Brownlow's Knoxville Whig. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1866-1869, 1867-05-15

fall on FRIDAY, May sd, and proceeded 70 the house
Of Mrs Crawl, for the purpose Of arresting her son
Thomas who was one Of the men that shot Smith.
ana who is brother Of Richard Crawl. the mar
| who was shot BY Smith. Mrs crawl lives rss-
Lexington and Eicholasxille turnpike aud ahout
eight miles from Lexington. On aperoacbinu the
house Col. Rice halted AMI dismounted his com
nsnd ct little distance from it. and, not dreaming
OF resstanee with two soldiers went I'D throgeh the
front yard, intending TO knock at the door and de-
mana admittance. The night was dark, no lights
were 10 be seen IN the house and all was still 81 cha
grave. A watchdog. aroused from his slumbers by
the tIEmp of the soldiers 6rst from his kennel
and barked furiously al the intruders Col Rice
aud the two soldiers Enpposing the inmates Of the
house 70 DO asleep had approached 70 within few
feet Of the door, When, suddenly as thought the
darkness was 1T up By the fash Of musketrv and
from windows, roof and doors, came dosan n,ss
seHgers Of death. Col. Rice fell at the erst are.
pierced By three balls, and one Of the soldiers ra
ceiFed slight wand in Che breast Instantly all
was excltemeOt and confusion the unwoundei sol
der Of the two WHO were with the Colonel opeued
IRE with his revolver on the house, and his com
panions, who had been lelL in the rear, soon came
charging az aid Joined hin. Their arst care was
to convey away the bleeding and almost insensible
Colonel, who lay helpless upon the ground within
few yards Of Che deadly tubes which verestill dis
charging their contents ct him Having safely de-
posted the Colonel in an ambulance near bv and
sscertaniEg their conrade was emily slightly wound
ed they returned TO the vicinity of the house and
proposed to renew the fight The Colonel however.
believing the patty in the house too strong for him.
and knowing be could net reach OF dislodpe them.
the house being built Of large Iogs) directed the
Sergeant 10 withdraw his little party, and convey
him to Nicholasvle, four miles distant, where be
could get medical attention. Of which in his present
critical condition, he stood much In need This was
wise and prudent move, as it was well known
there was band of mounted desperadoes lurking
in the neighborhood and ready TO pounce upon the
ambulance and murder the Colonel if be went alone
while to divide his party was to imperil BOTH and
render almost certain the defeat and perhaps death
of those he left behind. On reaching Nicholasville,
Col Rice's wounds we're examined, and TO the de-
light of his friends found, though severe, not NOR
COL. JAMES II. RICE
Was born in the State of Massachusetts, and raised
in the city Of Boston. He was in April 1852, COM
missioned by the Governor of Massachusetts First
Lieutenant in the 10th Regiment. He was soon az
forwards made Captain, and continued in active
service until june 1862, when while gala Ety lead
ing bis company in front Of Richmond, he was so
severely wounded in the thigh to necessitate his
transfer TO the Veteran Reserve Corps He was
stationed at Indianapolis in 1884, in charge OF rebel
prisoners Of war. After tho muster out Of mis- reg
iment he was retained in service and assigned to
duty in the Freedmen's Bureau. In 1865 he was
ordered to Lexington, KY where he has been on
than ordinary capacity, and most excellent officer
Recently he has been commissioned Lieutenant in
the regular army, and received three brevess for
good conduct while in the volunteer army. lie is
now at the Broadway Hotel in this city, and is, al
though suffering severely from his wounds out Of
danger
THE SECOND EXPEDITION.
On the night of the 4th of May, Saturday Col
johnson having received additional Instructions
left Lexington at midnight with Captain Buffers
company Of the I'd o. S. Infantry, and proceeded
TO the house of Mrs. Crawl, which he found desert
ed and the door barrieaded A detachment sent out
under Capt. Butler made number Of arrests and
some valuable information was obtained.
TEE REGULATORS.
I've scouts who had been sent through to Nicbo.
lasville from Lexington, ascertained about three
o'clock in the afternoon that preparations were being
made TO resist tbs United States troops who were
expected down that night. About dark some forty
armed men we're reported tS be assembled in a barn
near Nicholasville, and another small party was
seen in the woods on the Keens road At twelve
o'clock, the night being quite dark the scoats out
intending 20 convey TO Col. Johnsons command in
formation of the whereabouts Of the Regulators.
They expected TO find Col johnson or his command
on the Nichoasville pike about @ clock and sent
out on that road it being the most direct route
They had not gone far before they suddenly came
upon an armed man sitting in the road on horse.
The fellow seemed aE much surpriged as they did,
nevertheless he challenged and began falling back
slowly, when the confused voices of mon the tramp
of horses and the rattle Of arms warned the ecouts
they were upon strong party Of the enemy.
Wheeling about, they fed the Regulators calling
upon them TO halt After parley, they took the
dirt road, determining TO go round the Regulators
and get the pike in their rear; but they had pro-
coe6ed only few miles when they were again halted
and compelled to turn back. Returning to Nicho- /
lasville they took the railroad track and when out
some two miles were challenged aud fired upon. 4
Striking out tho country they endeavored TO
reach the Harrodsburg road, but knowing little Of
the locality, they got lost IN the woods. After
around until nearly daylight they found
q negro man who piloted them back 60 Nicholas
Vile The negro informed them that ten men
armed with shot-guns, had been at his house about
10 o'clock at night and said they were going over
TO Crawl's to fight the United States soldiers who
were coming out to arrest somebody. After leaving
bis house they crossed into the Keene road and /
went toward Nicholasville. Col. johnson and his
party remained all night in the vicinity of Crawfs
but finding no one they returned of daylight TO Lex
ington. A messenger who went through from Lex
ngton TO Eichoasvile about daylight over the same
road on which the scouts were halted found nobody
on the road. s.
WIG THE REGULA roRs ARE.
The Regulators, although generally composed Of
rough and violent men, are said to number in their
ranks soma of what are called the most respectable
citizens in the State. They gather at designated !
points, and always choose the night for their deeds
Of violencs and blood. They elect their own lead
ore, and it is said are bound by an oath. On dark
and rainy nights when the storm howls, and honest
folks are in their warm beds the Regulators sure
10 be abroad Often the darkness Of the night is lit
up with the flames Of burning dwellings, and the
midnight air startled by the shrek of the dying vic
tim as the ptless knife Of the Regulator descends
again and again into the quivering flesh.
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