Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-08-11
Ani0n aud 9ispatfh.
SUNDAY. AUGUST II, 1867.
Largest Circulation in City and state.
THE TRENTON OUTRAGE.

LIE lhEN AVN w hAUEs
The LauIess C0ndues 81 sire Militia and
HOlcs Men-The Course Of the Cffi-
zens-A Plain and Truthful state
ment by an Impartial Observer.
Correspondence Of the Union and Dispatch
There are certain facts in regard TO the
disturbance at this place on the day Of cleo
ton, which should be prominently set forth
in order that justice may be done our citi-
zens for the course they pursued.
1t is generally conceded by every citizen,
Radical as well as Conservative, that the
election would have passed off quietly,
without q solitary disturbance, but for the
visit of Capt. Hollis company from diff
ferent district, where they belonged and
should have voted. By what authority this
lswless band of desperadoes came to torn
cannot be clearly ascertained, unless upon
their own responsibility or through the
solicitation of some timid official. They
were not portion Of the estate guard"
but were organized and armed for the ex-
press purpose Of taking charge Of the ballot
box AZ Trenton, and compelling lhe coiored
people, as they did, TO vote the BroWhlow
ticket. Why were those men sent for, and
why did they come seventeen miles by nine
o'clock, unless it was for the express pur-
pose TO attend to this dirty work? Where
was General CoOper's State Guard that was
stationed al this place? There is the secret.
They had betrayed signs Of timidity in get
ting up needless alarmso on several occasions,
were frightened on one occasion by jury
passing in their vicinity, and on another
occasion by two or three horsemen, detained
az court, charging out home, after dark, in
/ gallop and on the next night by few
mischievous boys firing off some Chinese
crackers and rockets all Of whom they
took to be Rebels ready to pounce upon
| Them and euttheir thr0ais Ia their terror
they telegraphed for reinforeements and in
order to hold their position until assistance
arrived, they actually dug riiie-pi around
| their camp. Reinforcements came prompt
/ ", laughed at them for their cowardice, and
| in day or two we're ordered of to some
| other point as being no longer needed here.
| They then entered into an agreement with
| the Mayor and several citizens Of the town,
not to leave their camp during the day of
| election, except upon the special order of
| the Mayor, and no one else But this ar
| rangement did not suit every body. There
was too great prospect Of having peace
| ful and quiet election, and what was worse,
/ il was feared too many Conservatives votes
/ would be cast, unless some steps were taken
TO intimidate the weak, and drive of the
citizens from the place of voting. Accord
| ingly Holt and his roWdies were dispatched
| for, and upon their arrival they were dis
appointed at not finding the "melish" on
hand to help them in having their Olon way.
The case was too bilious for them; Ether
II slfar f.a a.
polls in defiance of their clustering pre-
| sence. Something must be done to arrest
| the tide that was setting in-the ballot-box
must be taken possession of, and citizens
must be driven away-but how TO accom-
| plish this feat was the rub. They needed
hackers, and the "melish" must be sent
10 aid them Who sent for the F" State
| Guards at noon2 Was it the Mayor Of
the town? Had any disturbance been cre~
ated except by heseblusteringrowdie from
Seulibonef Had any one brandished
weapon except this band? Was any one
else armed The Mayor says he did not
send for them, although the officers were
undera pledge not to come except under
his orders They came however, at noon,
and, after stacking their arms for few
minutes in the court yard, for the better
protection Of their own carcasses, posted
themselves in the upper rooms of the
| courthouse SO as to command the court
yard below with their muskets when the
time should come for action. 1t was not
long before the game opened, by the
clustering brayado of Hollis men. Brig.
Gen. Joseph A. Cooper in his General
order No. 4, says " the presence of the
State Guard at any point, is to preserve
peace and order, and protect law-abiding
citizens" Did his company of Estate
Guard" at this place, perform this duty
Did they make any effort whatever "to
preserve peace and order" and protect
law-abiding citizens ?" Did they attempt
to arrest the real disturbers-this armed
band of rufians-who were not at their
own precinct but at another, bv their bold
and defiant manner, brandishing their
navy skies over their heads, rendering it
hazardous for any citizen, unless he was a
Brownlowite, to approach the polls2 Why
did not Gen. Cooper's Estate Guard " ar
rest these men2 Instead Of doing 50, they
actually gave the signal to clean them
out, and with their guns pointed from the
windows, as if to fire, actually drove the
citizens, both white and cOlored, many
Of whom were registered voters and had
not voted-6rOve them from the court yard
and Public Square. No unfair or foul
means had been taken by any of the citi-
zens to disturb even this miserable apology
of free election. The groceries had been
closed during the day, and not drunken
man was 70 be seen except among Holt's
men. The citizens, as a general thing,
were quiet and peaceable until they we've
driven this (the second time) from the bal
lot-box. In this act. Hollis men were
encouraged and stimulated by the "pres-
ence and the aeords aud the actions of the
State Guards. This occurred some two
hours before the time to close the polls, so
that the ballot-box was virtually taken
possession OF, and all Others excluded from
be briefly told. The citizens Immediately
armed themselves with such weapons a.
they could get, shot guns, rifles, pistols
etc, rallied upon the southwest corner o.
[. the Square, and made their preparations Il
carry the courthouse by storm, which could
have been accomplished very handily, fol
their force was sufficient, and iudiciousll
: distributed, but for the Intervention Of
/, several Of cur more cool-headed citizen
who wished to prevent the efusion 0
| blood. Tor lnls purpose an dIulStlCS " ~
| proposed the result of which was, the ca
pit0lation of the fortress upon the term
dictated by the citizens, viz: The evacua
ton Of the courthouse separately and IL
opposite directions by each Of these drme'
bands under the escort and protection 0
unarmed citizens, who walked on eitbe
side, as they sailed forth; FIRST, Holt
company, and afterwards the melish, 4
? prevent any assault on the part Of a justly
Infatuated populace.
tits generally regretted, that in conse
anence of the outrageous conduct OF tn
State Guards in afiording aid and enconr
aeement to Hollis men, who were certainly
the aggressors, some of our reckless youth
were SO much exasperated against them a
to fire oueT their camp that night, alright
I ening them so much that they agail
despatched for reinforeements, land 70
: aught any one knows, dug more rife pits
= A noliable informant writes to Brig. Ger
+, Joseph A. Cooper, commanding Tennessee
! State Guards, detailing to him, in giowini
n | colors no doubt, this enormous outrage, bu
!. wholly failed 10 apprise the General Of G
q the facts "a Given above Upon such igTt