Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1865-03-31
FROM NORTH ALABAMA.
A letter from North Alabama says of military a

A letter from North Alabama says OF military al
fairs in that quarter: r
Almost daily we have accounts Of Forest dohIgs
and whereabouts. The latest reliable reports are
that he is encamped at WesV' Point, and has about
eight regiments of effective men, fonr OF which are
negroes, recently organized. From all accounts OF
him one OF our divisions could thrash him out most
beautifully. Recently he sent Gen. Wilson letter,
in which he gave him the following challenge :
"Genaril it you will come down hear with ! 0, 900
men, l'le give you far fead and whip the fight"
lie may soon be called upon to fulfil his promise.
HEADQ'Rs CAVALRY CoRNs,
Department oithe Cumberland =
Chickasaw Landing, Ala, March Is, 1865.
STARTING OF THE GREAT CAVALRY RAID.
Ere this letter reaches you the long talked OF ex-
peditOn from this place will be on its way reiOi-
eng. IL will start Tuesday, the 2lsf aud 1t will
not he long before Forrest and Dick Taylor will he
satisfied of IT'S presence in quarters too contiguous
to them To be comfortable. As stated in my last,
the Fifth division will remain here until they are
armed equipped aud mounted, which will not he
loug, when II is understood they are 10 JOIN the
command at some point south OF this. At present
this will he the base OF operations, though the eX
petition has idea of returning To this place. as
there no rebel armies Ia the deF~rttnent that
Gan resist their advance 10 any dangerous degree
The expedition takes no transportation, except q
few pack mules and will forage on the rich valley
of Alabama for supplies, after the ratons thcy
draw are gone. 1t will be the largest cavalry raid
ofthe war and trust will b. fruitful i'll its results
II would be cODtraband for me to give you tia,
number OF the troops, but You may rest assured tina
there is sufficient Ia Orerwhclm all the combined
cavalry force OF this rebels that can be thrown ii
their way.
THE EXECUTION OF CAPTAIN KENNEDY
The Tribune publishes the following maleyolent
account OF the execution OF Captain Kennedy, to
gether with statement that purports TO be con
i-sslon OF the hapless victim OF Yankee hate
Kennedy was a native of Louisiana, aud at tn,
time IT his death was about 20 years IF age, OF
spare build, light complexion, with brown eyes
hair. mustache aud whiSkers. But fOr the wicked
CLEAN OF his eye, aud the low, Oyerhangiug Gore
head, lac would have been called good Hooking. His
parents are people OF wealth, and gave him, with
his brothers and sisters, liberal education, which,
in the case OF Robert, was finished 10y two year
course at West Point. He left the Academy IN
ls56 and from that time until the breaking out OF
the Rebellion, led the life of planter. lie eagerly
entered in The vortex OF secession, and with his
brothers Joined the amy of the South, then com
handed hy Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston.
After serving in that army during long aud
bloody campaign, in which two OF three OF his bro
theirs possibly all, we're killed. and after several
captures aud releases, was retaken and sent as "A
prisoner of war To JohnStOn's Island, whence he
made his escape and He'd to Canada There he met
his Confederate agents, aud was supported 10y their
They regarded him as wholly useless in matters
recurring caution and skilitul management, but as
The best man Of the force for anything reckless,
dare -devilish, foolish They maturcd then plans
and used Kennedy carry out their design ot firing
this city.
The particulars of the attempt made on the 18th
of last November are too well known t0 he repeated
here. lriaed not from amy want Of courage Gu
the part of those engaged but from miscalculalon
AS 10 the Of the c0mbustibe materials employ
ed The people were indignant and anxious 10 Sc
cure the conSpirators. Chief Young, with Detec-
tiyeS Bennett and McDOugal, OF the Metropolitan
Police were detailed To work up the plot and arr est
the conspirators AFTER much difficulty, and work
ing their way through certain mazeS, their effort
were finally crowned with success. =
4 full history OF the plot was obtained, and the
arrest of Kennedy one of the plotterS was con
snpmated He was caught in Detroit, while "a
route ior the South and while on his way To this
city lac made irutless attempts To eScapeonce ny
eudeayoring to ramp from the window, while the
| train WAS in motion On his arrival here he was
confined at the Police Headq quarters where his con-
duct was so outrageous that it was deemed prudent
| tn send him to Fort Lafayette. lie was arraigned
and tried before II Military Court Martial which
was convened at Fort Lafayette and at New YORK
CITY by orders from General Dix, and over which
Brig. Cen Warren presided; Major Bolles wa'
| Judge Advocate, and Brig. Gen. Stoughton, an old
West Point cltSSmate of.the prisoners generously
undertook his defence.
The charges against him were two-foll
| /. Acting rs a spy. &.
. Carrying on unlawful warfare in attempting t.
| burn and destroy the city of New York.
lie was found guilty of both charges, and sen
fenced To death 10y hanging. When Kennedy was
informed OF the verdict he did not seem in the least
affected but, Judging from his language and writ.
ings his thoughts could not have been OF pleasant
nature. W e give the following as specimen OF his
ncditations, written while confined in his cell mo
| 2 formerly occupied by Joseph Howard, Jr.):
IL Hell, March ?, 1865.
Having slept the greater portion of the day,
cannon sleep tonight, aud as have the COVE
nences at hand, propose committing some OF my
thoughts To paper. In thinking all over the crcnm-
stances of my trial, | must believe the verdict OF
my Judges will be Not Guilty. But thinking also
that | am u captive in the hands OF enemies, who
regard it a crime worthy ot death to lac an officer
/ in the Confederate States Army, | AIN doubtful oI
their verdict. la summing up the evidence against
me, the Judge Advocate shed tears, aud afterward
| shook hands, and asked me to pity him, thai lac
merely did his duty, and was not actuated by ma
| licous feelings to prosecute M.
| This is all very well, hut / must recolect that
the same Judge Advocate, when / was utterly