Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-06-17
DRY GOODS.
MAIN STREET, OPPOSITE COURT SqUz
Burbridgs's Reign in Kentucky.

Burbridgss Reign in Kentucky.
From the Maysrillo Eagle.l
We have beed requested TO publish the
following, which shows how affairs were
conducted at General Burbridge's head
quarters:
MAYsvrLLE. KY, April IL. 1858.
Ny name is b. ID. Nixon. When the
war broke out was living near Owings-
vile, in Bath county. entered into the
Confederate service in 1862, and served
for some time on the body guard of Gen.
eral II. Marshall. / afterward Joined
Thomas Johnson's battalion. | was reg.
ular enlisted, never belonged to any band
Of guerrillas or partissns, and in what |
did 10 furtherauce Of the Confederate
cause acted under the orders Of my gu :
periors. Late in the spring or early in
The summer OF 1864, / entered the State
of KeBtucky with John Morgan's com
mand when be made his last raid into
this State. was at the battle of Gym
thana, and was there cut off and sep
arated from my command. The vigi-
lance of the Federal soldiers prevented
me from Immediately rejoiniDg my COM
mand or leaving the State, and spent
several weeks in Scott and Owen coun-
ties while watching an opportunity OF
leaving the State During this time
participated in no acts of hostility against
the Government, nor did | modest any
private citizen, nor did | have any con.
nection with any predatory bands In
July an opportunity was afforded me
for leaving the State, and in going out |
stopped to see my family, whom l had
not seen for eleven mouths. had been
only two days at home, when was cap
tured by Lieutenant Denton, and was
taken to Mt Sterling and made to work
on the Notifications two weeks. i was
then sent to Lexington and placed in
military prison No 3. Afterwards |
was taken to prison No. q l had been
in Lexington several days when soldier
Of a Michigan regiment entered the pris-
on, measured my hight, weighed me,
aud took down a general description of
my appearance. On the same evening
an old gentleman from Franklin county
was placed in prison, who Informed me
that be had been before the provost mar
shal, and heard the names of myself and
fifteen others as read under sentence of
death. On the same evening | was
ironed. The next morning | was taken
before the Provost Marshal, Major Vance.
He cursed me and abused me as thief
and a robber; said ought to be hung,
and that be would have me shot in thirty
six hours. 1t was evidently the inten-
ton that / should be executed. | de-
Tended my character, and, seeing Major
Dowrey in the room, / discovered my
self to him as a Freemason, and he i'm
medistely clasped me by the hand and
interceded in my behalf Through his
intervention my life was saved. l was
then transferred to prison No. 4 and
handcuffed for five weeks. AT this prison
met the fifteen men who were con-
demned. These men we're kept ironed
aud taken from the prison in irons.
They never returned to the prison. The
guard told me they had been shot. l
have never heard Of any of them since,
and my belief is that they were all exc.
cuted. None of these men were guer-
rillas, but all belonged to the regular
Confederate army. Some of them had
been taken through some form of trial,
and may have been sentenced as guer-
rillas, but none of them were. 1remem-
Der the pames of some of them. Two
Linkenpelters, Berry aud Lieutenant
Hamilton, all of whom knew. was
released on the 18th day of October, and
sent north of the Ohio, where | re-
mained until / had obtained permission
from Gen. Burbridge to return to Ken
lucky. B. ID. nixon.
The above was dictated by ID. B. Nixon
in my presence; il was then read to him
and he understood it perfectly. He then
signed it in my presence as his own state
ment and Rs the truth.
W. p. BALDWIN.