Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-12-21

The following Communication has been
handed 10 us BY a gentleman who cor,
yersed with the notorious Ed. Terrell
shortly before he died in the Louisville
CITY Hospital. From memory the writer
has employed the language Of the de-
ceased, and we give II for what it's worth /;
Shortly after Torrelra entry into the
hospital Of this city, l visited him. l
found him ia a pitiable condition-his
leg paralyzed. his bowels almost at a dead
lock, and his arms not much thicker than
willow-wands. Indeed, his entire sys.
ten seemed exhausted. His mind alone
was unimpaired. About every ten or
Sheen minutes he had what he called \
shock Of the nerves in his spine. During
these paroxysms he would be rolled to.
gsther like ball, and moan piteously
with pain. He often expressed TO me his
desire that death would come quickly to
relieve him from such agonizing torture.
The last time / saw him he fully re-
lated to me the cause why he had dofed
the gray and donned the blue. II was
as follows:
He lay al willie, in Tennessee. l
was then in Gen. Morgan's command.
We we're short Of horses, and an officer
was dispatched to southern and central
Kentucky 10 press horses. He was in
structed to take also whatever else he
could 6nd which would be OF use TO us.
was still with the com mand at the same
place when he returned. happened by
some mischance to get look at the
seizures. / recognized, by the marks,
quito quantity Of horses, beef cattle,
work oxen, hogs aud harsess, which had
been the property Of good and true
Southern men living near my own home,
and in the immediate neighborirg coun-
ties, every inch Of which almost l knew
l felt swfully bad at this. My dander
got up. hunted up the officer who had
impressed the property. He belonged TO
the ordinance department. | told him
what he had done-that he had taken the
stock and substance of friends instead
Of leaving them and coming down only
on Yankees, of whom there we're enough,
and more than enough, whore he had
been to have harried them Of ten times
the quantity he had brought in. | told
him in such country as be had been
operating in, be needed not to have taken
so much from a Southern man as sir
gle porker or gobbler. He cursed me
and l cursed him. Eventually he put
his hand on or near pistol and bowie
knife he had. / at once shot at him
with my revolver he died instantly. l
was then placed under arrest was
court martialed. / vas sentenced to be
shot The execution was to have taken
place on Friday. There were five or
six more to have died at the same time,
two of whom were Yankee preachers,
accused of being spies or of dispatching
to our enemies.
Gen. Morgan felt awful bad about my
self and two more of our boys. He did |
all he could with Gen. Bragg. The off,
GERS and men all petitioned for US, but
YOU might as we'll pray to flint stone as
ask mercy from Gen. Bragg. Isaw Gen.
Morgan often. He sometimes could only |
lock OF me, as he was speechless from
vexation and sorrow.
We were to be shot at sunrise on a
Friday. | made up my mind to stand
he thing. What else could do2
could not help myself-iroued hands and
Ieet and securely guarded by strong
ietail of sad, mournful, and mourping
from my own regiment, whose |
eyes and husky voices but too
plainly told of the agony they endured |
while mechanically performing the rou-
line of provost guard duty 10 and around
bur prison.
On Thursday afternoon, about sunset,
observed commotion among the guard. |
They stood to their arms, faced north
ward, and sent out scouts. These
hortly returned. Ali retreated, by the
light flank, on the run. They had not
,een gone many minutes when party Of
,lue birds, on the double-quick, from
about nine miles worth, sur
ounded the Jail. They inquired for me
md for the gospellers. They had man
esdy with tools, etc, to knock off our
rons, and then mounted US on led horses,
Which they had with them. They re-
eased all military prisoners, and invited
III to escape with them. 1t did not
equire argument to convince me l
hould 90 to a healthier quarter. My
we companions we're also more ready
o leave than remain. was too
anxious to get off to pay any attention TO
What disposition the rest of the jail boys
made of themselves The soldier pris-
,ners we're ell released. The Yankees
1 ence evacuated the town and retreated
O their former station. Looking back
,ould see Gen. Morgans command en-
ering and re-occupying their old posts in
md around the city; their flag again
ioated from the courthouse. We iray-
lied slowly and comfortably back. Not
. shot had bees fred at or by the Con-
ederates or Fedsrsls during all this adj
tsneiug, occupying and retiring. 1t
eemsd mystery to all OF us Confeds
md Feds then and since.
We leave the reader to judge the
mount of truth contained in such a
rsrn from the lips of . man who was q
error to every quiet neighborheod where
,is presence became known-s man
yho was very Nemesis, red-handed
nd res-Iouled from the lile-blood of in
locent felloW-creatures; a man who
oddly murdered the honest blacksmith,
)ughten, while his loving daughter, like
IN angel, knelt before the assassin
md implored him to spare her father,
he fountain Of her life; man who, in
lis rsmorseless and bloody career, was
eaf to ell appeals for mercy, and Needed
lot even the dread warnings of the Al
mighty; man whose daily and almost
lourly food was crime, and some of whose
cts have no parallel in the calendar Of
iendish atrocities. Can such thing in
he shape of man be credited, in such
ale, even upon his dying pillow Yet,
We say, may the Lord have mercy on his
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