Brownlow's Knoxville Whig, and rebel ventilator. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1863-1866, 1865-10-11

III. Lieut.. Col Henry {. CorbiD, l4th United
States Coored Infantry, is hereby relieved from du-
" as Judge Advocate OF the General Court Mar.
tia * this place Of which Col j. F. Curtiss, 18th
Indiana Veteran Volunteer Infantry is President
Nnd will rejon bis regiment without delay.
". Major 7. b. Kirby, 4+th United States Col
0red Infantry is hereby relieved from duty as mem
Der Of the General Court Martial Of which Col. J.
CuriisE, 4ith Indiana Veteran Volunteer Infantry,
i President and is appointed Judge Advocate of
the same court vice Lieut.. Col. Henry c. Corbin,
l4th United States Co0red Infantry, relieved.
By commsnd Of Brevet MAJ. Gen. Gillem.
Signed. EDWARD S RICHARDS
Assistant Adjutant General
Proceedings Of Friday afternoon read and ap-
proved.
Ninth witness for the prosecution, Richard Thorn
hill, citizen Cf jefferson county, Tenn, being du-
" twOTh, testified ss follows:
QEC,t.ors b. JlgIgs A25gtGt6.-State your name
and residence A1s Richard ThoTnhill. Jefferson
county, Tenn,
What do you know OF the death Of John A
Ihonhil, citizen OF Jefferson county, Tenn. ?
Ans know be was killed ] saw him a few min
utes after be was killed
Do you know how he WAS killed dus He was
shot there was eleven holes shot through him,
seven from was, to neck, one through his head and
the rest through his arms and legs.
On what day did this occur Ass ] think the
24th Of June, if l recOllect.
Where were you when he was shot .lss was
about half mile from the house
Did you hear the firing Ans. Yes, sir.
Are you acquainted with the accused : Aus. No,
~; never hsd any acquaintance With him in my
Was you acquainted with tbe late John A. Thorn
hill and if So state his character as you knew Il?
Ans. ! raised him. He was my brothers son. He
was young man Of high temper, but bore aE good
character az any one in the neighboThood.
ba ma Ealr 10, pFr1+b b.,rr4
cause A1s. No, sir; do not think he Was; # so,
] never heard Of IT,
Do you not know that Nsj Gen. Stoneman, com
Msndlng Department Of Tennessee, in the District
of East Tennessee, notified John a Thornhill, only
a short time before his death that if be did not st
once cease his awles and fsonious conduct in con-
Dection with rebel gUerrllas in jefferson county he
stOnemaD, would hang him or have him hung?
Ans l never heard Of any such thing IN my life.
Where did ThOrnhill lve2 And was be marri-
Sd 2 Ans. He lived with me when he Wss at home.
he Was q single man.
Q..est.or. By Corrt-Did yoa aee The party that
killed Thornhi.l and if So how many wer5 tbere
IN the party Ans. saw them twice; the lat time
they told me they were the party that killed Thorn
hill. don't know how many they we're.
You stated that they sold you they we're the par
ty that killed ThoTDbill. Did ibsy state what i
was tor ? Ans. I asked them, and they said he had
Threatened Col. Parsons and l. Col Retherford.
ibink they named those two.
The testimony having been read over to the Wit
ness he permitted 70 retire.
Tenth witness for the prosecution Joel johnson,
Jefferson county, Tennessee being duly sworn, tes-
sited ss follows
Qpe,t:ons b. ,yr.Ggs Adroo7ts.-stats your name
and residence ATs. Joel johnson, Jefferson coUR-
ty, Tennessee
Do you know anything Of the death Of John A.
Thornhill, late citizen Of Jefferson county Tenn
hrs. l was present at his burial.
Are You sCgueilted with the accused las
ssye known him since last April was year ago.
Wss you acquainted with the late Jno. a Thorn
Hill and ii Sc, what was his character as you knew
t2 AHs. have known him ever since he was &
small boy his character was good far as knew;
ne was high tempered, ambitions boy; he would
not take Rn insult from any msL without striking
hin. That WAS his character from boy. ] never
kneW him 70 give man insult without cause.
His reputation was good in that neghborhood. He
secuted 4 gCCS deal IN that country with few men.
How old was he al the time Of his death AIs
think he was about - years old, as near as can
remember; he might have been older; I do not
thiDk be was 80.
CROSS -EEATINATICN
Q@s5i:0as D dceUscE-Did John 4 Th0rnhill
ever tell you anything about having Z settlement
With Col. Parsons If So state as nearly as vou can
when i was snd Whist did he say Ans. He tod
ne some time last spring was year ago, that be
and Col. ParEo1s had difficulty and if he and Col
ParsODs lived till the was over they would have
a settlement. l think those were his exsct words
From his msnler or disposition, what did you un-
3ersIsnd by "a settlement" and what was the char
scter Of The difficulty referred 20? Au5. I don't
know what he meant. I never heard him thresten
but two men with n settlement n my life, Colonel
Parsons was one, and DR.. William Massngill Was
another. He Cowhided Dr.. Wm. MassingiIl. Thorn
hill told nc they had difficulty; he said il was in
relation to him not being Captain Of q company il
the 9Th Tennessee Cavalry; and Col Parsons told
me that he had notified Thornhill come 70 the com
nRnd and he had not done It, so he Parsons had
filed his place with another man.
How long before the death Of Thorlhill did the
assault upon DR.. Nassingiu Of which you have spo-
Ken, take place2 Ans. I think It was some tmein
.ast asyi the foTepart of May, think.
Has 10; Ihornhill, especially since the lat5 war
o-oke oE borne the character Of reckless violent
and dangerous man And was he not man likely
70 carry ms threats Of personal violence into execI
Ion zis He had the repUtatiOn Of fighting any
nan inst lnslltcd him. think If he threatened q
man be would do It if he had an opportunity.
Are you q klnsmsn Of John \. Thornhiu? lis.
No, slr, no relation al all, not even bv narrisss.
If you ever had any interview or conversation
With Col Parsons on The road between Rausey's
Ferry and Knoxville, state what il was and what
did Col Parsons manifest towards Thorn
siL7 AS. l net him tho first time in my life that
7 lad any conversation with him 81 Ramsey Fer
ry. I think il was year ago last April. H. told
mc about the difficulty; said Thornhin was man
.s h2d liked, and was very sorry the difficulty had
occ-rred; he said he had done what he thought waE
as duty II putting another officer in his place and
nat ne could not avoid the difficulty.
Can you give the names Of any Of the men = Je--
ie-son county who belonged 10 what is called Thorn
NH scouts A.ss. Marion Jones, Elet McLanna-
nan Cramp McLsnnahan, John NJ Newman. I
have seen Ii. Rankin. 9Th Tennessee Cavalry With
him and Eldrdge Carson, Of the Ist Tennessee Cav
airy, AID Robert 1cLaEnahan was once atuv house
and 80 wss Albert Carman, Of the eth TENNESSEE
Cavalry. Henry Newman, Of the lst Tennessee
Cavalry, WAS son in-lsw Of Stephen Murray, and
used to stay al his house Porter Rankin, 9Th Ten
nessee, went with him once past nv house after
rebels
Do you not know that most Of the men were de-
serters or absent without leave from the L. 5 ser
vice? Ans. l do not know how that Is. I know
that Henry Newman, Of the Ist Tennessee, claimed
20 have come with leave ef absence
Do you not know that Thornhill and his men fire.
quentiy captured las he called it, the property OF
Union men, and Otherwise plundered them without
any authority for so doing? Aras. No, sir, never
heard him charged in that county with interruptng
any Union man or rebel family; without it was