Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-04-19
THE KU-KLUX.
Life in East Tennesscs Under the
BrOWnIOw kegime-An Episode
that Fletcher Didn't Hear OF.
From the Richmond Dispatch


From the Richmond Dispatch.
We have an "anecdOte" which we di.
sire to tell. 1t is story told by Bob o.,
that best of good fellows, and now re-
peated with dramatic excellence by F. r.
We are not skilled as these men are, but
will tell it the best way we can. The
imaginative reader may adorn it, or, as
the cookery book says, ''season to suit.
One day at the close of the war horse
man on lank steed, was riding along q
forest road in East Tennessee, when sud-
denly leaped fIOm the road six men cry
ing out, ''IIalt!n Amazed and fearful,
the rider, arrayed in submissiveness,
reIned up, crying out, 81 done halted,
gentlemen" Holding the steed by the
bride, the leader Intercepted him as to
where he lived-where he was going
what for, etc. He replied that he lived
fiftren miles from MOrristown-was going
after medicine for his daughter, who was
mighty sick-and while he was in Nor
ristown would buy little coffee, sugar,
and mOlasses. That was all, and he beg
ged to be permitted to go on.
To this the leader replied. ''NOt so
fast. What are your politics 3" 81 amt
got no politics-never had any-dOn't
know anything about them, and don't
NEEDLE with Them" ''What's your SYM
pathies ?" Amt got any of them either
always been a healthy man-never had
nothing but jaunders--never gwine have
them agin." ''YOu don't get off so, old
weatherwax. On which side did you go
in the war, and which do you belong to
nOw3" ''On no side. I'm an Ondisturb
ing man; never had any trouble with
anybody, kept clear of both sides, and
tried to live in peace with all mankind.
The leader assumed an air of great deter
mination, and told the hOrseman that he
could not move foot until he told on
which side he was, and if he denied being
on either they would whip the skin off
him. The poor fellow seeing how it was,
gave in, and, suspccting that he was de-
tanned by Rebels, declared that, if he must
tell the truth, ''his heart was with the
Rebels ~
That settled his hash. One held the
horse by the nose, while another took off
the bride with which an able-bodied man
with the utmost sincerity laid upon his
bare back some hundreds of heavy blows,
the steel buckle of the reins, as The man
said, cutting the flesh at every lick.
Having dispatched him in this Irregular
way" he was placed on his horse, and
sent off at gentle pace, as if nothing had
happened. The rider bled and ached in
every limb, and "cussedn aloud when out
of hearing of his tormentors. He had
got far on his journey, entered q ford,
where his mare drank heartily, giving him
time to reflect upon his latter end, and
had just emerged from the flood, when
nine armed men leaped from the woods
and brought him to second halt. The
same questions propOunded by his first
captors were repeated by his present de-
tanners, and answered, with fear and
trembling, in similar manner. As in the
first case he fou I'd that he could not battle
them, and thinking il safest to try the
other side, he declared that while he did
no fighting his ''heart was with the Union
men,"
'tNuf ccd"-his Captors were enraged,
and tying his innocent and unsuspecting
steed in the bushes, cut bundle of keen
hickories and proceeded to persecute their
victim. He demonstrated, he implored
mercy. He assured them he had gone
through the experience, and then, with
that assurance, they piled hickories with
malicious energy amidst his roars and
groans.
Once more dressed off, squirming with
pain and all allame with counter irrita-
ton, the victim essayed to go on to Nor
ristOwn. His reflections were not calcu-
lated to give consolation; but at last,
catching a glimpse of the village, he
thought he was safe. Just then single
individual hedged around with guns and
pistols, suddenly appeared, and arrested
his progress. This person had no time
for parley, and came at once to the point,
'Union or Rebel" Sorely perplexed and
full of dread, our hero begged to be al
lowed to 90 on. He had already suffered
seyerely-he had been cut and slashed be-
hind until he was almost one great sore.
His catechizer was memorable; whereupon
the rider dismOunted, and with the tear t
distress glimmering in his eye, and smile
of humanity and supplicatiOn ON his face,
he threw an arm affeetiOnately around the
walking arsenal and said: ''Strangcr,
wont you speak fuss"