The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1883-02-21
THE NEW ISSUE.
MAJ 0RTGSBY GIVES AN INTER
ESTZNG ACCOUNT OF SOME
THAT MS NTOTKU

| h6Iln0 ACCOCAT OF SUNNI
THAT VAS SFOLKN.
/ To the Rdissr OF The M0rr1stown Gazette:
4 see that Joint Resolution has pass
ed both houses of the Legislature ap-
pointing n committee to investigate the
new or Torbett issue of the state bank
Of Tennessee, and think that few facts
personally known by me-concerning
part OF that money which was put in
circulation might be of some interest to
the public. I will state them as briefly
as possible. In 1863, when General
Burnsides occupied East Tennessee, r.
Clay Crawford was in command of a
battery knswn as the First Tennessee
Battery, u. 5. Volunteers; arriving at
Knoxville the said Crawford obtained
authority from Gen. Burnsides to re-
cruit regiment of artillery; in a short
time he left Knoxville for the upper
counties of East Tennessee and WAS
gone some two weeks or more; when he
returned he had a considerable number
OF horses, mules, carriages, buggies,
&c, and now and then some Of the men
who was with him on his trip would
have some State bank money. On the
first day Of November, 1868, Col R
Clay Crawford, with part of his COM
mand, left Knoxville and marched to
Camp Nelson, Kentucky. All along
the road some persons or persons would
occasionally pass blank Tennessee
bill of some denomination, from one
dollar to five. No one was detected as
the guilty party. Col. r. Clay Craw-
ford being personally in command not
much was said about the matter. We
arrived at Camp Nelson about the 18th
day Of November. In short time Col.
Crawford left and went north TO Gin
cinnati and probably TO New York In
January, 1864. Col Crawford took is
command to Nashville, Tenn, where it
remained with the exception of a few
companies. Capt. Vincent Meyers, Co.
&c" 1st Tennessee Light Artillery, was
left at Nashville. Col. Crawford's
headquarters were at Nashville also.
Sometime in the spring Of 1864, Capt
Meyers preferred charges and specifca-
items against Col. Z. Clay Crawford for
uttering and passing counterfeit money
Of the Bank of Tennessee. Among the
several specifications was one that the
said Crawford had broken open the
Branch Bank Of Tennessee at Rogers
vile, and had taken therefrom a large
amount of unsigned bills of said bank;
that he, the said Crawford, had signed
or procured the signing of The said bills
-counterfeiting the names of K. G.
TOrbett and f. e. Huntington to the
same, and that he had passed and caused
to be passed large amount of said
counterfeit money. The said Craw-
ford was arrested and one FL. G. Avery,
who was 3 Second Lieutenau: of Co
SC" 1st Tennessee Light Artillery.
Avery was carried before Maj. J. W.
Church and Col. G. o. LOOMS, Chiefs of
Artillery-Maj. Church for the Post of
and Col. G. O. Loomis for
the District of Tennessee-and made q
full confession of the rObbing of the
bank at RogersVille and of Crawford's
having had the blank bills filled up and
that he. with some other members of
the company anu regiment, had acted
as Crawford's agent for the passing of
said money and that the counterfeiting
was so perfect that the bankers of
Nashville had not detected the same to
be counterieit-that any of the mer-
chants and brokers of Nashville would
take :he said money at sixty cents to
the dollar readily. On investigation
Of the statements made by the said Az
cry, Capt. Meyers found about eight
thousand dollars in possession of mem
bers of Co. &C." LIST Tennessee Light
some of whom had bought
the same of the agents of Col. II. Clay
Crawford for forty or fifty cents. One
had seEt the amount bought by him
hone, believing the same would be
worth dollar for dollar when the war
was over. Col. Crawford was put on
trial by Court Martial organized by
Maj. Gen. George ii. Thomas with Gen.
Thomas E Champion, late of Knox
vile, Tennessee, as President of the
same. The charge s and specifications
were fully sustained and Col. Craw-
ford was dishonorably dismissed from
the service Of the United States-never
10 hold office Of trust and profit in the
United States, by General Orders No.
$50, from Head Quarters Department
of the Cumberland, the proceedings of
which trial, suppose, are on file in
the AdjutanL Generals office of the
State of Tennessee. Capt. Miller. a.
brother of the present Senator from
California, was the Judge Advocate
who conducted the case for the United
States, and J. A. Campbell for Craw-
ford before the Court Martial.
Respectfully,
JOSEPH GRIGsBY.
Late. 1st Lieut.. and Capt. Co. &C." 1st
Tennessee Artillery, Vols, U. s. A.
MIR. r. g. Permenter, Of Alama,
Crockett county. says he has used two
h0Nt las ~ Rre~rfo Tr,au PfRfara uyhfoh