Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-07-26
Armed BronWlOwites Break Up
Conservative Meeting and
Fire on Etheridge.
FIVE HUNDRED MEN IN
DEADLY CONFLICT.
a White Man and a Negro Killed, Seyen
MORALLY wounded, ana from
Twenty-Five 10 Thirty More
or Less Injured
TIE CONSERVATIVE CHAMPION
STANDS FIRM.

Again the soil of Tennessee has drunk
deeply Of the blood Of its prosecuted citi-
zens. Again the myrmidons Of Brownlow
have brought death and desoIation to it,
peaceful homes, aud still they are permitted
by this great government Of ours to revel
on in the carnival of blood which they
have inaugurated throughout the State, aud
stu the infamous militia Is recognized as
among the regularly constituted authori-
ties" The corpse Of the martyred Cody
scarce grows cold, ere the tidings Of a still
more sanguinary conflict than that which
placed Franklin in mourning, comes 10 n-
from East Tennessee.
On a branch Of the East Tennessee and
Virginia railroad leading from Rogers
Vile junction, is the little village of
Rogersviile. IL is the capital Of Haw
kins county and about seven hundred in
habitants, and ia distant sixty-four miles
from Knoxville, the home Of Brownlow.
Like many other places in Tennessee, it
has IL clique Of Radical ime-seryers, who
are as bitter and relentless In their hatred
Of everything Conservative, as Satan is in
his hatred Of everything good.
IL had been announced through the news
papers that on Tuesday Of this week, Emer-
son Etheridge, the Conservative candidate
for Governor Of Tennessee, would address
the people at that place, and when the
announcement reached the village, the
Radicals swore that he should never
mount the stand to speak to a crowd there
"a long az tsruty guns and men who
would Use them could be found. These
threats OF repeated outrage, however,
failed to move the great Conservative
chief one jot aud he determined
upon filling his appointment, come
what may. Everybody anticipated
trouble, and when the day ar
rived the people poured ia from all quar-
ters, armed with muskets, shot-guns. re-
volyers and other weapons, the Radicals
bent on riot and blood, and the Conserva-
tives determined to defend themselves to
the last, should they be assailed.
With one o'clock came Etheridge. and
a mass Of not less than five hundred.
half of them colored, gathered about the
courthouse on the Square, to listen to his
speech. As he proceeded, his terrible de-
nunciation and thorough exposition OF
Brownlow corruption fred the Radical
heart to such degree, that he had spoken
but an hour when one of his sentences was
picked up by Tom King, a notorious parti-
san, who shouted back, That's id lie"
Not knowing who had hung the cowardly
insult into his teeth, Mr. Etheridge hurled
back a whitening epithet, which he scarce
had uttered ere a whistling bullet cut the
air in dangerous proximity to the place
where he was standing and this shot was
quickly followed by others in all parts of
the assemblage. The crowd at once broke,
the Radicals moving rapidly toward one
side Of the Square, shouting and yelling
like demons Of the lower pit, and the Con-
servatives going in an opposite direction,
both parties firing as they went. They
soon drew up in position, and the work Of
death began ia earnest, volley after yolley
ofminnie balls, large and smallshot, aud the
contents Of numberless revolvers, being
poured in in rapid succession, every round
carrying wounds and death into the ranks Of
the combatants until they began to Waver,
break into squads and move from the
Square, keeping upa scattering fire a5 they
slowly retreated
Mr.. Etheri1ge, holding in his hands q
revolver, stood firm throughout, never
moving an inch from the position he had
at first taken.
The battle lasted about twenty minutes,
by which time the Square was cleared, and
only random shots we're being fired in
other portions of the village. The first
man 10 fall was white Conservative, a
bullet crashing through his brain and kill
ing him instantly Radical negro was
the next, bali entering his side aud pass
ing nearly through him. He died in a
few minutes after he fell. Seven other
persons were mortality wounded while
twenty-five or thirty received wounds
more OF less serious The wounded
were conveyed 10 a hotel where they re-
manned until other means could be pro-
yided for their care Ii is said the Radi-
Gals suffered most, but we have learned
nothing reliable in regard to their loss.
As soon as the firing ceased, Mr., Eth
erdge left the courthouse, and proceeded
ohishot He left town BY the night train
for Sneedsyille, to Gil an appointment
there
Trouble is anticipated IN other portions
of Fast Tennessee, as in many places the
Brownlowites have sworn that Mr.. Eth
eridge shall not speak, but he will not for
a moment shrink from the duty before
him. He will neither be inundated 10y
their threats nor driven away by theiI
bullets. No such measures Of the Brown
low despotism can put down free speech in
Tennessee, though backed by all the ragged
militia in his despicable service.
There were rumors Yesterday Of NOR,
trouble at Rogersyille, but we could gSthel
40 reliable information TO that effect