Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-07-03
THE EASTERN BORDER.

Iafor and What they are DoIng---The
Facts of the Case---A Confession that
they Were Organized TO Elect
BrOwnIoW, Etc.
Correspondence Of the Union aud Dispatch
BRISTOL, Tenn, June 80, 1867. The
Flag, published by Mr. Gresham, who
has charge of Brownlow's "melish," which
| is stationed at this place, labors hard,
through the columns of his paper to make
| it appear that his company is quiet and
well behaved, and says the people of Bris-
| tol, Union and Rebel, will testify TO this
fact.
Now these are the facts of the case
when Grisham's company was organized
/ he stated, through his paper, that the com
| pany would be quartered on the people of
! Sullivan county, and made many threats
as to the treatment the people would re-
ceiye at the hands of the loyal melish;"
characterized the place as the worst ''Rebel
hole" in the State, and said that if greater
manifestations of loyalty Ito Brownly)
were not instituted when the "meish'
! reached the county, they would be cOndign-
! ly punished, and that the "melish" would
be permanent institution in their midst,
with many other threats.
The people being aware that the "me-
lishp was made up of the meanest negroes
| in the country and the meanest of the
| poor white trash" of East Tennessee, and
knowing that Grisham was a man desti-
tute of principle, consummate coward,
| and, therefore, a most dangerous creature
TO be placed in authority over Rob,
which was to control an undr1med communi-
ty, they determined not to be intimidated
by these idle threats of this braggart, but
TO 20 on in the even tenor of their way, not
TO provoke trouble with the ragged
rumped melish," and to resist with arms
any outrageous encroachments the "me-
fish" might undertake.
Some two weeks before Mr.. q. brought
the company up, he sent "spies" TO Bristol
and Sullivan county to feel the pulse of
the people, and learn if any danger was
ahead. These "spies" heard, of course, the
idle threats of many rash and unthought-
fHl young men as to what they intended TO
do. One would say, "Girisham ought not
to be allowed to come here" Another
"They will be bushwhacked" OF course
all these sayings were frightfully reported
to Mr. Grisham, whose guilty conscience
made him shake at the bare thought of
luctAiuk VIII lllhA tlNdAInCnl WHICH lie 50
richly deserves. He therefore began TO
write private letters 10 Rebels in Bristol
with whom he was acquainted, asking them
TO use their influence TO keep the people
from molesting his company, protesting
against the truth of the statements he him
self had made, as to the turbulent and re-
bellious character OF tie county 0f Suili
van. He inquired particularly Of people
from the county who visited JonesborO as
to the temper of the Rebels in and about
Bristol They told him there was not a
more orderly and law-abiding people in the
United States, and that if he did not inter-
fere with them he would have no trouble;
but that If he allowed any outrages TO be
committed, the people would rise up against
him to a man, and the consequences to the
"melish" might be disastrous. He came
with these impressions in his mind, and
has been here some two months, and he
now claims to have been all the people
could desire, and calls on them to testify
to the fact, and proclams with character
stic bravado, that, in spite of his traducers,
he will stay in the county until peace and
order are restored. Now, whilst the people
have been disposed TO pass this company
and the many outrages it has perpetrated
by with silent contempt, which he has cons
strued into approval, they protest against
being dragged on the witness stand to tes-
tify that the conduct of the ''melish" has
been orderly. They also pronounce the
insinuation Of Grisham, that peace and
order were not fully established in Sullivan
county before the organization of the
"melish" false The whole. community,
Union and Rebel, will testify thatthe county
was never more orderly and law-abiding
than il has been since the war, except about
Kingsport, where the Loyal league
whipped and murdered the few unarmed
Rebels there with impunity. No militia
was sent to that part of the county-they
are all for Brownlow. Grisham and his
"melish," both black and white, if they
have any regard for the truth, will say they
never saw a more quiet and orderly people
anywhere than in Sullivan county.
Ii was common remark among the
company when it first came to the county,
that the people were more quiet heIe than
in Washington county. They were asked
why they were sent here, then? "Oh,"
they invariably remarked, (" It's just to keep
the Rebels from using their influence with
the Union and negro voters. Our Captain
says we will be discharged as soon as the
election Is over" This is tho whole secret.
BrownloW's election is the "peaoe and
order Mr. Grishain expects to restore, to
effect which he has been guilty of many
outrageous acts and usurpations Of power
A. CTTIzEN.