Brownlow's Knoxville Whig, and rebel ventilator. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1863-1866, 1865-11-01


in the spring of 1854 few days after he came from
Nashville. l met him at Joel Johnsons house. L
asked him about his difficulty with Col. Parsons
he said he did not want to talk about it, but at last
he said be wanted 20 meet Col. Parsons some day on
equal footing, or with al equal numbsr Of men. de
said aso that if be and 1t. Rankin lived they had
settlement to make some day or other. DE told me
not to ask any questions about Major Armstrong, rs
he was not worth decent msns notice.
The testimony being read over TO the witness ne
was permitted TO retire.
VIM. B. McNillen, citizen of Knox county
Tenn. nineteenth witness for the defence, being duly
sworn, testified ss follows:
/ State your name and place of residence. Ans.
! VIM. R. McMillen, Knox county Tenn.
! Are you, or were you acquainted with John A.
! Thornhill, Of Jefferson county, TenD.2 AHs. No,
cir l not; knew him by sight
! Did ThUrnhill stay all night at your house
/ if 20, when? Il you had any conversation with him
IN reference 10 Col. Parsons of the 9th Tennessee
Cavalry, state what WAS said Yes. cir, | think IN
! December kst think first mentioned the diff
Guilty between him aEd Col. Parsons to him, when
| learned his nane. He swoTe that Col. Parsons and
/ Capt Armstrong had acted RASCAL. wUh him, and
damned towards, TOO and that be intended to have
/ revenge the frst opportunity.
The testimony being read over to the witness, he
/ permitted to retire
! John RANKIN, II cltiz-n of J,irrsOn county, Tenn,
twentieth witness foE defence, being duly swUrn tes
/ titled follows:
/ State your name and place Of residence? Ans
1 John Rankin, Jefferson county, Tenn.
Did you ever belong To the 9Th Tennessee Cav
alry2 II so. how and when did your connection with
the regiment ceHse7 Has. Yes; WAS discharged last
March, in the consolidation of the lllh and 9Th Tn
Ressee Cavalry. l wss 9 n. Sergeant OF company
b, Sth TENNESSEE
Ii at any time while connected with the regiment
you were at home on furlough, and while there had
ny conversation with John A. Thornhill in refer
ence 70 Col Parsons any Of his officers state when
1t ws5 and what Wac said ? ADs. l WIS at home Oh
turlough about the last OF August 1864. While l
was returning TO the command | met ThOrnhill. In
conversation he spoke of the conflict between him
and Col Parsons az Nashville and stated that the
Colonel had mstreated him that he expected to see
him after the over, and meet with him on
equal footing. He spoke Of 1t Rankin, and said
ne treated Rankin cooly when he met him at Messy
Creek, because be took stand against him with Col.
Parsons, and he was done with him.
Were you present at his meeting Of 1t. S. E.
Rankin, Of the 9Th Tennessee Cavalry, at Messy
Creek, about August, 1864? if so, what occurred
Ans. / was. ThOrnhil came to the company and
spoke to some of the men. Soon 1t. Rankin came
up and spoke to him. Thornhil said he did not
want any ything 10 do with him hereafter, he had
taken q stand against him without cause at Nash
vile.
The testimony was then read over TO the witness
and he permitted 10 retire.
Court then adjourned to 8, A. NJ, OF Friday, Aug
25th, 1865
NINTH DAY,
Eight, \. NJ, Friday, August 25th, 1855, court met
pursuant TO adjournment.
Present. same members as at last meeting the
Judge Advocate the Accused and Counsel.
The proceedings of yesterday were read and aP-
proved
The court then proceeded with the trial of the ac-
cused, Jo Parsons, Colonel 9Th Tennessee Cavalry.
Thomas Morgan, citizen of Knox county, Tenn.
twentyfrst witness for the defence being duly sworn
testified as follows
Questions by A.cussd-What is your name and
place Of residence? Aa8. Thomas Morgan, Knox
county Tenn.
Did you know John A. TbornhiIl, Of jefferson
county by sight or otherwise? Ans. l knew him
by sight only.
