Sufferings endured for a free government; (1865) (14762655555)

Identifier: suffendure00wilson (find matches)
Title: Sufferings endured for a free government;
Year: 1865 (1860s)
Authors: Wilson, Thomas L., of Tennessee
Subjects: United States -- History Civil War, 1861-1865 Prisoners and prisons Refugees -- Southern States United States -- History Civil War, 1861-1865 Anecdotes
Publisher: (Philadelphia)
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: Sloan Foundation



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e with the consent, if not by thedirection of the rebel government. It grew naturallyout of such atrocious orders as the following from J. P.Benjamin, rebel Secretary of War. Wau Department, Richmond, November 25th 1861. Sir: Your report of the 20th instant is received, and1 now proceed to give you the desired instructions inrelation to prisoners taken by you among the traitors ofEast Tennessee. First. All such as can be identified in having beenengaged in.bridge burning, are to be tried summarily bydrum-head court-martial, and if found guilty, executedon the spot by hanging. It would be well to leavetheir bodies hanging in the vicinity of the burntbridges. Second^. All such as iliave not been so engaged are tobe treated as prisoners of war, and sent with an armedguard to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, there to be kept im-prisoned at the depot, selected by the government forprisoners of war. Whenever you can discover that arms are concen- l ;;l;;jlll;;J)lL II II lllilillllillllllllllllill nr !l
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OUTRAGES IN EAST TENNESSEE. Ill tratcd by tliese traitors, you will send out detacliments,search for, and seize the arms. In no case, is one ofthe men known to have been in arms against the govern-ment, to be released on any pledge or oath of allegiance.The time for such measures is past. They are to be held asprisoners of war ; and held in jail till the end of the war.Such as come in voluntarily to take the oath of alle-giance, and surrender their arms, are alone to be treatedwith leniency. Your vigilant execution of these orders, is earnestlyurged by the government. Your obedient servant, J. P. Benjamin, Secretary of War.Colonel W. B. Wood, Knoxville, Tennessee.P. S.—Judge Patterson, Colonel Pickins, and otherringleaders of the same class, must be sent at once to.Tuscaloosa to jail, as prisoners of war. Yours, &c. J. P. B. By the violence and outrages arising from such un-limited orders as this, the Unionists of East Tennesseewere placed in the most distressing circumstances,