The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1866-04-20
AFFAIR. in overton County.

h Affairs in overton County.
: Editors Nashville Union
/. II you should find room, and consider tht
following worth Publishing, the writer here
Of will be greatly obliged. The writer
hereof desires to give to the public som'
= facts transpiring in the nstOriously repre-
! scented County Of OUertOn. That she hal
been frequently and generally represented
/ for the last six months as being den Of re-
? turned rebel guerrillhs, and that only I
small number Of her citizens were loyal and
worthy Of any of the rightsaud immunities
Of citizens, have no doubt; but by whom
have these representations been madei
Have, as a general thing, those who have
served in the Federal army, and returned
home and been quietly living within her
limits, made these representations? Did
Col. Garrett, the late Representative from
this county so represent affairs? Did gen
tlemen who have been engaged in the oil
business in this county represent that The
county is infested with returned rebel des-
peradoes? I would just say in answer to
these questions, ''Not SO far as heard from. -
The question then very naturally comes
up, who are making these representations?
I would answer that they arc men who, but
few ofthem have ever been in the Federal
army, and in all composing small number,
known in this county as the Radicals, but
as il happens hold some of the Offices in the
county, who obtained these offices,
not from the choice of the citizens
but by appointment, and men who
believe in furnishing our Sheriff (B6les)
with guard of from five to fifteen men and
paying them, (cost Of subsistence and alp
$50 50 per month each, out of the county
Treasury; and this too, when our tax or
revenue collector last year, discharged
Federal soldier, rode throughout the county
without a single man with him, and col
lected the taxes with better success than
usual, and was never molested by these
5elieCca to Be rebel guerrillss.
This came Sheriff also refused to hold the
election last March as by law he should
have done, and openly declared he would
/ arrest and carry TO Nashville any Magis-
trate or other person who should presume
to open AID held the elections. But, how
ever, the election was opened and held in
| all the districts but one, according TO Law,
/ so far as l am informed, and he has not ar
rested any person yet; but he went right of
| to Nashville, swearing that he would break
! the elections all up, and, accordingly, on
last Monday, first Monday of April, those
who were elected made application to be
installed into Office by the County Court,
when Sheriff Boles, Deputy Governor, as
he styles himsel), rose and produced and
read to the Court, paper writing, purport-
| ing TO be an order from Governor BroWnlow,
by Secretary Fletcher, to the hon. John
| Boles, Sheriff, &c, directing or command
ing him to allow no rebel officers to be
sworn into office, or something TO that
amount, and concluded with harsngue to
the court, that if one of them voted TO in
stall a man who had been elected into Office
he WOULD most certainly arrest him and carry
him TO Nashville, whereupOn the court
unanimously Except two mag istrates who
were, | suppose, afraid to vote against it,
and did not vote at all > declared the March
election null and void, and authorized or
empowered Sheriff Boles to appoint consta-
bles throughout the district; and this,
too, when there were men demanding to be
installed into Office who were Union men.
The court then upon motion declared the
certificates which had been given to quail
fled voters by the County Clerk, whom the
| Governor, through Sheriff Boles, had APP
pointed some twelve months ago, all nun
and void and that voters must get new
ones before they could vote again. This
same party, some time since, there being a
vacancy in the Legislature occasioned by
the resignation Of A. Z. Garrett as Repre-
sentative, in convention in the town Of Liv-
ingston, nominated Sheriff Beles as the rad
| ical candidate for that position. John 2.
A. sproul, G. W. 0verstreer and DR.. Mead
ows, were also candidates. | suppose Of
their own will. The election went of, and
the result is that Sheriff Boles is badly
beaten. and Mr.. Overstreet, q straight-out
| Union man, is elected, while Mr.. Sproul,
also Union man, and DR.. Meadows, an ex-
rebel, are also beaten far behind-Dr. Mead
ows being behind all. Now, this looks like
this notorious rebel gang in Overton are not
quite so hostile to the Government and TO
Union men when they come up to the ballot
box; those who are permitted TO vote and
| rahn1 lint
yet they are not quite loyal enough 30 elect
a radical. 50 Sheriff Boles still presides as
sheriff, etc.
Now, in conclusion, desire to say that
I have served in the Federal army; have
been residing in this county for the past six
months, yet I have not for once seen or
! heard of a rebel returned soldier mO!esting
any Union man. have been through the
county some, and find the people all friend
Iy and bospitable, land engaged inusefulP ur-
suits Of life. I have more than once seen,
on public days, men protesting to be very
loyal, some Of them, l believe, composing
the Sherif-s guard, armed snd intoxicated,
drive every man who had ever been con-
sidered rebel out Of town, beating them
up scandalgusly, and yet they did not re-
sist this kind Of abuse. / have not heard
Of an instance in which o man who had
been a rebel, attempted to resist the civil
law.
As regards the certificate matter, have
only to say, that suppose the County,court
Clerk complied with the law TO the best Of
his knowledge and ability, and if elections
are TO be set aside and broken up, and de-
clarej illegal, by any one, think that
some legal cause should be shown for so
doing, and legal proceedings had; aud
further, if elections are not 10 be regarded,
at once cay there shall be none, and do
away with the trouble Of holding them,
and say TO the people, that though they
have elected o Union man 10 the Legisla-
ture and rejected an ex-rebel: "You are not
radical yet enough 10 be allowed to vote"
But I sm ever confident that the present
state Of affairs viii not last long; that those
who persist in the idea n further perseeut-
iur those lately in rebellion, will discover
! their error ana desisti anu bu1t Pe0Oe ahu
goodwill will yet reign.
4 CIrIzEN.
J. s. II the Radicals should fail 10 pass
such bills as they desire, it is recommend
ell that they take an appeal to the CoHnty
Court Of orcri0H CoHfy. u is also recon-
mended that Congress take sn appeal 10
said Court on the "Freedmen's Bureau
Bill" A CITIZEN.
HARD on MCCLuLAx-A gentleman
who has Just returned 20 this city from
tour of the German States says,
among other things rich and rare, -
that he had the good fortune to see
General George B. Mcclellan, formerly
8 resident on the Potomac, who had