Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-11-04

his foot on his head and cut his throat.
Thus were these atrocious deeds of blood
and cruelty and robbery committed on my
kindred and family. Let any man put the
question to his soul, whether such outrages
would not have aroused him to desperate
retaliation, at a time when the law no longer
had power to avenge a mans wrongs for
h;m and for the sake of justice! bore
the accumulated outrages without lifting
hand to avenge my brothers and sisters
blood. Loving my darling wife and little
children better than I did anything on
earth, 1 forced my heart to bear on in
silence. Though crushed like worm, 1
refused to sting the foot that crushed me.
During all these outrages had resolved
to not go in the Southern army, nor to
NEEDLE in the troubles in any way. re-
moved from Big River to Flat Woods, dis
tant 25 miles, hoping that no harm would
befall me or my wife and children, if l
would get out of the immediate neighbor-
hood of those who had murdered and out
ragged my family.
But, to my surprise, about the middle of
May, Just when my crop was looking well,
and hope was strong that would be left in
peace, about sunrise one morning my
house was surrounded by McElvane and his
crew of 30 or 40 men, all well armed.
remembered the fate of my brothers
and friends, slaughtered in cold blood like
sheep after their capture, and knew there
was no hope of mercy or Justice from such
demons; no help except in the courage and
strength that God has given me.
The die with me was cast. / had sought
peace and quiet, but the bloodhounds had
trailed me. 1 was at bay. The conflict that
/ had fed from was forced upon me. The
alternative was life or death.
met my pursuers at the door. 1 shot
down two of them in their tracks, made a
rush for the woods and escaped. Finding
it impossible to live at or near home, Invent
to Arkansas, and afterward got my wife and
four children. The two men killed IN my
door was the first blood ever shed by me.
Then, when a price was set on my head,
1 determined to revenge the death of my
brothers. rode seven times from Arkan-
sas before could get to shoot McElvane,
the infamous butcher, who had murdered
my brothers and sought my life. Then
meant to harm no one else if they would
leave me undisturbed, but some of the sol
diers, piloted by Jim Craig, very meddle-
some spy, undertook to have me killed.
In self-defense turned loose on them
and made many of those who sought my
life bite the dust. l often met them In the
woods. They all knew me, and would
offer to assist me- They would make an
appointment to bring me provisions to
my hiding places, and then would pilot
soldiers there to try to have me captured.
I always killed that kind of men. have
captured many Union soldiers, but l
never hurt or treated them unkindly unless
it was one who had brutally treated South
ern prisoners and knew it.
l have had hundreds of hair-breadth
escapes for my life; but l know there IS a
merciful God that knows and does all
things right-an all-powerful Hand has
protected me. l have twenty times been
suddenly walked, and fed from my bed,
when a shower of Yankee balls would nd
die the bed 1 had sprang out Of. | have
had my clothes torn from my body with
Yankee bullets, but two only ever drew
blood from me.
wish to say that | saw a Republican Of
June last, which contains some charges
against me that are not true. 1t speaks OF
many cruelties committed by Hilderbrand
in Galloway county, which are utterly I'M
true. | never was in Galloway county IN
nv life. 1t also charges me with cruelty
to a little boy That is also false. never
harmed a woman or child in my life. L
warred only with men who had made war
on me. l was also accused of taking stock
of jim McLane to the amount of So, 900.
The neighbors all know that Jim McLane
always lived from hand to mouth, and
never had anything to be stolen or taken
| from him.
wish to add few remarks to explain
| my late troubles
After the excitement about the war, and
| its troubles seemed to die out, and men
seemed disposed to heal over past sores, II
the spring of 1868, 1 came back to St
Francois county, and talked to many OF the
| good people of the county concerning the
| propriety of returning to my old home
| All l spoke to of all parties said, sam
come home.
| came back in good faith. / moved tC
| NV mothers old place and lived there 81
| months 1 then moved to Hillsboro anc
STAYED there until last fall Finding it hare
to make living there, 1 moved on the
Mississippi River, near Rush Tower, anC
chopped wood all last winter. | theI
moved back to the Three Rivers, on the
Sam Herd place to raise a crop. There
lived and worked until the fourth of june
last, when l was waylaid and shot by jim
McIIane, or Walter Evans and two others
that l or nv friends may yet call to account
| Jim McLane, AIcQuinn and others way
laid my house to murder me IN April last
for several days. On the 4th of June wa
shot through the thigh at my house.
went to my uncle Williams, wher
4 tfnys NHarT No
| all dav at me there l selected Jim Nc
Lane, whom l knew only by description
and shot him from the house. Sherli
Breckenridge and the balance OF his part
took good care of their scalps after kllle'
McLane. 1t was then 3 o'clock, and as
had eaten no breakfast or dinner, cOoke
nv supper and ate it while they kept firm
at me. was often amused to see my oil
aunt Williams lodging the balls as the
came in through the cracks. They fire
the house. and as had finished my suppe
I abandoned my burning fertilization. A
l went out counted thirty-ive men tbs
were guarding the burning house. | sa
George Doggett, Asa Jackson, 10. McGi
han and Hills boy. When the house g
too hot for comfort, l left it and Wake
within six feet of some of the guard. The
seemed blind, or at least they did not off
, | to shoot me.
Iwish to say to the Radicals in andab
I | Pennington to beware how they mlstre
nv wife and children, as l heard they hay
had them under arrest by order OF Il
drunken Bowen, and will say to Bill Id
and Joe McGahan to walk smoothly al
not let nv family suffer. They helped k
nv brothers, but they have not yet killt
- me.
, Jim NcLane was tool in the hands
: that Infamous creature and coward, Gus
st. Gem, of st. Genevieve, who will son
day. no matter where he may hide hlmse
have to answer formany crimes he planne
and was too cowardly to execute, but g
:, | others to do for him. McLane murder'
. judge Burke, of St Genevieye, and preac
er Polk, over eighty-three years of age.
u wish to say to Gov. McClung that
h could have easily killed him while he W
s in Pennington, if l had wanted to do
= but | look upon him as a gentleman, al
4 that he is misled by listening to lies fro
,r bad men, who are Radicals.
~ All have written is every word true.
e do not want to be killed yet awhi
neither do wish to kill any one if tn
will let me alone. My enemies ha
,r charged me with being thief during t
10 war. was not. All that l fairly ca
rs tured 1 gave away to the widows and
~ phans who had been robbed and were g
.e fering.
, 1 will refer to any honest man W
q knew me, whether Twas not anhonest ms
N In the latter part of August the Radi'
$ government Of Missouri had 400 or
" armed men hunting me down, and declaI
: martial law. What tempest one pc
Il | hunted man can raise 1t is because
10 guilty consciences. They know the wro1
"a they did, and know that vengeance shot
d fall upon the guilty.
10 have had two bushels Of Radical b
ct lets shot at me, but only two ever DIR
blood. The old Indian when he fiji
Gnnnrnl NNnchirrrtnr Q