Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1875-04-15
The Smotherman Affair
A LadY's Reply.
From the Murfreesboro News.

FROM lllc huIlIetSUOIO NEWS.
EDITOR NEWS:-We learn that
the United States revenue collec-
tor, Mr.. 10. Bryant, has stated
that he captured George N.
Smotherman thirteen miles from
Shelbyviile, on the Fayetteville
and Shelbyville turnpike, with a
wagon load of tobacco. wish to-
inform the gentleman that he
was slightly mistaken. lie and
his squad, three in number, Bryant,
McVay and Cunningham, only
captured him and one horse spring
wagon, and | suppose two or
three hundred pounds of tobacco,
and my self, whom they very cru
ely miSireated. | will state the
manner in which | was treated.
la the first place we had stopped
aud were warming when they
cam. up. They did not wait to
see what it was aud whether there
would be any resistance or not,
but rushed into the house with
pistols in hand. My husband sub
United and started. He asked
them if they had any respect for
me, and they said they had
none for him and not much for
me.
When we got to the wagon he
wanted to drive. They said one
of them would drive; that my
husband should not drive. Final
ly we persuaded them to let him
drive, and We started Their
horses were very warm and must
be kept heated, SO they ordered
my husband 10 drive fast, which
they did, but they said he did
not drive fast enough; so the horse
master, McVay, rode alongside of
the horse attached to our wagon,
cowhide in hand, which he used
very freely, shouting, "God d-n
you, drive up;" and the others
would halloo, 20, my horse mas
teri They then sung a song
Good by, my Lover, Good by
in very abrupt manner, and one
of them hallooed to my husband,
"Get out of there and let me get
in with that woman!' They also
pulled the bride off the horse
while going down bill, and struck
him several blows with cowhide.
i was very badly frightened.
We met the hack, my husband got
out to make arrangements to send
me back to Fayetteville. | could
have stayed where he was capt
ured and waited for the hack, but
[ wanted to 90 on with my bus
band; but after we started, and |
saw the way that l was treated,
| was perfectly willing to 60 back
to Fayetteville. McVay, with
out any consent from me whatev-
er, jumped into the wagon and
drove off with me. | begged him
to stop, but he would not. My
husband halIooed to him that he
would drive the wagon. They
told him to "mount that horse"
which he did, and rode up to the
side Of the spring wagon, and
asked him to let him drive again
hut McVay told him he would
drive himself. lie drove very
fast. The saddle horses were
tired aad could not keep up, as
they pretended, but before McFay
got into the wagon they were We
ry warm and must be rode fast, SO
as to keep them heated. | asked
McVay not to leave my husband.
He said he would not, but drove
faster and faster through mud and
over rocks. When asked not to
drive so fast he would laugh at
me. | told him to stop and let
ne walk. but he said there was no
need of that and would not stop.
He drove under the lash ali the
time, frequently swearing. lie
wanted 10 turn off into the wools
with me, and did drive off on to
the road leading to Mu. berry viii
liaga, saying be did not know the
way back to Shelbyville, having
never travelled it but three times.
| told him | had never Travelled
it but once before and | knew the
way back. finally got him 10
stop, and the Others rode up and
tod him that was not the right
road. | asked him to let me
warm; he said we were not cold.
I told him | had the headache
and not to drive so fast. He said
he had the headache, too, and kept
on driving as fast as ever When.
we arrived at Shelbyville | was
so frightened and SO weak | could
not get cut of the spring wagon.
I had started to Fayetteville. at