The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1871-02-16
The Late Unpleasantness.

Last Thursday afternoon the law
abiding citizens of Winchester were
startled by the report that the Revenue
officials, with a squad Of Federal sol
diers had wantonly arrested Col. Jesse
Arledge, at his residence nine miles
south west Of this place, and would
soon be in town on their way to DeclI-
erd. Col. Arledge is almost universal
" respected, and very naturally the
citizens assembled upon the Square
and in the stores to talk about the mat
ter. Rumors had reached them that
the Colonel and ONE others had been
roughly treated without just cause, and
of course they sympathized deeply
with the prisoners. But what happen
cd before their arrival in Winchester
is fully explained in a communication
written by Col. Arledge, and published
in the Nashville papers-last Tuesday.
Here it is:
To THE PUBLIC.-The statementp pub
lished in the papers of Nashville on
Saturday last, as coming from Revenue
officers, in reference to a mob at Win
chester, and duplicating me and my
conduct as being the cause and respon-
sible for the rescue of prisoners who
had been arrested fol- illicit distilling,
is one not only prejudicial to me, but
SO seriously involving q whole com
munity that my duty to the public as
we'll as to myself requires a candid and
fair statement OF facts.
On Thursday morning before day,
I was arrested at my house in Frank
lin county, by a squad Of armed men,
who informed me l was charged with
illicit distilling. l had been suffering
greatly from an attack of rheumatism,
which affected my heart SO that to walk
on rough ground endangered my life,
and l had my horse saddled and asked
permission to ride to the still.house
where it was said I was first to be
taken; the officer in charge refused to
allow me to ride my horse, saying,
however, l might ride in a wagon, but
this was worse for me, the ground be
ing SO rough, and made me walk. l
was hurried along, the ground being
very rough, and but for the kindness
Of y private soldier who helped me, |
might have suffered much more than l
did. When ] got to the stillhouse i
was we'll nigh exhausted. / found that
three men at the distillery had already
been arrested; one of whom was suf,
fering intensely from a blow which
Lieutenant Whitehall had struck him
with a musket, breaking his collar
bone. The Officer Gavett, seeing that
l was greatly exhausted, had allowed
me to take some spirits, and had in
vlted me in the still-house to take the
dram. Whitehall abruptly ordered me
out. ] told him that l was invited in
by an officer, and l did not think he
ought to interfere with me. He then
ordered mt to sit down, and repeated
1t, and his zone and manner were SO in
sulting that l refused to sit down, but
told him l was making no resistance
was q prisoner and unarmed. At this,
Mhitson, who was suffering intensely
from the blow be had received. spoke
and said to Whitehall, You struck me
ior nothing. At this Whitehall drew
MS sword and struck him, Whitson, q
severe blow yer the head. This en-
ragged me, and l said to Whitehall.
lou are q did coward-no man but
coward will strike q prisoner. At
MS he drew q pistol, cooked it, and
put 1t to my breast, aud swore he would
snoot me. ! repeated that he wos u
"a coward: that ! was unarmed and
se might take my life, but | had
friends who would ayenge my death.
lie soon left for town, but before he
started. the whisky on hand was rolled
.n,o a wagon and the prisoner with his
collar bone broken was made to help
load i, and was repeatedly ordered
70 help load the whisky, which my
feeble condition would not permit my
soIas. I had . Bephew who saw my
Treatment. and vont m IN town. md