The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1865-07-25
thamp FergusOB's TRIAL.

TESTTH DAT.
Preston Huff, witness for the Government
ives sworn, aud dsfOsed as follows:
Ferguson lived about fourteen miles from
him saw him in December, 1851, in Gin
ton county, Kentucky; he had e number Of
men with him; saw PhillpOt and Trainorj
they were srmed; there were also some
teams belonging TO q wagon train along with
them he went Of with the two men nam
ed saw him next day next met him in
the road spoke 70 him, and he said, H get
down of that horse, Cd d-m you :" be
ordered me 10 ungirth the horse, and then
ordered me 10 girth itsgsin he then asked
me II there were any clothes in the saddle
bags told him no he then said, " damn
you, don't you want q drsm = told him I
would take one he replied, (" touch It Odd
light . two Confederate soldiers then came
mp in an ambslance he ordered them 10
stop: they took drink, and asked him what
he was piug 10 do with that fellow he said
be was going to take his horse, his father
was id cid Lincolnite he then turned
to me snd said that II had anything 10 say
% say it quickly, IS he was going 70 kin me
he then aslzed me If did not want to 20 to
little place above they called "New
Heaven that they had a new govern
met and a new heaven 10 send such fellows 10;
He eakod me il I would 90 home and stay
elose 10 the plantation if be would let me
20. SAID il was hard thing 10 do, as I |
had 70 60 out sometimes. He then said:
am going 10 learn my relations something, |
and you smong the bslanes; he was 60
ing 70 hill uncle Lewis Huff and others Of
my .reit tons; that be might IS well kiln |
them now as any other time. He then tolI |
me 70 turn the birdie over his horses head, |
which did After this be made me place
his feet in the stirrups. Re then ordered /
me 20 70 home, aud took away tn him my 4
horse, saddle. bride and saddle bags. This
was soon alter Christmas, 1861. Sometime
in October, think, in 1852, party Of men
came 10 my mothers house at night.
reoornized Ferguson's voice. He said
Cd d-n you Pres, come out. When
they went from my mothers they
went towards Piles place, just as straight
as they could go. Soon after heard three
guns ere before Piles place. They took no
property except the negro and some bed
clothing. My father bad been killed in
May, 1892 Saw Ephraim Crabtree in the
party. I saw Ferguson before this, about
the drst Of June, 90, in Clinton county,
Ky. I, with others, had been on The dodge
from him and his men and vas laying out.
Dwell and Williams were with him. The
report came 70 Us that Ferguson and his
men were in The country. We started for
our homea, nud went bui little piece Until
we heard guns firing. We heard women
screaming aud saw soldiers firing. Elisha
Coiger was shot getting overihe fence. BE
was dead when We reached him, and his
little girl was with him ! helped carry
him 10 the house, but did not dare 10 stay ,
longer. There were about ten in the crowd
lFergasonsl Couldn't tell how many were
firing at ooiger. have seen coiger aud men
hunting rebels Don't know whom they
were hunting. l saw tinker Dave" with
Coiger, going to TX up bargain with ths
citizsns Of Overlon county, to keep the
rebols aWhy. I heard that sioau came 10
his death few days before the killing of
Crabtree, Huif aud Williams.
Ferguson wis drinking when he took my 4.
horse The night The crowd came TO my
mothers house We shot At them thirteen
times. I had never been intimate with
Ferguson before he took my horse Fergu-
son's grand father aud mine were brothers.
] dslnt like him much after that. sup
20 that Ferguson saw me aud HUFF in the
corn Geld aud fred two shots. Af.or We
commenced firing be ordered bis men 10
. run. have been with Tinker Dave some.
times since I was mustered out Of ths ser
vice in ls6s. ~
Miss LHvinia Piles sworn; Am daughter
Of VIM. Piles, Of Fsatress county was a.
my fathers house in Oct ber 1851, when
some raea came there they came shout one
hour snd q half before day. / knew VIM.
Latham, Archie McGiunis and Dewitt
MeGipnis, Henderson McGinniss, Marion
Barton, Mr.. Riley end a Mr. Gregory. /
They brought John Williams, John Grab
tree, aud Vim. Delk they were al tied by
their arms above their elbows; they we're
waking was standing in the yard in front
Of The gate when they we're brought there.
They entered the gate snd came into the
yard towards she stable siih Che prisoners;
mother aud I went into The house; soon
heard three shots; the crowd then went
away and We went out and found the dead
bodies o. john Crabirsc, geha Williams and
william Delk. Williams had one shot under /
his right ear ono under the right arm and
other. John Delk rss cut under the right /
arm, the wound was about an inch long, and 4
Crabtree was cut all 10 pieces; was cus 80
much that could not tell hoWmsny times.
Ia one place a eornsialk was stuck in
the wound. Has mother took IL out |
Mrs. Crablree came 70 the house about an /
heur after The killing. The crowd who
came 10 our house had negro girl with
themi they alao had some bed Clothes
cEoss-ExkNISATIoS.
The n'se' -us cloudy but tolerably light; |
We SER up when they came there; We were
up ffon midnight to day; it was before dsy
thHt they came with the prisoners. De
men who wcfe killed we're found ssout ten
steps apart there were fortv-,wo men in
the crowd who did the killing.
-@ss