Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-04-29
ANOTHER DlABOLICAL OUT
RAGE In BL0UNT COUNTY.
A Christian Minister Again
Mobbed on the sabbath Day
b1a By Loyal Leaguers.
His Horse Beaten with a Club
and Himself Wounded I
with Many Stripes.
The Fruits OF Political Priest
craft. r

| From the Knoxville Press and Heralds Aprll2I
| We are called upon to record an
other of those damnable atrocities
that disgrace our civilization and
put Christianity to the blush-deeds
which illustrate the more than saw
age barbarity of civilized men, in
spired by the deviiish teachings of
priestly knaves, who, in the prose.
cution of their own wicked villain
MES, hesitate not to encourage the
application of the lash and the cud-
gel, and, if necessary, the knife and
the bullet, to unoffendag ministers
of the gospel, who prefer preach
ing the Word of God, to practicing
the satanic arts of political and
plundering priesthood a-A '
| 1t will be remembered by our
readers that in February, 1868, Rev.
Henry c. Neal, a devoted young
minister of the Methodist Episco-
pal Church, South, while faithfully
pursuing his calling and endeavor-
ing to do his Masters service, was
cruelty set upon by an armed mob
of ruffians in Blount county, strip
ped, tied to tree and mercilessly
beaten with hickory withes until his
blood flowed down upon the ground.
The otfense of Mr.. Neal, was that
he did not,heed the warning" given
to him under the authority of the
Leagues, that he would not be per-
mitted to preach the gospel in that
county. The shocking details of
that outrage are yet fresh in the
memories of our readers. Of the
men who participated in it we know
of none that have been brought to
punishment except such as an
avenging God has visited upon
them. ..-s
Mr.. Meals successor in that field
of labor is Rev. Jacob Smith, a
modest, though Jealous and faithful
Ambassador of Christ. About the
middle of last month, March, the
savage spirit of intolerance and
persecution bloke loose against
him, and he was driven from his
house of worship, where his congre
cation had gathered on the Sabbath
day to hear him. An account of
this disgraceful affair was published
by us at the time, but was not so
well or so touchingly related by us,
as it is in the following Christian
letter written by himself soon after
wards, to a ministerial brother in
this city, which we have requested
permission to lay before the world
in our columns
"SEvIERvnLE, March Is, 1S69-DEAR
BROTHER BATES l am at my post, am
having quite An interesting time, Can't
say that all is quiet at present. Had
high day at Logan's Chapel last Sabbath.
The world, the flesh and the devil were
there. The mob met me at the door,
and told me | could not preach there.
| replied that my Bible taught me that
| ought to obey God rather than man.
They then said that l could not preach
in the house. Said I, "All right. will
find a position somewhere else" and
went into the shed and commenced
singing, with my Bible and hymn book
in my hand. The congregation were
being seated rapidly, when in came the
mob, headed by one Goddard, with
spear in his hand, who told me l could
not preach there. undertook to reason
the case with them. They told me they
did not come there to debate, for me to
get out of there at once, or | would be
hurt. They said they had had Jefferson
Davis gospel there eight or ten years
ago. l heard two men quarreling back
of the shed. told them intended to
preach, and if 1 could not preach there,
| would go out into the road or woo1s.
| They told me to get out Of there, and do
it quick. l saw there was likely to be a
| general row, and thought it best to try
another place. So l went out into the
grove about a hundred yards from the
| church, and was followed by very
respectable congregation, where 1preach>
ed with ferVor .|#. -.
"There are other things connected
with the affair which l would like to
relate, but my space will not admit,
Suffice it to say, l have another house
offered me. | found plenty Of friends
there, and we expect Quarterly meet
ing there this year; but more at some
other time. met my appointment at
Trundle's y Roads-found the door
locked fast and tight, the windows all
nailed down very cold day, and nearly
all the negroes in the country there
sent out on purpose; but l took advanN
tage of the occasion, and subdued them
| with the sword Of the spirit and power
of prayer. If | ever prayed in my life il
| was there in the cold March winds
That is hard point, but expect to try
it again.
'The'prospect on my work generally i
better than at any former period.
expect through Jesus to triumph glorl'
ously. In hope of eternal life. you
brother in Christ. JACOB SMITH"
The christian spirit of chart.
and forgiveness which this lette
breathes, and which is characters
tic of its author, is enough, W
+ would think, to touch heart o
stone and soften the ferOcity of
yeritable savage. But not so tn
patriotic and christian " lOya
leaguers and regulators of moralit
in Blount.
On last Sunday, the 25th instant
Mr. Smith had another appointment
to preach to his congregation 8
, Mr.. Peter BrakebilPs school house
on Little River, two and ha
miles from Logan's Chapel, 9th
, scene of the former mob an
/, | about ten miles from Knoxville. A
b we learn the facts from persons liz
: ing in the vicinity and some OfwhOl
d were eye witnesses of part of IL
n transaction, as Mr.. Smith was al
+ preaching his place for preachin!
9 on horse back, he was met by
u mob, most of them armed, who a
" saulted him in a most brutal MAJ
4 ner, accompany their demonstrate
with ruffianly oaths and threa
=. against his life The party, as o.
! informant states, was headed
d Capt 10. Greer, with Elias God
al ard, Clerk and Master of the Cha
II Gerry Court of Blount count
in Mitchell Davis, young Brown, (s'
Il of "Parson" Brown, Of Maryvil