Brownlow's Knoxville Whig, and rebel ventilator. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1863-1866, 1865-10-04
THE KNOXVILLE WHIG.
Knoxville, Tenn, October q, 1865.
Proceedings OF a GeHeral Court
Martial,
SECOND DAY.

Martial,
SECOND DAY.
Tie Court met pursuant % ad i0Urnment August
9Th, 1865, a. o'clock, A. II.
Present the same members IS yesterday, the Judge
Advocate the Recorder the accused and his counsel
Yesterdays proceedings we're approved, and the
examination Of Nsi. Hornsley second witness for
the prosecution continued
Ousst:oas bg ,ItlGqe Adt0catc-IiOw fer was it
from the camp OF the 9Th Tennessee Cavalry to the
place that this man Thornhill was murdered Ats
Between hfty and sixty miles.
Dc you ever hear Thornhill threaten the lives Of
any Oszcers or men oE the 9th Tennessee Cavalry
other thsn Col Parsons AnS. never heard him
tbfeatsn the lives Of any one, not even Col. Par
sonH.
Do you know that he ever did threaten the lives
Of R7y of the officers and men Of the command
dHs. ! cannot say that know be did: hSverCs-
sons 20 believe
Did YOU ever know Or feel your life TO be in dan
ger from this man Thornbill7 Ans. did not.
Were you not friend Of Col. Parsons 1Hs.
Yes sir.
CgszSE1ANIEATIoN.
Qusst.ols 6y Deferdar4-What is the character
Of the accused END what has been his conduct a.
su officer and gentleman since he has been in the
United States tervicO? AaS. His character Is
good and bis conduct IS az OficcT has been good.
What vas the character Of ThOrnhillt and what
wa bis cOuduot towards the Colonel, and other Off
Cers OF the 9th Tennessee Cavalry? hHy. The
character OF TboEnbill, as lesrn from men that
sDev him best was very bad, and his conduc: TO-
wardV Col. Parsons bss been very viRdctive.
Was De InsubOrdiRste ard 8utinous in conduct
4zs He was.
Was It not generally reported aad believed by
I1any Uf ths officers Of tho 9th, that ThOrnhi IN
tended tskiUg the life of Col Parsons iss It
rFAs.
Do you believe tAa. any bond Thornhiu might
have given bsforc civil would have been any
PrOseCtion to Col, Parsons 4aS do not think
i would
Do Won pot believe that the life of Col Parsons.
sBa tbs lives Of other officers of his regiment were
20 constant danger from Thornhill? Ans. I be-
hsve that Col. PassoRs would have been in danger
away from the regiment either armed or dsarmed
] think other officers smong them Capt. Bell and
Col. Rutherford, have heard them ssv that they
Esd sppTehensICns.
EE-ry4ABAIIoN.
Q&est.oas 5y ,ytsass 4droocts.-Do You not consid-
81 or do you not EnOV ihe difficulty between Col.
PAssons and Thornbil 70 have been Of personal
nature? AEs Il wa pCre5nsl between the two
rgea.
Do yoE not know tbst Col Parsons and officers of
the were perfectly safe lthe distance being
20 great a. the time Of the murder? las. They
we're a. that time.
Do you know Of any circumstance that demand
Cd ThUrnhills death hat time C 5sve the life of
ths accused Ars. ! tbink that every day made
il more necessary there probabilities of our
being mustered out. ] do not believe it would have
bsen safe for the Colonel 20 hsve lived in that
tTy as b citizen.
Do you consider It would Be safe Tor Col. Parsons
10 live citizen IN that county now, so long
occupied by its present Inhabitants? A1s think
Cae man, Newman, would be dangerous.
ts not the diEculty oEissing between the accused
sEd Newman, peEsousif Aus L must be peT=o-
rel between thcn.
EE-CROss- -EIAsINATIVS.
QUGssiJas ~ DstCnGaly-Did not the difficulty
bRsv Gel Parsons sud Th0rnbill rr-ouy
g sho fact tEst Col Parsons in the discharge of his
d5sy - United States officer, dropped Thorahill
from I5c rolls Of the regiment Ars. In my opin-
iou Il an satisfied that vss the ground Of the
diescVltv.
