Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-05-31

Murder of "a CItiZenAOfher Parties
Shot At-IadIes Misunderstanding of
Citizens 40 Petition for Protection.
The citizens of Franklin county held a
meeting at Winchester on Wednesday
night, in reference to the conduct of the
militia in that county. F. A. Loughmil-
Ter acted as Chairman, and w. j.. Slater
as Secretary
On motion, committee Of twenty citi-
zens was appointed to inquire into and re-
port upon the conduct of the militia, and
to make suggestions as to the best course to
be pursued
The committee, after retiring, made
report, and thereupon speeches were made
by jesse Arlidge, the chairman of the
committee, Col. Peter Turney, A. S. Col
var, and Henry Singleton. The report
was then adopted unanimously.
The report is as follows;
Your committee report that upon exam
ination, they find the following facts to be
true: That the militia now located in this
county, under one Capt. Kirkman, are COM
hitting depredations that call for prompt
and immediate action. For weeks the con-
duct of this militia has been such as to deter
many of our citizens from engaging in their
ordinary pursuits, and in particular parts
of the county, farmers particularly have
been deferred from making any expendi-
ture in the purchase or collection of stock
to make a crop; and in portions of the
county the indications now are that the crop
will have to be abandoned, and will be en-
tirely lost.
Several of our citizens have been driven
from their homes, and for weeks have been
hiding out Within the last few days, the
outrages of this militia have been of
much more serious and alarming character.
They have been travelling over the country,
pretending to be hunting arms, but they
have, in the most violent manner entered
peoples houses, insulted the women, alarmed
the children, threatening TO kill many per-
sons.
Among the families thus outraged, ..are
DIR. Abernathy's, E. II. Poe's, Hampton's,
and many others.
Only few days ago, they took an inof-
fensiye boy, the son of E. II. Poe, prison
er, carried him to camp, and tied him and
condemned him to be shot, and his life was
saved by the intercession of friend, max
ing the young man promise, on pain of
death, not to tell what had taken place.
Yesterday morning, about daylight, a
portion of this militia went to the house
of peaceable, quiet citizen, James Brown,
and upon a pretended acknowledgment,
which they claim to have extracted from
him, by falsely personating East Tennessee
refugees, as to the parthe Brown took in the
war, they took him into the woods,
utterly disregarding the appeals and cries
Of his wife and father, and put him to death
in a most heartless and cruel manner. LeaV
ing him dead, they returned to camps, only
sending word to his wife that she could send
and get her husband if she wanted him.
Other citizens were shot at, and the lives
of many men have been threatened. Sever
al of our citizens have been notified within
the last few days, that they would be killed
And these things are all done, as is alleged,
| because Of the part said persons took in the
| war, which has now been over more than
two years, and for which the parties have
all been pardoned, and have the pledge of
| the United States government, through its
highest military officers, that they should
be protected, having laid down their arms
We further report that so far as the citi-
zeus of this county are concerned, and es-
pecially the men who were Rebels during
the war, the most perfect quiet and order
| prevails. Everybody, and especially the
| former Rebels, have shown disposition to
| obey the laws, no matter how onerous,
| never before witnessed in this country.
1t has been the constant remark of our
Judges, to-wit; Judge Hickerson, Judge
Patterson, and Judge Steele, all of whom
| have held court in this district, and all OF
whom were appointees of Gov. BrOwnlow,
that they never knew people more dis
| posed to be law-abiding. The truth is, no
| one pretends that any man who was Rebel
has committed any crime ordone anything
since the war for which he deserves punish
| ment.
Your committee recommend, first, for
| the immediate protection of men who were
in the Southern army and who live in the
neighborhood where this militia is located,
that they protect themselves by keeping cut
OF the way of this militia for the present,
even if they have TO abandon their families
and give up their crops.
Second. That a committee be appointed
to draft a petition to the Federal govern
ment, setting forth our grievances, and ask
ing protection for our lives and property.
Third. If the depredations of this mill
tia are continued, and our people are indis-
criminately driven from their homes and
murdered and after appealing in the most
earnest manner to the Federal and State
authorities we can get no protection, we
recommend that the people combine and
/ protect themselves.
| Isasaa Arled,,a Charles II Cherry