The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1865-08-08
Champ Fergusoa's al.
rrEvrr-rIRsr !

a kAHAaE A<AG-N@N AAa4Aa
rrEvrr-riksT DAT.
L. ". DrvArLswsHS;-Hav v known chsmr
Ferguson almost ever sincsI knew anybody.
Van DuvAii / knew, for he was & brotkeroi
mine; also knew Joha HirsL Thes are both
dead.
fRefereRcs 70 Van Duvsll and John HRS
objected 70 By the dsfenee on the plea that
their names were not mentioned in the
specifications or charges. The matter was
referred b. the Judge Advocate 20 the Com
mission, but 10 deeision appears upon the
Tecord.l
Ny brother and John Hirst came to their
death Nay lst 1855, IA Clinton county, Ky.
saw The prisoner, Champ Ferguson, az ny
fathers residence. which Is six miies east Of
Albany, Clinton county, Ky, on The day Of
ths death Of my brother and Hirst, Fergu-
son and burteeb meal knew none but
Ferggson-were there armed and mounted.
Il was early in the morning just after the
sun had risen that brother, Hirst and NY
self ware standing st the head Of a spring,
when we saw four armed men Apr aching
donat the rosd. First, two Of them came
down together and stopped at ths horse lot,
which is close to the house, and shortly en-
tered the los. Afsorward, Two more came
up 10 the yard fence, enc Of the later dis
moantei and entering the porch, the other
csme near where We were standing aud
demanded 3 surrender. ibid not know that
man. The demaad was made three times,
when al The third time the man raised his
pistol ana fred at as. Ny brother and
Hirsi, who we're armed, returned the FIRE.
Tho man. RENOVATED his horse, went up the
F3lroad a short distance and cried cut "Hurry
up here with ihe command" AS near as /
can r~ecollect these were the words used.
When he said IA s, Hirst and my bro.hsr
walked up the bill, While turned and
wAked down the brsnch and toon Loaf sight
OF them. BY this time the command, .
squad OF men, passed me. A. they passed,
q person / took 20 DO Champ Fergusoa said:
eDoR't hart that man that's Berg Duvail.
know him" 'Berg" il 6 nick name
they gave me. There was a mau left to
guard me as the command passed Oh, and
he ssksd me what conmsnd the two men
a fa.luding 20 my brother ana Hurst belonged
20. 1replied that they be.ongsa to 20 com
msnd. .Don't tell sny Of yousG-d did
lies he said "Tll blow your brains out in
q minute" Presentiya second man came up,
relieved The first, aad proposed 10 90 to the
house, which We did. While there Champ
Ferguson rode up and ordered the second
guard ahead with the command. bespoke
70 me and l shook hands with him, aud We
passed the usual compliments Of the day.
L. ~ 49, -. - a. - -.
thst were siandiag with me Is the spring,
and ] told aim. he said they were killed,
aad justified his action by the plea that
they began a. After thhs he departed
in the direction the others had taken. There
was e man who belonged 70 me and a horse
belonging 20 John Hurst taken from my faith
era etsble-which was all that was taken, !
think, which was no. returned. The COM
1nand came irolu the direction Of somersos,
XIV. I do NOT think THAI any of them were
drstseda az SOLDIERS. After tho command had
departed, 7 brought IN The dead bodies Of
Hir.t Bod my brother. Hirst was shot in
he left Of the backbone, the ball coming
0at just below The right nipple. He also
had 8 shoi ia the back Of his head. My
brother vas shot in the lock Of his jaw, the
bail coming oul Of his forehead. Al 1is
0eeHrrsa on tho last day 81 april or the first
aay Of My, 1855, after 4 led read Of the
Jad 81 Eiamoaa aad he sprTsnder Of Lee.
In answer 10 defence, the W tness SAID
was no, armed. We all went to the spring
" wssh. Hirst lived seven miles distant
my brother, sixty miles. My brother came
70 see my father, who was 1 ing at the point
Of death. lliFsl and my brother always
carried arms % defend themselves, / sup
Tole. Ny brother lived in Taylor county,
Ky. Member Of them ever told me that
they belonged 10 any command. did not
hollow them from the spring because / was
ansrmed, and saw 40 chance Of defending
myself. Myself and brother have served in
the Federal army, bat DO not think that
either Hirst or my brother belonged TO any
command at the time Of the occurrence
spoken Of
Rs-examined Ny brother moved with
his family from Clinton county TO Taylor
eouay IN 1868. He lea Clinlea because he
was afraid Of Champ Ferguson-had once
assisted in the arrest Of Champ Ferguson.
Twas one Of the party. When We halted
BIN, Ferguson said 'bold onin and my
brother told him not 50 raise his arms. Fer
susoR rematkod thas ho(my brother) would
IS soon shoosa man - not. Ny brother re
piled that he would blow his brains out ifhe
raised. then told he boys to hold oa-that
Champ amp his party bad surrendered. We
then took them 70 Phillips house, from
whence Champ eacaged-how, do not
know. This occurred Ia 1861. whom a party
Of Us were Tying to secure some property
belonging to Hun, VINO was one Of our
party,
The Commission adjourned TO meet to
morrow morning At eight o'clock,
TaT Nruno coxyESTIox at Bishop Capers'
African church, hiss created considerable
curiosity in the city. We we're promised a
mll report q yesterdays proceedings but
failed % obtain it,