The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-12-12
An East Tennessee IoyaItst.

To THE EpIroR OF THE SUS-Str. John NJ.
Bishop writes In your paper Of the East Tennessee
ioyalists during the Civil Mar and the bridge burners
In November, 1861. The burning was done b. order
OF President Lincoln through Gen. George II. Thomas.
then In command Of the forces In Kentucky.
| pilotcd from this place UtCn Garter Derot or Sta
ton on the Fast Tennessee and Virginia Railroad
one OF the messengers sent By Gen. Thomas from
Kentucky, MElizahethton, Garter county. Tenn. he
had a midnight consultation with Daniel Slower.
son inlaw Of Andrew johnson and after ward Colonel
OF the Fourth Tennessee Volunteer Infantry, United
States. | was present at the interview. | have not
the eSac, date. bu; Il waSi in the latter part Of October.
1891. ! also carried the last message to Col Slower
on the Wednesday nigh, before Friday night. Nov.
8. 1861. the time or date OF the burning. out Of
twenty three engaged in the burning OF the ZoAi-
Golfer Bridge. only i've are nov living. one 90 years
old. a wreck for lie from his long confinement AT
Tuscaloosa Prison. Alabama. lie having remained
a prisoner nearly fifteen months. and two others over
90 years Our Government has failed up 70 this
time 10 remuncra,e him for his losses.
Every man had TO fee to Kentucky or somewhere
for safety. | for one had 10 travel 500 miles through
hills, rivers. snow and ice and the Cumberland Noun.
tains to Lexington, Ky, travel by night and hide in
swamp. and thickcts during the day. May future
generations never suffer as We did. II was loya "
TO TIE flag OF our country. our people had been
taught loyalty from their infancy By their ancestors,
the heroes Of kings Mountain. for nearly all
engaged In the bridge burning and other demonstra-
tons OF loyalty TO the nag were descendants Of Kings
Mountain heroes. Is was ., a time when the darkest,
hours were over us The COME terates. eXultant
over their victory at Manassas. with every station
on the railroad and every town full OF rebel soldiers
from the Gulf States with Gen. Price ovenunning
Missouri; BucGner. Polk and others In aiding south
ern Kentucky. zoliconer going through Cumberland
GAP. Humphrey Marshal going through Pound
Gap and down Big Sandy Ri'u In East Kentucky:
Floyd overrunning West Virginia and Lee and others
Of the Army OF Northern Virginia overrunning Mary
land and almos, surrounding Washington. with the
cry. on " Washington! on to Cincinnati! On to
Chicago! and Sweep the Union Constitution and tho
Stars and Stripes on the face OF American soil and
esta bli.h a Southern Conf.deracy; with the chief
cornerstones King Cotton and the Niger"
Our people did not walt I'LL bounty laws were passed,
We knew OF no such thing, and later We had no State
bounty. no county bounty. no city bounty. no relief
committees to look after our loved ones lott behind.
I had an uncle called 10 the door and shot down. and
his only offence was he had three sons In the Union
Army; they belonged TO the same company with
myself.
Yes. our country Is s,il loyal. The blood OF the
early pioneers still remains, We have the Carriers.
Taylors, Tiptons. SEWERS. Lincolns. The anceStorsof
President Lincoln once lived In the Wat u "a Valley,
only three mites from whore ! write this. Is Il any
wonder that Abraham Lincoln was the great and
good man he was. coming from such an ancestry.
Men who were among tho carlies, pioneers ives, OF the
Aueghanie the companions Of DAME! Boone. John
Sev,er, Evan Shelly and John Upton, leaders Of the
Kings Mountain heroes lam " day wearing a scar
made while a prisoner Of war was n prisoner at
Macon, ca. Ander ,onviile. Ca. Charleston. 5, c.,
Florence. s. c. Danville and Rlchrnond. Va.
had a son IN the charge up San Juan Hill. Cuba.
in the Thirteenth United States Infantry. | was in tho
War OF the Rebellion. 'dl5, My father was connected
with the bridge burning IN 1901. My grandfather
yea. under Jackson a; New orleans, Ny great grand
father was nj Kings Mountain and all OF my great
crandfathers were Revolutionary soldiers. John
Hendrix. NY great granG'ather. and Abraham Lin
coin. the grandfather ~ President Lincoln, were sis
ters' children. S. H. IlENDHN.
w,TAuGA. Tenn, Dec. :.