Brownlow's Knoxville Whig. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1866-1869, 1867-05-15
THE KNOXVILLE WING.
Knoxville, Tenn, May IS, 1857.
Reply to John Baxter, ESQ.,, OF Knox.
Vile.
BY BRowNLow s. HAws.

n - ftCNcff "a pvffc9yNDf ASfefs1 ~hhft'b ~''ft
1906,
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. allade to
an unprovozed and brutal attack upon me 10 pub
lcspeech recently delivered at Greeneville by John
Baxter ESQ., of Knoxville. This attack was most
unexpected and uaaceountable. You have seen
that my course speaker Is free from personaii-
ties Besides Baxter and myself have occupied, SIS
thought and as he professed, the attitude Of per-
sonal friends from the time Of his coming 70 TeI-
nessee down 10 the day Of his extraordinary speech
Al Greeneville. As lawyers, practcing in adjoining
circuits we have intsrchsnged many professional
courteses and reciprocal faVors. freely admit
that no has placed under personal obligations 10
him. He has always, heretofore, spoken OF me IN
the very highest terms, both a man and IS law
YER Ia return. 1 have always been bis defender,
where could honOrsbly DO so, and his apologist
when could do no moro. have stndiously sought
70 cover his numerous errors with the mantle OF
charity, and hoped for better things from hiuin the
future.
am told that the pretext for biz assault upon me
was a speech delivered by me at Knoxville on the
kth instant. This was 0ttga prcte1t. II there was
tho remotest allusion TO him, his record, or his
position in that speech not aware Of il at the
time. Certainly nothing Of the kind was intended
THE REBEL REGIMENT STORY.
ing a report Of the speech, but have just spent
several days At Greeneville and had full and accu
rate reports from those present. Baxter charges me
with attempting 10 raise a regiment for the rebel
service, and knowing that this charge had been
made and fully met before he puts himself upon the
witness stand and makes a statement in which there
il not a syllable Of truth from beginning TO end. He
details a conversation with me that never occurred.
He makes me 10 say that / was going 10 Richmond
20 obtain authority 20 raise regiment, and that ]
was terribly in earnest. There persons in bis
audience who knew and understood all the facts in
regard 10 this matter and they instinctivey turned
10 each other and pronounced the charge untrue 1t
not necessary here, near 10 Greenevlle, TO vim
dictate myself against this charge, Inquire of any
Of the loyal citizens of Greeneville and you viii
learn the facts. did, In the summer Of 1862, I'M
der the advice Of the leading Union men of Greene
vile, speak OF getting permission 70 recruit the
Union conscripts Of the county then hiding and be-
ing hunted down, with a view of marching them
into the Federal lines But IL was merely matter OF
conversation among the Union men, and by most OF
them thought 80 be itnprostacOOio, od stops was
taken except 10 make the proposition, which was at
once defeated by rebel citizens, who wrote TO Rich
mond charging that l was Lincolnite, and that
The whole matter was trick of Union men to get
the Union oOnscrfpts out of the country. Baxter
neEt charges me with fleeing from Knoxville when
L0ngstrset approached the city, and OF lying out
during the siege. Such conduct he seems 70 have
denounced displaying q great want of courage
and patriotism. It is true that on the approach OF
Longstreet did leave Knoxville, in company with
twenty leading citizens of the place, and went
70 Barboursvile, KY where we remained till the
sege was over and then returned; but Baxter seems
careful to conceal the fact that left Knoxville IN
hi' c0Dp@v-traveled with him-remained with
him at Barboursville, and returned and rode into
Knoxville in his company. The only dlhereRce be-
tween Baxter and myself in this affair was that
leh under the advice Of Federal Generals, who knew
that il captured would not be treated as prisoner
Of war; but be sent 10 Castle Thunder or Anderson
Vile when it was well known that Baxter left for
eject and 10 have the appearance OF fleeing from
the rebels, It being we'll known that the rebels
void not modest him, but would recognize hira as
friend.
