The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1907-06-16

>Nor PRAYER Died Tor brighter land.
NOT brighter land had cause 50
grand"
The first appearance OF the Federal
army in the Tennessee Valley was at
ter the battle of Shiloh. which was
fought on the 9Th and 7th OF April.
1862.
From Shiloh General Sherman ad-
vanced with sword and torch.
He. with division of his troops.
came through North Alabama. stopping
successfully at Florence. Athens, Deca-
tur and on to Huntsville, where he
made his headquarters for some time
While In Florence General Sherman
showed what was to be expected from
his long and bitter mastery OF the
Southern people. While here q young
man. son OF a millionaire and friend OF
Sherman. though not connected with
the army. venturing on the outskirts
OF the Federal lines was captured. This
greatly angered Sherman. and he had
some of the Oldest and most respected
citizens of the community arrested and
brought before him. One of them. Mr..
John Simpson. father OF Judge r.. T.,
Simpson one OF the present Justices Of
the Supreme Court of Alabama. who
being paralyzed and unable to come
was sent for and brought before him
and told that unless the young man
was returned he would tie him to a
wagon, together with the other oiti-
gems who had been arrested. and have
them dragged to death.
One of his officers, Colonel John Nc.
Harlan. commanding a Kentucky regf-
ment, and now one of the Judges Of
the Supreme Court of the United States,
sent company Of Federal troops into
the Presbyterian Church in Florence
and had the pastor, DR.. Mitchell, arr
tnA ~ ~faf< n>>Ii
ried to Northern prison because he
had prayed for the success OF the Con-
federate army.
Another OF Sherman's offfcers. Gen.
erai Turpin, burned the Masonic Hall,
and Martin and Weakley's cotton fac
tory in Florence. Lagrange College
near Leighton, and much other proper
ty of the citizens in this section. when
he reached Athens. forty miies east OF
here, he told his troops he would shut
his eyes for twenty-fou hours and
permit them to plumber. burn and rob
at will. which they did. He was sta
toned there about six months, and du-
ring that time committed unit old OUT
RACES and hardships on the PEG pie.
During this time Sherman had moved
the greater part of his army into
Huntsville. An officer of his command
afterward wrote: when we reached
Russell's Hill overlooking the valley In
which the beautiful city of Huntsville
lay. nestled at the foot of Monte Sano.
the sun was setting. the long shadows
were creeping across the valley. and
thought 1t the most peaceful, beauti-
full scene ever witnessed, and inspired
by its beauty cheer after cheer was
sent up by the troops"
The sun that day went down on this
peaceful scene for the last time for
ten years. including the Renconstruc-
4E~& -. tam.
gan his harsh. cruel treatment of the
citizens. Women and non-combatants
were thrown into prison. Twenty OF
the Oldest and most pro minent citi-
gems were arrested without provoca-
ton and imprisoned In the basement
of the court house. where, on account
of exposure to the damp. cold earthern
floor, several of them died. They
were frequently threatened with hang
ing on account of the raiding OF q
young cavalry man. Captain Frank
Gurley. This young officer, of Forests
command, was afterwards captured, put
in chains and incarcerated in the PEN
itentiary at Nashville. court marshailed
and sentenced to be hung. His life
was saved by the timely interpretation
of General Forrest. who placed six Fed
eral officers in close CONTINENT and
announced to the Federal authorities
that he would hang all six of them
If Captain Gurley was hung. Captain
Gurley, who could thrill you with &C
counts OF many daring exploits In
which he was a principal participant.
is today living in Madison county, a
hale and hearty veteran of the Civil
War.
Leaving Huntsville Sherman left in
command General o. M. Mitchell OF
Cincinnati, who had never achieved
anything greater than having written
hall "a nv T. NRxaa x.1U
slble, harsher in his treatment of citi-
zens than Sherman had been. He orr
dered the grandmother of the reader
from her house ind took 1T for hts
own headquarters (Which home the
United States government continued TO
occupy. for some time after the war
had ended. destroyed plantations.
farming utensils, grist and flour mills.
took horses, mules and cattle and left
the people destitute and unable to
make crops or anything on which to
live. Both sides OF the Tennessee
River were pillaged and stripped OF
everything that could be taken.
In 1864 when the Southern army
moved through this same section tina
entire valley from one end to the other
was marked by chimneys left from
burned homes. standing as monuments
of the cruelty and bitterness of an
implacable foe.
Wnen General Lee entered EennSylA
vania with his army one of his first
orders to his troops after crossing the
Potomac. was that the property of citf-
gems must be protected, not destroyed.
What a marked contrast between the
Southern cavalier. in whose veins
flowed the blood of a noble ancestry,
and this Puritan foel
In April, 1868. General Rosencranz,
the commander of the Federal army in
Tennessee, determined to send raid
ing party around General Bragg. then
stationed at Tullahoma, with the inten-
ton of destroying the railroads, espe-
cially from Knoxville and Atlanta.
thereby cutting off reinforcepents and
supplies. and to destroy the shops. de-
pot of supplies, etc, at Rome Geor-
gla, thus forcing Bragg to fall back
into Georgia. Colonel A. D. Streight
Of Indiana, was selected for this pur-
! pose and placing his command. which
| consisted of 1000 wei armed and
| equipped cavalry, on steamers at Nash
VILE came down the Cumberland and
Ohio and up the Tennessee River to
| Eastport. Mississippi, near the Ala
| bama line. Here he was met by Gen-
! eral Roddey. who succeeded in capture
! ing many of his mules and stamped-
| ing the others. though Streight was
| able to advance as far as Tuscumhla
| without further Interruption. After
losing considerable time here and suf-
| fering loss and further delay In his
engagement at Town Creek, passed on
to Moulton
General Forrest was sent in pursuit.
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