Brownlow's Knoxville Whig, and rebel ventilator. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1863-1866, 1865-09-13
A Threatening Letter.

The following letter addressed to Judge Hall, of
this city, is Of the more Importance on account OF
the handwriting, and will be preserved We have
the best reasons in the world to believe it contains
no idle threats but that its plans will be attempted
to be carried out. The signs are all that way. we
are on the side of the civil law, and so are Judge
Hall, Attorney General Young, and MI Sherln
Bearden; and the characters and acts of these men
are grossly msrepresented by these rebel assassins
If however the rebels have not had enough of their
bushwhacking, let them undertake to put few prom
inent Union men out of the way, and our WORD lor
II thew will soon he cleared out in this end Of the
State.
We cannot let this letter 60 out to the world With
out correcting its false statement made as to the
character of old Jim Smith. Smith was one OF the
worst men in this country, and together with his
sons was engaged in bushwhacking, robbing and IN
every conceivable way aiding and abetting the re-
/ bellion:
STATE OF TENNESSEE, August, 1865.
MsssrS. E. 4. Hall, Judge; - - : Young Attorney
General: - Bcardeal Sheriff:
SIRs: You are represented to be placed IN othce
IN administer and force the civil laws OF the land
| Are Won doing so ? From all can learn thlnk
not. This is merely to inform you that unless tne
civil lvw is enforced, and men who have taken tne
law into their own hands, and committed outrageS
unon rebel sympathizers and paroled soldiers IN
many instances killing them, are not arrested anu
brought to speedy trial, We many so-called reDes
will take the law into our own hands, ana aVenSt
the outrages committed upon our friends, by deang
summarily with the perpetrators and omclaR' be
leving two of YOU are intending well, but are only
fearful of the rabble, we will give you timely warn
ing that you have greater enemy to fear than tn
rsbble unless YOU do your duty and that speedily
The Sheriff Bearden, we know TO be a bad man, Wh(
detailed and urged his men to perform deeds OF IN
fanny and then assisted one of them IN making thel
escape Che knows who mean.) his plans for TIT
killing of James Smith are well known, as well a
the perpetrators of the deed. 1t was done through
sinister motives, and not for any wrongs done then
by him. He was an honest man, and a good neigh
bor all of his honest neighbors, Union and rebe
well testify. Never was guerrilla, and BroWnIoV
| knows 1t. be was of from his nome, ate
Longstreet left the country, when he went TO tn
Confederacy, and there remained quiet citizen
never having entered the army, to my certal
t knowledge.
committed acts of violence in your very presence
The truth is, srs nearly all of you from Brownlo7
7 down, have encouraged it. will candldly state
you that if you pursue your present course OF con
duct any longer, you are doomed men, for have 20
not seen enough Of the late socalled rebels to kno
that they will not quietly submit to every wron!
iuries to themselves or friends. Many are alread
doomed, for we have sworn to have their heart
blood at every hazard, and when we once set OF
heads we are not easily bafied, for we have all II
points"
We are hunted down and driven from our home
not by the authorities but by the vulgar, cowardl
u and unprincipled class who neverplaced themselv
!, in danger where other men had an equal chance
and YOU have never tried to suppress it, but we l0
suppress it, if we have to suppress their worthIe
! lives.
will state that we entered the Confederate arm
voluntarily, and at the beginning Of the war; b
) lieving as we do yet, that we were engaged III
# righteous cause We served until being overpowe
ed by overwhelming numbers, we were paroled al
% ordered to our homes and, recognizing the failu
of our cause we have taken the advice Of our lea
ers to try and restore quiet and peace to our unhs
l. DIV land and believing all disturbers of the pea
: as our enemies, most of us have taken the oath
l. allegiance and in good faith, and are now the me
peaCeable citizens Of the country but we have for
bore with certain class until forbearance has ceas
- to be virtue and as there is end TO all earth
l. things we have sworn to put an end to them.
g. Respectfully
le MANY so-CALLED REBELS.