The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-07-28
BORDER STATE FEUDs.
A Fair Region in Which a Reign
Of Terror Prevailed For
Many Years.
The Whole Country Has Suffered
From Bitter Political
Fights.
Pictures From East Tennessee Where
UniOnists and Eecessionists Were
Sometimes Brothers,.

UntOnlSts ana EeceaxlOniStA We're
Sometimes Brothers.
In the summer of 1861 there began in the
upper counties of east Tennessee q reign of
terror, says the New York Times. In many
respects thers ia no fairer region on earth
than 10 found in the beautiful valley = of the
Holstoa river. The country ia peculiarly
picturesque and enchanting. But for many
years the clouds of ignorance and prejudice
hung over the lovely land, and its people
suffered on all sides in consequence of the
teachings of leaders. The various elements
there have been often duped and mis-
guided, or maligned and oppressed. Poll
tics has usually been at the bottom of it all.
Ultra partisanship has never had a wider
field. The whole country has suffered much
in consequence of the war plots of this ro-
Rion. When the war began in 1861 there
were men there representing different
sides Of the issues. Nowhere in the
republic was there just such a state
of conflict and strife. When the legis-
lature or convention of Tennessee passed
the ordinance of secession there began, in
the upper counties of the state, a most bit
ter and vengeful warfare. It was a war
fare intensified in passion and purpose be-
tween neighbor and n%eiRbbor, between
brother and brother, and between father
and son, between blood kindreds of every
degree. Startling and unnatural ruptures
and cohssions among the old-time political
opponents themselves added to the fierce
ness of tho conflict. Conspicuous among
the former leaders, once arrayed against
each ~other-whiR and dsmoorat-but now
joining hands with one another in fighting
secession, were Andrew johnson, democrat,
and William G.. Brownlow, whig.
viously under the Brownlow influence were
violently opposed to the secession move
ment. BroWnlow was one of the most ultra
pro-slaysry men in the country. without
any love for the north. and without any
special love for a union or a party that at
tackled his pronounced views OF the 'pe-
culinr institution" of the south. He and
his followers loathsd the very name of
democrat. Andrew johnson, democrat,
had his following ready to endorse any is
sue which no chnmpioned. If johnson was
not unprlncipled, be hesitated less at OBJ
staclcs than did his great opponent, Brown
low.
In consequence of the actions of these
two men, previously violently opposed to
each other IN politics, nearly every county
Ill La6B loHI0ssC0 LOOA SlQeS bxhlubG
the confederacy, and these counties
soon became the theater of the worst
of the civil strife. The discordant ele-
ments along the borders of North Carolina.
in their usual intercourse across the line,
soon began to stir the strife in bloody
broils. The fiery elements swayed back and
forth across the narrow mountain wall that
separated the two peoples.
Conspicuous among the counties most
f%ercely arrayed against the confederacy
son and Carter. These ~counties had long
boon under the Brownlow influence, and
were intensely whig. Some of the best and
most influential families of the country were
of this party. A few. equally good and
Of the wings sided with tbs federal govern
ment. and only a few of the old democrats
were true to the union after the ordi-
nance Of secession had been passed
by the state convention. All of
federacy we're stlematized locally as
'tories," or men guilty of treason to the
state. When the real war began, the ratio
of federal sympathizers in the counties
named-Johnson and Carter-was about
ten to one in favor Of federal supremacy as
in the representative soldierv from the two
counties, They sent something over 1000
troops to the federal n about 100 to the
confederate army.
With such an internal force in violent
h0stility to the confederate authority in
shat region, it was only natural that serious
conflicts and outbreaks should occur. The
first manifestation of the uprising wrath of
the loyal east Tennesseeans. who considered
that they had been wrongfully and un.
justly, and against their wishes forced out
OF the union by the votes of the middle and
western parts of the state, was in the burn
ing of a number of railway bridges over
which confederate troops were being trans
ported through that region into Virginia
early in 1861. This was charged to the or
ganized unionists of the localities, and ar
rests and punishment of many prominent
union men followed, arousing the fury of
both parties.
For the first two years of the war the
southern" or secession, element in this
region had the weight and power of the
state and confederate governments in it's
favor. AS = consequence, the sympathizers
with the Union felt the vigorous hand of
the mon in gray. The great majority of all
the men subject to military duty there who
did not care to go into the army, and who
were able to get away, became eIiles and
refugees from home. the union men who
were forced away from their homes went
ava into the loyal north and there re-
manned, storing up wrath for the day of
their returning, a day which was long de-
layed by the stubbornness of the confeder-
ates.
In the two counties referred ~to-Johnson
and Carter-families were divided on the
war questions. In one town there were sev-
cral families that had representatives in the
opposing arnies. The writer's father had
two sons in the Confederate army and one,
an officer from the old United States army,
with the Union troops. He had six sons
in-iaw. three of whom were secessionists
and three unionists. He had also several
broths,s-in-law who had sons in each of
the two armies. His next door neighbor
had one son in the southern army and one
in the northern, both officers. There was
not II family of any size in the town or in
the immediate neiRhborhood which was a
unit for or against secession. One young
mana gallant fellow-went ont with the
blue while his father donned the gray and
went off under the stars and the bars. Tho
two never met in the course of the struggle.
for one remained in Virginia, while the
other was in the army of the west.
Two of the writer's brothers spent several
days together in Libby prison, in Rioh-
mond, Va, the man in gray there waiting
on the brother in blue, who, in a desperate
ly wounded condition, had fallen into the
hands of the confederates.
Nobody outside of that region will ever
know how high and how force and intense
ly bitter ran the feelings enpendered by the
war feuds in those days. In many instances
the best of brother love turned to the most
vindiotive hate. One man OF wealth and