OF him. and stood and watched him nm
! til he was dead. ] then turned round ana
walked t,wards the house, and met Mrs.
| Christian and her sister This wifel coming
t out. They asked me what did that for.
My response was;" You know what that man