The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1865-10-21

since August, 1861. There was 4 dssdl
feud between us f; we had been dodginl
about the hills for months, each hunting tn
other, aud each ready TO take any sdvantsg
ne could. Ihesrd that he was at home sick
and went to his house aud shot him. l re
gsrded myself as entirely justified in go do
ing. 1t was self-defenee. 1 killed hin
about the same time killed Woods.
ReP.-Why did you think it Lecessary 4
take such undue advantage of him2
| Champ.-Becsuse he was stouter MAJ
than ! was, and because / feared be woulS
waylsy and shoot me. Il was our policy L
take every possible advantage of cur an
tagonist; if we did not, we would soon finC
ourselves in snare.
Rep.-Do you believe that Frogg won
have killed you, had he found you sick il
bed
Champ didn't mean to give him
chance. took time by the forelock, a
people say. thought there was nothing
like being in time.
Rep-Did yon kill Slower, Of the LIST Ken
lucky Cavalry, as charged in the seventh
specification ?
Champ did. He, too was after me
He lived in Clinton county, was an old &C.
quaintance Of mine, and had sworn that
should die, if ever he saw me, and could gel
| "pop" at me. l killed him to save my
own life. stabbed him after he had been
| taken prisoner. ! knew him knew that
he was a desperate fellow, and if he could
he would make his escape, and then, on &C.
court Of his knowledge of the country
would guide the Federal troops through the
| by-rOads was hiding in. To kill him was
/ my only chance. / killed him some time
in the spring Of 1862.
Rep-How was it about William johnson,
a citizen, who. it is alledged, You pursued
| till he fell over precipice, aud was killed?
Champ.-This was in the Spring Of 1862.
Ny men were scouting around through
| CliCtOn county, KY, conseripting men Tor
| the Confederate army. They went to the
| house Of Henry johnson, and asked fer
home. While looking for him, they saw
him running through some fields, and they
| pursued him but he was a very fast run
ner, and reached the bluffs of Wolf Creek,
when my men, fearing that he would run
down a ravine, impossible for horses, fred
on him, when he leaped from a rock and so
injured himself that be laid there, until my
men dismounted, and climbed down He
wss nearly dead, when one of them stabbed
him, and thus ended his misery. He could
not have lived an hour any how. I was not
present, but was at the house of Henry
johnson at the time. am not response
ble2
Rep Did you punish the man who stab
bed him?
Champ.-No.
Champ killed him. There were seve-
raj of the Zacherys; they were all my
enemies, and had been for years they
would have killed me before the war if they
could, but they didn't get the chance. Al
ter hostilities commenced, l was on one
side, and they ON the other, and for
months We were hunting one another, and
it was my luck to get. the FIRST opportunity,
and ! killed him. We had captured him
before he was killed. He was quite young
about seventeen or eighteen years Of age.
He had imbibed the hatred he he'd for me,
from his family. They were always my
enemies, and / knew it, and we both seized
the occasion Of the war TO fight it out.
came out Of the affair the best.
with reference to the charge Of killing
Lewis Pierre, our reporters omitted to ask
any questions, This was an oversight on
the part Of both, and consequently we have
only the testimony Of the Witnesses. That,
however, was Of such a nature that the
court found him guilty on the specification.
The murder took place near that of William
Johnson, on Wolf river, and at the same
time that johnson was murdered. 1t was
the re sult of one of Champs desperate raids
Rep.-According 10 the 10th specification,
you are charged with the killing of Frank
Zachery, in Clinton County, Kentucky, in
May, 1862; is that charge true
The Ilth specification charges you with
killing Elisha kozier, and his little daugh-
ter, in Clinton county KY, in the spring of
1862; please state if that is true.
Champ.-I killed Kozier, but not his
daughter. ! would not have the heart to
do that. I have a daughter, and no msn
NTH ono of hfa avn -ou11 1iauafah rir1
of that age. | know nothing about her be-
ing killed. If she was murdered, l had
nothing to do with il. ! killed men, but
never children-especially little girls. The
story was a SANDER on me, and intended TO |
arouse the Indignation Of the people, and in
duce them to kill me l know what the |
whole thing was; you don't know as much |
about the situation there, as do. The peo- |
pie lied about me, good deali l didn't do
half they charged on me. If there was any |
thing done, they all said; That's Champ |
Ferguson's work"
Reps James Zachary, whom you are |
charged with killing, OF the Zaohery fami- |
ly?
Champ.-Yes. he was one Of the family, |
snd the same motives which led me to kill |
Fount Zachery. induced me TO aid in the /
work Of dispatching him.
Rep.-Please state whether the charge |
that you killed Alexander Hough, is a true |
one.
Champ He was killed by myself, and
some Of my men.
lOur reporters omitted to make inquiries
TO the murder Of Joseph Beeks, /
near Poplar Mountain, Clinton county, KY |
in the Spring OF 1862. The Court, however, |
found him guilty on the charged
Reptile court found you not guilty on
the charge Of killing VIM. Glasson, near
Burksville, IN November, 1862; you can /
have no objections 10 telling now if You did |
kin him.
Chsmp.-It was done by my men. told
him 10 ran, and was rather in hopes that he
would get away; but my men shot him,
and did nothing about 1t.
Reptile 10th specification charges yoa
with killing Elan RuddlestOn, on the Let
Of January, 1868. know something about
the circumstances OF that case, as / was in
the command that wss pursuing you, and
was on the ground soon after you left;
should be glad 70 hear your version Of the
matter.
Champ.-Were you in WoOlford's cavalry
Rep.-No; in an Ohio regiment.
Champ.-Rell, did Kill him; that is
true.
Rep.-Did you regard that as legitimate
set OF warfare
Champ.-Yes, 7 suppose it was, when We
take all things into consideration.
Rsp.-You have slready spoken Of the
Zachery family. The 18th specification
charges you with hav ng killed Peter zach
srv, while in bed, and the 18th with killing
Anen Zschery.
Champ killed them both.
Rep The 18th specification is that you
.ortnred and kill John Williams. Il was
, shrcking affair IS related, and as I do not
iesire 10 DO you Injustice, / should be glad
Il you could couscientiousiy deny IL
champ did not torture him, but he was
ziIled. 7 do not recollect whether / h led
aim. or whether some OF my men dia H.
8ut he was not tortured TO my knoEledge.
Rep The twentieth specification Is thai
rou tortured and killed David Deik' IN
rentress county, Tenn, IN ue'eoer lso'' Is
,.hamp.--I killed him, bat I tortured no
ne. I never did that. killed men 70 get
hem out Of the way, only; took no pleas
lre in torturing them. Delk had been paf-
nlinr me . long tine, ana ! knew the only
rsv 10 save my lie, was 70 kill him. ana
lid it. ...A
Rep.-The twenty first specification ehar-
les YOU with torturing aud killing 'ohA
,rabtree, in Fentrsss county, Tenn, IN Oe-
ohor, 1858. Would you tell me If the Stale
nent Is correctg
Champ.-Cabtree was desperate man.
md bad sworn death 90 several OF the leaa-
ng con.ederstes in that region, and II was
Necessary that he be put GU. Of the way
aid ne, intend % torture him bat be was
Ong time IN dying.
RsP.-Wss he then prisoner in your
hands?
Chsmp.-Yes. Butt regarded him as
.py. he had been plotting stokes cavalry.
through the country, and had acted IS in
former, when Inquiries we're made O. % the
ofe0nfederate sympsthizers. J