Bss not Col. ParsoEs all the while shown q for
hosrinE disposition toward Thornhill and Newman
85s think he las until short time ags
The testimony was read over 20 the witness, and
20 wss permitted te retire.
Sd Witness for the prosecution, Rufus NCSpadden
Ceptaip, Co. c, 9Th Tennessee Cavalry, being duly
sworn, testified as follows:
Qs.ess.onS Ju Judge AGroGGI.-StGte your name
rama and command, snd If you acquainted with
the accused before the court drlS Nv name IS
Eaf1s AcSpadden, Captain Co. c, 9th Tennessee
CaYksry. l sm well acquainted with Col. Parsons
Ehe accused now before the court.
VIA. do you know Of his connection with the
murder ofOne JnO.A.ThOrnhII citizen Ofthe Coun-
ty OF Jefferson, State Of Tennessee On or about the
2sSh Gay Of June last A'.s. ! know nothing Of
his connection with the murder Of ThorRhil
Ssa.e what you know Of ThornhilIs connection
ViyA she 9Th Tennessee Cavalry Irs. In July
1853 I met TbOrnhill in Kentucky; be told ne there
Be b06 authority for raising company il the eth
Tennessee Cavalry. Col Parsons told NE he had
gtTea Tbcrrhill authority 10 raise company. ]
ka3 started - Tennessee 10 recruit. When We re-
tSFSet tO he lucky, met Thornhill going 70 Ten
aszsee u reCr-t; did not sec Thornhi until sfycr
fbs siegs Of Knoxville, being in Kentucky during
Il Just before leaving Knoxville for Kentucky,
Col Parsons ordered me 20 Jefferson county, 70 get
soDoe men Whine there, the regiment was ordered
% Camp Nelson. While there I saw Capt Thorn
biG went TO c. mp Nelson 10 the regiment from
which place, WAS ordered back to Knoxville:
from there l went o Nashville. l was a. Nashville
With the regiment was II the city when The diff
Guilty occurred betw en- Col. Parsons and Thornbill
TAOso are the only times I net Thornhiu during
hs connection with ne regiment.
Were you in danger from Thornhill .i.s |
70 not know whether l was or not.
DO yOu know that any Of the officers or me-: in
Lhe command we7e2 AuS. I do not know from nv
own knowledge. l never heard Thoruhil say any
thing about Col Parsons or any of the officers Of
the regiment
Do you know tina. the lives Of the oticcrs. and
re usefulness Of the regiment depended upon the
billing Of ThornhillF III. I do not sir; ! Do net
know 10 my cgn knowledEC, that It did
We're the men or officers II danger from Thorn
hill while travelling in Jcfe'son county A.s- 1
have travelled through Jefferson county great
deal myself and never feared ThOrnhiI- l cannot
say Tha. no might have done ID other officers.
We're, and are you known TO be friend TO Col.
Parsons -iHs. Yes, sir; am q friend Of Col.
Psrsclz.
Do you know ol other officers nd men Of the eth
tennessee Cavalry, travelling through Jefferson
county without being unolesed by Fhornhill lEs.
Yes, sir; grest many Of the officers and men have
travelled through Jefferson county without being
1nOlested
Was not the difficulty between Col. Parsons and
Thurnhi Of a personal nature fr.. do no,
know; I do not suppose II was
D. you know Of Col. Parsons attempting The life
Of ThornLill st Nashville by shooting II him with
3 pistol? 4as. l DO not know; I was not present.
Do you know Of reasons TO justify Co. Parsons
II the murder OF Thornhill7 Aas. I do no. know
any reasons.
Have you been serving with your command dur
ING the last Fix months Ans Yes sir.
Have you been acquainted with the affairs OF your
regiment during that time? Ags. Yes, sir: / was
acquainted with the officers Of the regiment init
naately associated with them They might have
had some things they did not tell me anything
about
Did you ever hear any Of the enlisted men ex-
t. crvnon 49,