If YOU ever heard John a. ThornhiIl say anything
in reference to Col Parsons and othr officers OF his
regiment please state when and where it was and /
what was said Ars At Mr. McAIien's, in Knox |
county, one night when Thornhill stopped there |
some time last fall or winter. He said that Col /
Parsons had 70 go up or something tD that effect ; 1
that Col. Parsons and he could both live in the
same country. Col. Parsons had treatel him very
mean, and go had Capt. Bell, then Lieutenant, and
Capt. Armstrong and 1t. Col. Rutherford.
CROSS EXAMINATION.
Question By Judge Adrocate.-Was any one present /
It Lhs conversation besides youand rhDrnhIll Aas
He vas not talking 10 l WAS sitting by listen-
ing. StYeTSi men were LhSF6
The testimony was then read over % the witness,
and be stated that he intended the last sentence Of
his reply 10 Question by Accu-ed 70 mean that /
Capt. Bell, Capt Armstrong al 1t. Col. Ruther-
ford, had to 90 up too" and be was then permitted
To retire.
j T. Rankin citizen Of Jefferson county, Tenn.
twenty-secnnd witness for the defence being duly !
sworn. testified ~ fillnws:
Questions ~ A5-llSeG.-State your nsme and place
If Fesldrnce2 Ats. J. I. Rankin, Jefferson county
Tenn.
Were you acquainted with John A. Thornhill, of
Jefferson county Ans. Y--, sir.
What has been the rePutIt n OF john A. Thorn
hill in Jefferson county for Lne la; twelve fifteen
mnnths Ans Rather bad
You say ms reputation has bpen bad; in what rp-
.pecI mas It been btd? Ans. It mas bssn I'd af :
women, liquor, horses, and the officers of the 9Th
Tennessee Cavalry.
In what business was ThornAili engaged in JEFF
fersOn county for the last twelve fifteen months7
Ans His business capturing rebels and their
horses, and my understanding was be was di>posing
Of the horses for his own benefit, The rebels gen
orally got away.
Did ThornhIll have associates in jefferson county?
if So ssste the OF such you remember? A1lS
Alec McLsnahan. Cramp McLanahan citizen,
Marion Jones' John n. Newman. Jones and Alec
McL8nRhan we're considered 6eserters from the 9Th
Tennessee Cavalry. Joseph Jones, and Henry G.
Newman were understood to be deserters from the
st Tennessee Cavalry. They were with them part
Of the time Martin Jones and Roland Larrimore
we're citizens | think l saw 10. French with them
TWO or three times after his release from prison.
State all you know in regard to the operations of
ThOrnhll and the men associated with him. towards
he citizens Of Jefferson county AnS. Henry c.
Newman told me that he intended TO steal old man
Sawyers mare and two years colt and the next
morning Sawyers tracked these horses to Henry c..
NewmRn's house, and drove them back past my
house Newman afterwards acknowledged to me
hat he had taken the horses. Sawyers was q rebel
citizen TO my understanding. The same Newman
old me one morning that ho was at Messy Creek
Mills the day before. Jim Daniels came to mill
with two good mules in his wagon while he was
here, and that he and Alec McLanahan was going
20 steal those mules some night. So in the course
If a few days, not many, he was at my house again.
md said - Me and Alec McLanahan are going TO
teal Jim Daniels mules to night and at o'clock
hat night Henry c. Newman and Marion Jones
hought went in the direction of Daniels house and
he next morning Daniels was out in the country
ooking for his mules Henry c. Newman told me
hat he had sold two horses 10 J. Cox Gass He said
le sold another to Beattys. Some time last winter
le and Martin Jones came 70 my house with two
ed mules, and said he was going to sell them 10 A
]. Mountcaste, and went on towards MOuntcastle's,
and came back towards evening saying he had sold
him one. The other was not fit for -ervice-he had
eft it with him. Thornhill himself did not change
lorses from the time of Wheeler's raid. The rest
If them changed horses often.
Did any of Thornhlls men that YOU have men
toned tell you anything about ThornhiTs selling
horses for them J? Ats. One night about last new
year, Alec McLanahan, 10. Jones and Roland Lar
imore, came TO my house about dark to stay all
hight. They said they came to stay, and were 60
NO to stay whether | was willing or not. ThsV had