The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1893-05-18

|
| ASE Esr& Shelton Laurel, n. C. The
| kY4N kSl place where the dreadful
| E9Ea ES8 slaughter occurred is located in
| EAY S8 Madison County, N. c., adjoin-
| ksss4JSssfE5ss.E ing Washington and Greene
Counties, Tenn. And my road, when ] was
travelling backward and forward to Knoxville
passed directly through it. This settlement
lies between two large mountains, one of which
is called Sugarloaf and the other is called
White Rock. 1t is 25 miles from any place OF
trade; is situated far out in the recesses of the
mountains, and beautiful valley it was before
| the rebellion. 1t was first settled by several
old hunters, whose names were Shelton, Hens
ley, and Tweede. IN order to enjoy their favor
ite amusement of hunting to the fullest extent
they sought an abode in this remote and desc
late mountainous region of country. The pop
ulation in the valley had increased very
rapidly. Before the rebellion there were be-
tween so and 100 voters in the settlement and,
all of them being strong Union men, they dis
countenanced the idea of enlisting in the rebel
service
Shortly after the passage of the notorious
coDscript law by the rebel Government a
heartless and blood thirsty wretch by the name
OF James Keith came into the retired settle
ment with q small number of rebel soldiers and
told the citizens if they would submit to the
authority of the SoHthern Confederacy. and
give up their arms they should never be
in the pursuit of their usual avocations with
out molestation during the continuance of the
war.
This scoundrel, at the time of his first visit
to this settlement. was occupying the position
of rebel Colonel, and consequently the doomed
citizens OF this valley were the more easily
circumvented by his lying tongue; doubtless
thinking that a man who occupied such an
elevated position in the rebel service could not
possibly be so perfectly destitute of every feel
ing of humanity as he afterward proved him
self to be.
On this occasion Keith succeeded, by his per-
snaslve and false promises, to induce 40 of
THESE HARDY MoUNTAINEERs
to come to his encampment and deliver up their
old rifles. These unfortunate men were i'm
mediately put into an old house and a strong
guard placed around them, where they re-
mained until he had entced all the unsuspect-
ing men to enter his trap that he possibly could,
and he then started with them 30 Ashville, n.
C., where they were confined in gloomy
prison house until a number of them were re-
leased from their miserable bondage by the
hand of death, and the balance of them en-
listed in the rebel army, from which they
afterward deserted and made their way to the
Federal lines
On the 10Th of January, 1863, Keith made
another visit TO this section of country for the
purpose of hunting conscripts, accompanied by
some 400 or 500 rebel soldiers, and Samuel E.
Irving, who lives in Washington County near
the red banks of Chucky River was one of his
officers. He now ordered his men to kill all
the men and boys they might capture, and his
companion In wickedness and infamy, Samuel
Il. Irving, at once sanctioned the terrible order,
saying that it was right to kill all the boys in
order to prevent them from growing up to be
Federal soldiers and bushwhackers for the
Southern soldiers to have to fight.
Hhaza h taocG Ga, dc lnd ;,,a
uring seven men and six boys and some of
these men were far beyond the age which the
conscript law had designated for the perform
anoo of military service; and, besides all this,
they were not captured while scouting in the
mountains. but were arrested while engaged in
their peaceful domestic employ ments.
These prisoners were retained in custody
three days, subjected to the insults and foul
abuse of their rebel captors, and then Keith
Informed them that he was going to send them
to Knoxville When they started with their
prisoners through the mountains, one of the
little boys said to his father: "They are TAX
ing us a near way to Knoxville are they not?"
His father replied: my son, they are going to
kill u.s." Thelitte trembling captive then said /:
20, father. surely they are not going to kill
us. These men have been raised in Christian
land, and l hope they have better hearts than
to murder us without provocation." This |
poor little innocent boy did not know that
expelled from the hearts of his oppressors
The rebels marched their prisoners along the
main road for distance of three miles, and
then turned up hollow and went to a sink
hole about 300 yards from the main road where |
they stopped. They now told their prisoners
that they might have 10 minutes to pray, and
when the time expired they at once tied the |
poor men, two-andtwo together, placed them |
in line TO shoot them, and pulled their hats |
down over their eyes. They were then ordered |
TO kneel down, and all of them obeyed with !
the exception of David Shelton. who when the |
order was given for him to kneel, Indignantly |
replied: Il wonld kneel to my God, but |
shall not kneel to devils"
The shooting then began, and 13 men and |
boys were murdered by this gang of rebel des- |
peradoes.
One of the little boys. when his turn came to |
be shot, said to the rebel murderers: "Oh do |
not shoot me in my forehead, for | don't wish |
my blood to spoil these little curls, which my |
dear mother has combed and kissed so often, |
while she called me her darling boy" One of |
the hends shot him in the breast, bat the ball |
failed to kill him he crawled out toward his
begging them in the most piteous
and heartrending manner to have mercy on
him and spare his life. But Keith ordered
them to sre again, and several of them shot at
him but none Of them bit him, for they declared
that when they presented their guns they be-
Keith, with his black heart inflated to the ut
most extent with devlish malignity, drew his
pistol, stepped toward him,
AND SHOT HIM IN THE HEAD,
holding the pistol so close that the very curls
were bnrned Off which the little boy, in the
simplicity Of childish innocence, SO earnestly
desired to save from destruction.
While several Of the men and boys who were
murdered were struggling i'll the last agones of
death, one of the rebel demons in human shape,
who was armed with a hoe instead of a gun,
would chop them on their heads with it. saying
- / never saw men SO hard to kill" Aud before
they had ceased 10 struggle the rebel soldiers
began to throw them into the sinkhole where
they piled them up in promseuous heap and
covered them over with leaves. Some of the
poor victims, who had not yet expired, convul.
5ively stretched ont their feet from beneath the
covering of leaves, at which some of the muir
lerers would say. Lie still, you old Lincoln
te," while others would say "Where is the
man with the hoe?" At this suggestion the
hardened wretch. true to the instincts OF his vile
nature, cooly walked up and commenced chop
ping with his hoe OIL. the heads and legs of the
slaughtered victims. And my informant who
was an eye witness and one of the party told
ne that when the unfeeling monster discon-
Linued his bloody work the hoe was completely
covered with the blood and brains of the MUIR
iered men and boys!
The dead bodies remained in the sinkhole