Year: 1864

a number of the leading citizens of
East Tennessee have published an ad
dress to the President, in regard to the
distress that afflicts the people of that
part of the State. They represent the
people as reduced to ''almost the last
extremity of suffering and want That
part of our labor not already in the ar
my, cannot now be proftably employed
in the midst Of hostile demonstrations.
Our stock, including cattle, hogs and
sheep, is well nigh gone; our horses
have been taken by one Government or
the other, or stolen by stragglers or ma
tural thieves, and our farms in a great
degree, have been left fenceless 1t is
impossible that the usual agricultural
pursuits can be resumed Less than ten
per cent, perhaps not more than five, of
the usual breadth Of wheat has been
sown. No oats or potatoes, or very lit
tie Of either, have been left for seed the
present season; and it is the opinion of
the undersigned that for the reasons
aforementioned, not more than (if so
much as) twenty per cent of the usual
crop will be planted. Our meadows and
corn-felds have been made desolate by
the tread Of armies; our homes have
| been rendered comiortleSs, until many
of our citizens, tired of strife and de-
spairing of peace and comfort, are
abandoning the country and seeking
elsewhere that protection which they
have failed to obtain in the land Of their
birth.


against this tide of desolation we
most respectfully and earnestly invoke
the exercise of all the powers with which
the President and Congress are invested.


"The first remedy that the undersign-
ed would respectfully. suggest, is more
speedy and prompt payment of the claims
due to the loyal citizens for property de-
stroyed and supplies furnished-especial-
ly that some provision be Immediately
made for the ready adjustment and pay
ment of these irregular claims to which
reference has been made. During the
siege of Knoxville, for instance, the
houses of many Union men were burned
by order of the commanding general,
vet the families of these men, houseless
and homeless though they be, can OBJ
tain no satisfaction from the Government
for the alleged want of authority in the
QuartermaSters to pay such claims. The
same may be said of irregular claims
from all parts of East Tennessee. We
would, therefore, most respectfully beg
Your Exceleucy to direct the issue o.
such orders on the part of any depart


ment of the Government, having juris
diction thereof, or to recommend the pas
sage of such law on the part of Con
gress as will secure the speedy paymen
, of all such claims as those before men
toned. The prompt payment TO the peo


pie of East Tennessee of the claims il


their hands, and due, would do much t


relieve their present wants.


In the second place they ask all tn


favors in respect TO transportation tha


can be afforded consistently with th
good of the military service. They rep


resent that under the most favorable Gil


cumStances, the means of transporta
tion will be inadequate to afford ther
Il the necessary communication with th


more prosperous States In this con


nection they present gratifying vindi
), cation of Mr.. Lincolns sagacity in re


commehding the construction of a raj


road to connect East Tennessee. wit


Louisville and Cincinnati.


), "The construction of s1ch railroad


your Excellency, as early as the fall c


1861, had the sagacity to recommend I


Congress as necessary military me:
l. sure for the suppression of the rebellion
~ and had the recommendations of yor
Exeellency been then adopted, East Ter
nessee, teeming with abundance, woul


have long since dropped like a ripe a
l. pie into the possession of the Cover
= ment, instead of being finally capture


at an expense of millions to the Govern


ment, and in an exhausted conditiO


The Union army, upon its arrival, won
IS, not only have found plenty, but won
III have still been in close communicate
lar lar with the plenty of the North. III
ats transportation, or rather means of tran
me me portation alone of the Army of the Obi


with the losses necessarily incide
yht thereto, has cost the Government II
VS. less than five millions of dollars sin,
Or the army left its place of rendezvous
IN Kentucky. Less than that sum, ev,


with fully cOmnensated labor won