Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-01-20

Il - AS Toe
FROM euR REGULAR coRKEsPoSBExr.l
BRISTOL, Jan. II, 1866.
| HAll quiet in East Tennessee" cry tlos
Journals who are responsible for the blood
tragedies that have bathed the history Q
Tennessee in blood and who seeing the I'm
popularity Of their blasphemous and blood,
dogmas are endeavoring to conceal the rea
state of affairs from the world by the pro
clamation Of such effnsions as head this let
ter. No doubt they. would gladly bury III,
past-smooth over the catalogue of outrage
and cold blooded marders they have melted
heralding to the world such wilfnl .perver
slons of truth and the vulgar denuEciatiol
OF those who seek the exposition OF sucl
violations of civil and domestic quiet
| Some of these journals would have the
world believe that all discharged soldiers o.
| The country in question have returned e.
| their respective homes, and have turned
their implements Of war into those OF aerf
culture and indnstry-that no mobs, armed
to their teeth with navy pistols and bowie
knives, Turk around and in our villages and
towns, ready for the administration of their
indoctrinations. Take the following incl
dents OF recent occurrence and form your
own conceptions. ..s II 4
A Mr.. Scribner who had been associated
with the Confederate army, ard living in
Hawkins county, was. hired to haul a load OF
produce to this place from his county. He
had necessarily to pass through Kingsport, a
small town in the western portion of Sulli-
van connty--a town noted for the preva-
lance Of mobocracy. As he was entering
the place on the 9th inst, he was attacked
by mob of discharged soldiers led bv one
Mcintosh who followed him for a half mile
beating him in the most cruel manner.
Whenever he attempted to defend himself.
pistols were drawn and presented threaten
ing him with instant death,
These ruffians were loaded down with ma
Wy pistols and bowie knives. This is the
civil quiet chat keeps men Of enterprise and
capital from immigrating to East Tennessee.
Hence her woeful aud dilapidated state.
Mobocracy drove away her men of enter
prise and capital, and the domination Of
such an element though limited to certain
localities, is what prevents the immigration
of such elements as would tend to recuperate
her restitution.
But the scale occasionally turns-some
one else aside from the accused rebels"
meet with summary ends in the exercise of
mobocracy. As ruch as we Geprecate the
shedding of blood, yet if it must be shed Jet
tt flow from the veins of those who entertain
such bloody prejudices against the rebels,
"so-called."
One day last week one Captain Bishop of
the United States service was shot dead in
Rogersville, some seventy miles west of this
place, by comrade in arms, under the fol-
lowing circumstances Captain Bishop was
in the sto=e-house of one Pace, using very
insulting language to Mr.. Simpson, prom
inent Union man. This gentleman requested
Bishop to desist from the further use ofsuch
language, that he would not s.ffer it.
At this moment Mr.. Pace stepped to the
door and called to Capt. Sisemore, deputy
sheriff Of the county, notifying him of BIS
conduct. He came in and ordered B. to
cease his offensive language. This he re-
fused to do and advanced towards the sheriff
with drawn bowie knife with which he
had threatened the life of Mr. Simpson.
Sizemore backed to the street from the
house, in the meantime informing him that
he was a prisoner. Bishop continued to
advance brandishing his knife. Sizemore
halted and informed Bishop't that if he came
any further that he should shoot him. To
this he paid no attention but continued his
advances when Sizemore shot him dead.
!. Sizemore was arrested. but on the facts
being made known to the officer before
whom he was summoned he was released
from custody. 2 ~ cleo HtiI ~
In this Bishop was but endeavoring to
exercise his ideas of selfrighting or the adj
ministration of the popular doctrine of
So much for the sublime quiet
that reigns throughout East Tennessee
During the Christmas holidays there
were several instances of robbing through
out this unfortunate county, which are too
tedious to mention in this letter.
In consequence of the prevalence of this
barbarous and cowardly practice, and Its en-
dorsement by the radical home journals, the
travel on this line of railroad is a mere
cypher. There are seldom more than half
a dozen through passengers, and often less
than this number. In connection with this
influence acting 10 the detriment of the irav
cling interest of this entire line of railway,
is the bad condition of the track and the
slow time made. The Virginia end Of the
line is in horrid condition. They have
very slow schedule, and necessarily, from
the fact that the track is SO much out Of re-
pair. This road, however, is furnished with
superior passenger t1ins, made up Of ele-
giant and comfortable coaches The freight
over this portion of the line is carried sep
arate and distinct from the passenger trains.
This is not the case on the Tennessee end of
the line.
But little is manifested in political affairs
here. The minds of the people are turned
to the recuperation of the dilapidated fnan-
ces. There is great depression here in this
respect and since my last letter, this place
has undergone a considerable change COM
mercially and monetarily, = -
More than one firm has changed hands in
the past few days, whilst others are boxing
up their goods, because the per cent. made
will not justify high rents, taxes, and *
pense Of sale. The trade, though extensively
carried on now, is produce, bartering. The
money has all been gathered from the
county and sent North.
There is plenty of produce in the country,
but the money offered is not sufficient in
dacement to make sales active. That which
is offered is TO meet the actual necessities of
the farmer or producer.
There viii be greater depression in this
respect in the coming Spring, than has been
known for years. In fact, the whole South
is destined to be effected more or less by
financial convGlsion. Too much merchan-
disc has been purchased. There is not
store house or shop in the whole country but
what is crowded, and in nine-tenths Of in
stances purchased on time. The result is
obvious.
The discovery Of Petroleum blossom in
Wise and Lee counties, Va, is exciting no
little interest. Gentlemen Of capital and
enterprise have leased several Thousand
acres and have commenced operations with
every prospect of success. -s,
Ne little enthusiasm was manifested a few
days skSse among the citizens Of this place
by the ssAnnRncement that the garrison
which has been stationed here for some time,
was to be Withdrawn. The order had been
made but was countermanded- The re-
joicing did not arise from any inistreat-
ment at the hands of the officers on soldiers,
for their treatment has been uniformly kind
and digniied, but from the fact that they
hate to reflect that the Government has so
little confidence in their integrity as to keep
guard in their midst to observe their words
and actions. -,gss-. a -
Lieutenant Colonel Hines, who is the OIL
Ger in charge of this post, is gentleman,
30 far rs we know him, and that n as an
officer. His administration has been per-
fectly satisfactory to all, irrespective OF Po-
iitical .enef.
The freedmen fare bat middling at tins
hands of his command, who are all from
New York and are foreigners by birth. The
cruelties practised on them Is amusing-if
cruelties could be deemed as such. There