Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1866-08-23
Rebel Brutality In Kentucky.

The Kentucky Conference Of the Meth
odist Episcopal Church, in electing a
missionary to labor among the freedmen
of it's State was careful to avoid every
probable cause of offence to the whites.
A colored preacher was not appointed,
and young men, who might be rash,
were passed by. The person chosen was
Rev. R. @. Gardiner, who, having been
a travelling preacher in Kentucky for
thirty years, might reasonably be ex-
pected to understand the duties Of the
position and the character Of the inhab-
itants. Mr.. Gardner went to work
zealously, yet carefully. He preached no
political sermons, and confined himself
to the strict line of his ministerial office,
On Friday of last week he arrived at
Georgetown, Scott county, one OF the
most thoroughly rebel places in the
State, and the residence of Judge Duvall,
the secession candidate for clerk of the
Court of Appeals. The missionary soon
found that his presence was very annoy
ing to the rebels. The minister of the
Southern Methodist Church, a man who
once took the oath of loyalty and kept 1t
by going off to Dixie, felt especially
sore. On Sunday evening, just after Mr.,
| Gardiner had concluded a sacramental
service at the colored churches, this
worthy walked in, attended by two kin
| bred spirits, and told the congregation
that his Church had loved them very
much, but as they had left that organi-
! zation for the Northern Church, they
! could have the use OF their house of
worship no longer. The next morning,
men were sent to force open the door of
the building and put d new lock on.
The church was then fastened up, more
than fifty dollars worth of books belong
ing to the Methodist Episcopal Church
being locked up in it. The Church
South has technically q right to the
house, as its ColOred builders, having
been slaves were obliged to vest the title
in white trustees. The latter, without
the knowledge of their wards, made it
over to the Southern Church.
On Monday night, the Southern preach
er and his friends visited the church, and
were much rejoiced to find that their
lock had not been tempered with. Shouts
were raised and revolvers fired to eX-
press their qualification, and to intimi-
date their victims. Matters were not to
end here. On Tuesday evening, re-
turned rebel soldier handed black boy
written order to deliver to Mr.. Gardi-
ner, directing Mr.. G. to leave town i'm
mediately. OF this he took no notice, as
he was lying sick with bilious attack,
for which he had taken dose Of mer-
curry. About 10 o'clock, while Mr.. G..
was lying in bed at the house OF friend,
in the outskirts of the town, q knock
was heard at the door. His host opened
it, when he was Immediately seized,
taken out and guarded by part of a body
Of men with their faces blaCkened and
otherwise disguised, The gang then
went in doors, surrounded Mr.. Gardiner,
and, with pistols cooked and pointed at
him, threatened his life. They also or
dered him to leave the house, refusing
him time to finish dressing. They
dragged him some distance, swearing at
him, and talking Of tar and feathers.
Finally, they took him down hill, and
forced him over stone wall into very
muddy creek, plugging him under the
water until he was nearly strangled. The
lady of the house, who had followed
them out, in vain implored them to
spare him. They, however, at last let
him go without inficting any mortal
injury. There were about dozen of
the ruffians, several of them being grad
yates of the rebel army. This is only
specimen Of what would be done in
other districts, were the disloyal pro-
proportion of the community so over
whelmingly large as it is in Scott
county.