Brownlow's Knoxville Whig. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1866-1869, 1866-09-05
Reply to Col. John Baxter, Of Knox
vile, being the concluding portion OF
the Speech or Hon. A. j. Fletcher,
at JOnesbOr0', TenR., August 18th,

at JOnesbOr0', Tenn, August 18th,
1866.
Having addressed the large crowd at length on
the political questions of the day, Mr.. Fletcher
said
Having discussed at length the principal issues of
the day, regret being called upon to ask your at
tention to a matter entirely personal. allude to
an unprovoked and brutal attack upon me in pub
lie speech recently delivered at Greenevile by John
Baxter, Esq, of Knoxville. This attack was most
unexpected and unaccountable You have seen
that my course as speaker is free from personali
ties. Besides, Baxter and myself have occupied as
thought and he professed, the attitude of per-
sonal friends from the time of his coming to Ten
nessee, down to the day of his extraordinary speech
at Greeneyille. As lawyers practicing in adj dining
circuits, we have interchanged many professional
courtesies and reciprocal favors. l freely admit
that he had placed under personal obligations TO
him. He has always, heretofore, spoken Of me in
the very highest terms, both as aman and as law
yer. In return, l have always been his defender,
where could honorably do So and his apologist
when could do no more. have studiously sought
to cover his numerous errors with the mantle of
charity, and hoped fer better things from him in
the future. - -
am told that the pretext for his assault upon me
was speech delivered by me at Knoxville on the
4th instant. This was onlya pretext. Ifthere was
the remotest alluson to him, or,his record, or his
position in that speech, not aware of it at the
time. Certainly nothing of the kind was intended.
have not been able to procure paper contain
ing a report of the speech, but 1 have just spent
several days at Greenvile, and had full and accu-
rate reports from those present. Baxter charges
me with attempting to raise regiment for the reb-
ell service, and knowing that this charge had been
made and fully met before, he puts himself upon
the witness stand and makes statement in which
there is not syllable of truth from beginning to
end. He details conversation with me that never
occurred. He makes me say that was going to
Richmond to obtain authority to raise regiment,
and that was terribly in earnest There were per-
sons in his audience who knew and understood all
the facts in regard to this matter and they instinct
lively turned TO each other and pronounced the
charge untrue. 1t is not necessary here so near to
Greeneyille to Vindicate myself against this charge.
Inquire of any of the loyal citizens of Greeneville
and you will learn the facts l did, in the summer
of 1862 under the advice of the leading Union men
of Greeneville, speak Of getting permission to re-
cruit the Union conscripts of the county then hid
ing and being hunted down, with view of march,
ing them into the Federal lines. But it was mere
ly matter of conversation among the Union men,
and by most of them thought to be impracticabie,
and no step was taken except to make the PROPOSE
ton, which at defeated by rebel citizens,
who wrote TO Richmond charging that l was Lin
colnite and that the whole matter was trick of
Union mon to get the Union conscripts out of the
country. Baxter next charges me with fleeing from
Knoxville when Longstreet approached the city,
and of lying out during the siege. Such conduct
he seems to have denounced as displaying great
want of courage and patriotism. It is true that on
the approach of Longstreet did leave Knoxville,
in company with some twenty leading citizens of
the place, and went to Barboursville KY, where we
remained till the siege was over and then returned
but Baxter seems careful to conceal the fact that
left Knoxville IN his conpany-traveled with him
remained with him at Barboursville and returned
and rode into Knoxville in his company The on
ly difference between Baxter and myself in this af-
fair was, that I left under the advice of Federal
Generals, who knew that if captured / would not
be treated as prisoner OF war; but be sent to Cas-
tie Thunder or Andersonvile, when it was well
known and remarked that Baxter left for effect and
to have the appearance of fleeing from the rebels,
it being we'll known that the rebels would not mo-
lest him, but would recognize him as friend.
Baxter, in the next place, with the instincts of
rutfan, invades my domestic circle and charges me
with leaving my family in Padueah On the ap-
proach of Forrest, and fleeing to Indiana. Like
the first statement this isa simple falsehood, unal-
loyed with the least mixture of truth. remained
in Paducah two days after The battle, and, having
buried my brother-in-law, citizen, who was killed
near his home, took my family with me to Indi-
ana, where was able to provide for them during
the balance of the war. Net so with Baxter. He
ran off and left his family in Knoxville during the
siege and when he returned, one of them haddi
from the effects of terror and fright which his pres
ence might have prevented. regret to make these
illusions but Baxter has cast the first stone with
out remembering that he lives in a glass house.
have now few words to say Of Mr.. Baxter
The brutal and unprovoked attack he has made
upon me releases from all personal obligation to
him. and leaves me free to retort upon him. It is
no longer my duty to palste or excuse his ofenses
Let us look for moment at his history.
John Baxter came from North Carolina to Ten
nessee over ten years since. On account of crimes
committed before he came here, he was disabled
from holding any Office of honor or trust in the
State of Tennessee. By his procurement the law
of Tennessee was quietly, and almost by stealth
modified so as not to exclude the duellist from hold
ing office, unless for duelling IN this State Hav-
ing obtained this statutory pardon, he at once be-
came an active Office seeker. When the rebellion
presented ITSELF he considered but two questions
First, how to make money out of it. Second, which
was to be the winning SIDE In the first, he was
eminenty successful; but in the second, his judg-
ment was at fault During the entire war his bust.
ness was, like vulture to sit upon the street cor
ners watching for the bloodhounds of the rebellion
to bring in Union prisoners As soon one wa:
dragged in Baxter, his jackalls, were about him
and very soon had his note for large amount and
often deed of trust upon his land. 1t mattered
but little what became of the prisoner the note and
deed of trust was the great question. The widow
of poor old Harmon, who was hanged without The
form of trial, is looking daily for Baxter to sell
her home for fee of several thousond dollars secur
ed by q deed of trust. Hundreds of similar cases
might be mentioned.
Having amasseda large fortune by fleeing Unior
prisoners, Baxter ready to 60 into politics HI
accordingly announced himself candidate for the
rebel congress. He made vigorous canvass, an(
everywhere advised the people to think no more o
the Union, and told them that the Confederacy wa
their government and that it was criminal to stand
out against it any longer. He was beaten becaus
the rebels had but little confidence in him, and tn,
Union people had still less.
| On one occasion he shouldered his double bar
| relied shotgun and headed squad of rebels-al
citizens and went TO Strawberry Plains to shoot tn
defenders of the Union. Whether he shot an,
Union men not, or whether his courage oozed on
| by the way or whether the range of his shot guI
was too short for his temperament am not advised
only know that soon after be was on the stree
corner watching for Union prisoners, taking note
| and deeds Of trust. / many soldiers and off
GERS in this large assembly. What term do you ap
ply to citizen who goes out by bye ways to FIR
| upon the defenders of the Union? Many voices
"Bushwhacker!] Yes Bushwhacker-RebelB Bush
whacker that Is the man who now aspires to lea,
| the Conservatives of East Tennessee
When the private papers of L. G. Haynes, Con
federate Senator and law-partner of Baxter, wer
captured, letter from the latter was found askin.
for half a million of dollars from the Confederat
Government, with which he proposed to go Nortl
and buy up the Northern press and secure Southern
Independence, and concluding with request 7
Haynes to burn the letter. Haynes ommitted to
SO, and it fell into the hands of Gen. Carter VIII
read it TO number OF persons who noted its con
tents Proof will be produced when dem anded
Baxter is disfranehised by the late law of Ten
nessee, and now he is furious against all Toys