The National tribune., 1893-02-23

in the mountains where the scouts are stay
ing. and will direct me to them, you snail be
Immediately released"
This proposition at once met the decided ap-
probation of these two vile traitors. fer they
straightway conducted Bozen and his men to
the place where the men were stationed in
their remote and solitary encampment.
1t was about midnight when BOzcn and his
men surrounded the camp, and most OF the
poor men were wrapped in profound siumbef,
not dreaming for moment of the fearful des-
tiny which was now confronting them.
THE REBELS COMMENCED FIRING
and charging on the camp. and succeeded in
wounding several and capturing 81 of tho un-
suspecting Union men. One of the men was
so badly wounded that he died in few days.
He was Federal soldier who had been capt
ured by the rebels and imprisoned. but had
made his escape into the mountains, and no
doubt was now indnlging the fond hope of soon
being permitted to meet his friends again, from
whom he had been for some time separated by
the fortunes of war.
The men who were captured by the rebels on
this occasion were taken to Elizabethton and
put in jail, where they were detained for sew
eral days. In the meantime, however, one of
the prisoners was taken out of Jail and shot.
His name was Thomas Heatherly, aud he
was nothing but boy, being only II years of
age. And the worst Of all was he was exceed
iugly stupid and simple; indeed, his general
ignorance at all times indicated that he WAS not
far removed from perfect idiocy. He had never
fired gun in his life. The reason why tho
rebels determined to kill him WAS principally
on account of the terrible malice they enter
tanned toward his two brothers, who had from
the beginning of the rebellion done everything
they possibly could to obstruct and defeat tho
rebel cause, which, of course, did not fail to
secure for them the extreme hatred of the
aholc flx xrl,ar fhn InHi ION
sent into Carter County and assigned to. the
control and management of Robert Upton,
twho was son of Isaac p. Upton, citizen of
Carter County,) Tipt0n in the plenitude oil his
brief authority conducted the Indians to the
house of Thomas Heatherly, the father OF the
young men at whom the rebels were SO enra2ed,
and destroyed his property. Old Thomas Heath
ery and his wife were then taken and hanged
for a short time, in order to make them tell
where their sons were, but this they could not
do, for doubtless they were ignorant as to
the whereabouts of their sons as the rebels
were themselves. Two of Heatherly's dangh
ters were forced to 60 with the company into
the mountains to hunt for their camp, bnt
they entirely failed to ascertain anything in
regard to the young men Tor whose blood they
were so ardently thirsting. When Heatherly's
two older sons heard about the treatment Of
their father and mother, aud also about the
monstrous
ABUSE OF THEIR SISTERS,
they declared they would kill Upton when
ever they could get an opportunity; and in
this respect their design WAS shortly afterward
accomplished. They collected together some
of their scouting friends. and went one night
to his fathers residence, where Robert Upton
was staying while he was engaged in his mill
tary operations in Carter County. When they
arrived at the house one of the party called
Bob Upton to the window, and by relating
very plausible story TO him they induced him
TO come out in the road Immediately opposite
the house. and Just as soon as he got into the
road he was firmly seized by several men and
taken out 10 the back part of his fathers farm
where he was killed by being shot with two
balls one of which passed through his breast
and the other one struck him about the center
of his forehead, killing him instantly.
When Bozen and his men got young Heath
ery into their clutches, they doubtless con-
sdered it a splendid opportunity to avenge
the death of Bob Upton by taking the life of
an innocent boy, just because he happened to,
be brother of the two Heatherlys who were
concerned in the killing of Upton. -' -"
The men who escaped from the camp had
very serious time of it, for it was raining and
seetipg. aud the weather was extremely cold
Many OF them left their hats, shoes, and panta-
looms, and went some six or seven miles before
they pretended to stop, and quite number of
them were badly frostbitteB.
There were four Federal soldiers in Jail
when these men were captured in their camp
and OF the very night of the capture We had
been planning scheme to release them from
their Imprisonment. and had fixed on the next
night TO undertake our pro- ject for the release
of these soldiers but Bozen and his men de-
feated arrangements and spoiled our
tcipated sport
The men who were captured on this occasion
by the rebels were confined in Jail for few
days. They were then taken ont their hands
tied together. and marched off in row Of two
and two. the whole company being joined to.
gether with one rope, which passed along be-
tween them. In this way they were marched
to Bristol distance OF % miles. Some of
these men were thinly Clad and the weather
being very cold, and they having to wade the
creeks aud branches, they came very
freezing to death while they were on the
march.
But the whole number that the rebels started
with did not arrive at Bristol, for when they
got to the place they called the " BUneyRrd "
they united a prisoner by the name OF John II.
Blevins, and conducted him up the lonely hol-
low to murder him. He impored them not to
Kill him. as he was guilty of no crime which
should deserve such fate. They then said
We going to kill you because you
bush hacker"
TO which false accusation be replied imme-
diatey. saying: 81 have never shot at man
in all my life, and / have never knowingly
wronged any person; therefore, if you kill me,
you will kill an innocent man."
One Of his murderers then coolly said to him.
We'll, then, if you have told us the truth you
need not be afraid to die"
They then shot him three times in the
breast, and after untying his hands, taking off
his boots, and placing his hat over his face,
they started on after the balance of their pris.
oners Some citizens covered his body over
slightly, and after remaining where he had
been killed for 10 days, his friends went and
removed his body and gave it decent sepuleher
lie was said to be a good man and
GOOD CITIZEN,
but he had been reported by some rebel cti-
zens who were prejudiced against him, and
that WAS entirely sufficient in Bozen's estima
tiou to have him put to death.
BoZen's murderers next captured a man by
the name of Pritchard. He was young man.
aud had been scouting for some time endeayor-
ing to keep out of the way Of the rebel soldiers
The two Naves, who lived on the Watauga
River, both being violent rebels, used all their
influence against him, as they did against
every Union man who had the misfortune of
being captured by these desperadoes.
Pritchard was confined in Jail for several
days, and was then taken out and driven about
q mile from EliZabethton before three of Boz.
ems rufians, who rode along behind him on
their horses. They took him into small
thicket Of bushes about 100 yards off from the
main road and shot him through the head
breast, and bowels. One of these iends then
took up large club and struck him across the
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