Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-11-14
THE SWEETWATER TRAGEDY.
Particulars OF the killing of Capt.
AndersOn-Whisl<y the Cause of the
Dihieulty-FuH Details by an Eve
Witness

Witness.
From the Knoxville Chronicle, Nov. IL.
| The following details of the tragedy that
occurred at Sweetwater, on Thursday, the
9Th inst, were written by an eyewitness
and addressed 30 Capt. S. p. Evans, the
difficulty having originated about an arrest
by Deputy Marshal KittreIl
| oWEETWATER, Tenn, Nov. 9. 1871
Capt. ). p. Evans.-Dear Sir: As the
arrest Of Sam. Anderson has resulted in.
perhaps, the death Of his brother, Can't.
John Anderson; and as / happened to be
an eyewitness to both the arrest, the
! tragedy, and indeed the rescue and re-arrest.
| thought it would not be out Of place to
make detailed statement to you, 50 as to
enable you to deal knowingly with Sam.
who will be at your office tomorrow morn
ing.
About O'Clock, Deputy Marshal Robert
kIttrel came into my room, Ga public room
where | and my clerks were at work. in
company with Sam Anderson. and LAYING
his hand on AndersOn's shoulder, thew
walked to the back side of the room to
/ gether, when Kittrell drew a cdDids from
| his pocket and read to Anderson, annOunc-
| ing at the conclusion, 'YOu are nv prison.
| er." WhereUpOn Anderson declared with
| emphasis that he would not be arrested,
and drawing an ugly knife from lis pocket,
| opened it, and hallOOed, "Oh, John" to his
brother, who was there outside the house
near at hand. In a moment "JOhn7 was in
the house with a revolver drawn. demand
| ing that Sam be Immediately released The
Deputy Marshal was unarmed, and so the
by-standeTs, some of whom were ladies.
After brief tlLSSle between KittreI and
Hon. Jesse +. Owen, on the one side,
and the two AndersOns on the other,
Sam got loose, and he and John
rushed out of the house on to the
platform, at which closed the
door, when the Andersons came back, ours
ing ant threatening in desperate manner,
and made some demonstrations as though
they intended TO break into the house, or
break the windows and doors down. The
citizens, many of whom had gathered upon
the platform, endeavOred to persuade the
AndersOns to desist and leave the place.
but they declined to comply. Finally, T.
q. Boyd, who it seems is Justice of the
Peace, succeeded in having them mount
their horses and start, which they did as
though they were going home. Very soon, !
however, they returned and repeated what !
they had just peTpetrated at the doors and |
windows, when Esquire Boyd again induced |
them to mount and leave. This time we !
all felt relief. as Kittrell had intended to de- /
sist from embrOiling himself any further |
just then, preferring to have posse before |
encOuntering a set of desperadOes any more.
But, to prevent any further trouble in the |
event of their return, Esquire BOyd had is |
sued warrant and placed it in the hands |
of a State officer to arrest them. And lust |
ae I op1 / no 81.
beginning to feel easy, here they came gal |
Looping up, and John dismOunted hastily, |
and indicated by his actions that he intend |
ed to press in where Kittrell was and assault
him. At this juncture, the officers to whom |
the warrant for their arrest had been hand
ed, together with young Snead approached |
them.
The warrant had found its way into |
Snead's hands. The officer before men
toned seemed to address Sam, who was
yet on his horse; while Snead said some
thing to John and they both walked about
eight, or perhaps ten steps to one side,
when Snead attempted to inform John Of
his object to arrest him and to pull the war
rant from his pocket at the same time. At
this John, whose hand was perhaps about
Snead's neck at the same time, gave him a
push and declared that he would not be ar
rested, using an oath in the expression. A
brief scutfle ensued between them, when
John and Snead drew their pistols much
about the same time, when it became a
question as TO who should shoot first, and
Snead suiting himself to the emergency,
succeeded in shooting him in the abdomen
which seemed to Immediately paralyze
John, who was easily jerked to the ground
and his pistol taken from him by Snead
This is brief, and l think substantial his
tory of this case.
The conduct Of the AndersOns was dis
graceful in the extreme. After they were
apprised of the cdpias coming from the
United States Court they "swOre worse
than an army in Flanders" threatening
everybody whose name might be mentioned
or happened to be thought of.