, 1866-03-02
G1oTe AbDnt the Knoxville Hob.
tcor. Cincinnati Commercially
CANT 18TH q, i. CpLoHEu fyrASrUr.

.. KNOXVILLE. Ienn-, Feb. II, 1865 !
About Two months ago, Gen. 4 e. Gillem,
sent to this place two companies Of colorcd
soldiers, Of the 18th q. s. colored Infantry.
commanded by Capt. William J. Abdil1, 10
help Capt. Wainwright in the removal Of the
Government stores that had accumulated
here, to the post Of Chattanooga. to be DIS
ammunition, in compliance with IN order pre-
viously issued. The men had, however, few
rounds, not over se7enty-t1ye rounds In tho
two companies.
Everything went brayely on until the 18th
of February, when there was sale Of Govern
ment property, and large number present
from both town md country. Each person,
aher buying anything, was given pas. to
enter the sale*room and obtain the articles
purchased. Before the door Of this room WAS
p'acel EEar1-priyate Alvin Broadly. Com
Pany ., lbth United States colored inlnntry,
with instructions to let certain numbrr OF
persons in at one time, but no more.
A Ar. Dyer, late Lieutenant Colonel OF the
1st Tennessee United States Cavnlry, made
some purchases, and secured the proper pa
Pers to enter tho buildIng, but arrived ut the
door In company with another person, who
was allowed to enter, while Dyer was halted
By the sentinel, and told that he could not
pass yet Dyer told tho sontiuel that he had
permission to enter, ind did not halt rs the
guard had directed. when the guard brought
the gun down before him. At the moment
that the guard did this, Dyer stepped back
the guard stepped back and fred, killing
Dyer Instantly.
Capt. Abdil ordered the guard under arrest
at once, and had him sent to Capt. Vain
Wr1ght's headquarters Soon after the trans
action It was seen that there was a mob
ed themselves to Capt. Abdill, with request
for the nfgger TINT shot Dyer. The Captain
Informed them that he was under arrest, and
TINT be had sent him to the corral, where the
rest Of the soldiers were quartered, and that
he would not give him to the mob; that if
should be punished by court-martial, Us
there was one In session at Chattanooga, and
be would have him Immediately sent there
for trial-
Upon this announcement, the mob seized
Captain Abdlll, and told him unless hc pro-
duced the nigser Immediately, they wonld
hing him The Captain tried 10 reason with
them, hnt they Wsu1d hear nothing from
him, and brandtshed knives md pistols, and
called him everything they could think Of,
and time and again, holding pistols already
cooked agatnst his head, told him that they
would shoot the brains out OF tho ed
d-tt lov-11yed nfggger officer"
The Captain finally concluded that he was
In their power, and so he went to the corral,
With man hold Of each arm, aud number
Of pistols cooked and pointed at him, for fear,
should be make move to get away, that
they might instantly kill him. When they
arrived at the corral, tha Bodler saw the
mob, and broke guard and ran, but portion
Of the mob pursued and shot him thrr:
times, the soldier falling at the third shot.
They then seized him, pnt rope around his
neck, and dragged him to the building occu-
pied BY the FFeedmen's Bureau. and, break
Ing the glass ont over the door, hanged him up
there bat the rope broke and the negro icl!
to the ground, and, coming to, started anti
ran, but was soon overtaSen- nud then VIA
hanged on @ tree In the front yard oil the build.
ing occupied by Captain Wainwright and
Captain Ahdill. He was stripped o. us
clothing, and was hacked with knifesi lnen
they placed board upon his htaa' sne ioi'
aThIs Is to show to the Frecdmen's Bureau
and fo the Cd id ntgser otncet3, Anti TO
The Cd dEd niggers, what loyal East Tan
nesseans think q them, and whether they
~ - ,,snh entsfrd the house Of Capt. Abdill,
:, uG hafore his wife md little girls, used the
sln.t anu. osths they could utter, anu all the
nh.crns ianguaga they could lay their tongues
Sor, II thIa Is loyalty IN these people, if
|afipe the law in their own hands, and xiii
n@ United States soldiers, and mobbIur
lifted States officers, Is their loyalty. God
lelp them.
Fese leaders In the mob.