Baxter. in the next place, with the instincts Of a
rufian invades my domestic circle and charges me
with leaving nv family in Paducah on the approach
Of Forrest and fleeing TO Indiana. Like the first
statement this is a simple falsehood, unalloyed with
The least mixture Of truth. remained IN Padueah
.Wo days after the battle, and, having buried my
brother-in-law, a citizen, who was killed near his
home took my family with me 10 Indiana, where
was able TO provide for them during the balance
Of the war Not so wits Baxter. BE ran off and left
bis family in Knoxville during the siege, and when
be returned one Of them had died from the effects OF
terror and fright, which his presence might have
prevented. i regret TO make these illusions, but
Baxter has cast the hrst stone without remembering
that he lives in glass house.
BAxTERs ANTEcEDENTs.
have now q few words 10 say Of Mr. Baxter
The brutal and unprovoked attack he has made
upon me releases me from all personal obligations
70 him, and leaves me free 10 retort upon him. II
Is no longer my duty 20 palliate or excuse his Of
lenses. Let US look for moment at his history.
John Baxter came from North Carolina 10 Ten
hassee over ten years since. On account oil crimes
Sammlaed before he came here, he was disabled
from holding any office OF honor or trust IN the StatC
Of tennessee By his procurement the Law OF Ten
nessee was quietly and almost by stealth modified
20 as not TO exclude the duellist from holding Of
nee unless for duelling "a tbs State. Having Oh
tanned this statutory pardon, ho at once became en-
active offce-soeker When the rebellion presented
i'seiii be considered but two questions FIRST nov
70 make money out Of t. Second, which was 70 o
lhe winning side. In the first nc was eminent,
successful; but in the second his judgment was a
laut During the entire war his business was llk
aVulturo 10 sit Upon the street corners watching
lGr The bloOd-hounds Of the rebellion 10 bring u
Union prisoners. As soon as one was dragged IN
BAXTER or bis jsckalls were about him. and yer.
ION lad his note for largo amount, and often
iced Of trust upon his lands II mattered but lltl
what become Of the prisoner the note and deed Q
Tlst was the great question. The widow OF poo
oia Harmon, who was hanged without the form @
So Al looking daily for Baxter 70 sell hei nom Ss
10y a fee Of several thousand dollars secured BY
DEED OF trust. Hundreds Of similar cases might b
mentioned
REBEL CANDIDATE FOR CONGRESS.
Having amassed large fortune by fleeing Unio
pHsonorsi Baxter was ready TO 60 into politics =
1~COfalngly announced himself q candidate Tor u
rebel congress he made 8 vigorous canvass, an
everywhere advised the people TO think no more ,
The Union and told them that the Confedersev WI
their government, and that it was criminal tostap
out against il any longer. He was beaten beeata
The rebels had but little confidence in him. and "a
Union people had still less.
THE BUsHwnACKER.
On one occasion he shouldered his double-barr,
led shotgun and headed a squad OF rebels-all eli
zens-and went 10 Strawberry Plains 20 shoot I
defenders Of the Union. Whether be shot q
Union men or not or whether his courage oozed
by the way, whether the range Of his shot e
was too short for his temperament, am not advis
only know that after be the str
corner watching for Union prisoners, taking nc
and deeds Of trust / see many soldiers and ofic
in This large assembly Whatterm do you apply
citizen who goes out by bye gays 70 fire upon
defenders Of tho Union Many voices " Ba
vhsekerp'l Yes, NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. bush whaeA
that is the man who now aspires 70 lead the =
ierVstiVes Of East Tennessee.
WANTS BKmERY FUND.
When the private papers Of L. G. Haynes, Q
.eaeiaie Senator and law-partner OF Baxter "
SSepturea, letter from the latter was found ask
~ 9i half milli0z Of dollars from the Confeder
S.aossefnment, With which be proposed 10 60 No
- .pay up the Northern press, and secure sou
~ ~ dependence and concluding with REQUEST
"'yna 70 bnrn the letter. Haynes omitted 70