USA > Tennessee > Bradley County > History of the rebellion in Bradley County, East Tennessee > Part 9
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28
99
IN BRADLEY COUNTY, EAST TENNESSEE.
Capt. Brown in their lead, rave through the country like so many Devils, ruthlessly seizing upon all the Union arms, leaving unmolested at the same time every rebel family in the county ? If this order made it the duty of the rebel military to collect up all the arms in the whole country, irrespective of parties, why did they utterly neg- lect it in respect to one party, and drive its fulfillment beyond all decency in regard to another ? Not one in a hundred of that immense collection of guns thus brought and piled up in Cleveland, were forcibly taken from rebel owners. Some few rebels, possibly, volunteered to give some of their arms, always, however, reserving enough for themselves ; while many, perhaps, put them into the hands of their sons when they sent them to the rebel ranks. But in every instance, rebel families, known to be such, and who thought they needed their guns to shoot Lincolnites, and to aid the rebel military in catching con- scripts, were allowed to keep them. Not an instance occurred, perhaps, in the whole county, in which a rebel family donated all its arms, or was required by the rebel military to do so ; while, on the other hand, Union fami- lies were completely stripped.
But more than this, we were credibly informed that, in some instances, arms were taken from Union families and given to rebel families, who in this respect were destitute. The pretext was to procure arms for rebel soldiers; but the real design in Bradley was to disarm and render help- less Union citizens, and arm the whole rebel element, cit- izen as well as soldier. This is precisely what was accom- plished by this rebel raid upon Union people, or, as the rebel editor styles it, " A move in the right direction."
With the utmost propriety, as a rebel, could the Cleve- land editor, in speaking of this as an enterprise in the in- terest of the rebellion, announce it as "A move in the right direction." This Slaveholders' Rebellion, in view of the great light and great blessings bestowed upon us as a people, was the greatest crime ever perpetrated on the earth. It was an aspiration of half the nation, fanned into a white heat of Satanic frenzy, to culminate in every abom-
83061A
100
HISTORY OF THE REBELLION
ination and wickedness for which God ever punished angels or men. The means it used and all the ends it pro- posed were degrees of wrong and human violence which in their collidings with the justice of Omnipotence, ulti- mately would have extinguished the race. Most emphat- ically this rebel plundering of Union arms in Bradley was a fit means to promote such an end. It was attended with all the violence, murder and reeking oppression requisite to make its completion no mean stride in the direction of such an end-an end installing these curses as laws of society and rules of human life. With great propriety, therefore, in this sense, but in this sense only, could this editor announce it as "A move in the right direction." Wrong was the rule of the rebellion, both as to its means and its end. Wrong permanently triumphant was the great end proposed. This rebel enterprise in Bradley was violence itself, and fraught with incalculable wrong -consistent with the end proposed-consequently, to the rebels was "A move in the right direction." Had this Cleveland editor rounded out his announcement to in- clude the end as well as the means, it would have had more philosophic completeness, and might with its em- phatic truthfulness in this case, have been enlarged as follows : This rebel raid upon Union families in Bradley was one of the moves in the right direction to ruin the American people, insult God, and curse the world through- out time.
This rebel editor might not have seen nor felt the sub- ject exactly in this light, yet this is the exact philosophy of his remark above considered.
If any of the rebels in Bradley take the position, or in other words shift their position, and argue that, while this order purported the arms only belonging to the State, it nevertheless had a secret design through the military to reach the private arms of the Union people also ; thus, with a view to strengthen the rebellion, proposing com- pletely to disarm the loyal people of the State-just what it accomplished in Bradley,-yet this by no means relieves them from "guilt" and "shame" in the transaction. Al-
101
IN BRADLEY COUNTY, EAST TENNESSEE.
though this position may be nearer the truth than the other-for we believe that this order was in reality de- signed by Gov. Harris as an instrument of cruelty against the Union people of East Tennessee-it does not at all re- lieve these Bradley rebels, but brings down Gov. Harris to a level with themselves, and equally criminates him with them in this infamous and hypocritical piece of bus- iness.
We will close our history of this affair with an account of Capt. Brown's assault upon the family of Mr. Baldwin Harle, of Cleveland, ostensibly to carry out the provisions of this order from Gov. Harris. The following statements of the case are from Mr. and Mrs. Harle and their two sons, the most of which are given in their own language.
About the 15th of October, 1861, Thomas Hawkins, who had, when a boy, lived with Mr. Harle, came to his house with nine other armed rebel soldiers. Hawkins was met at the door by Mrs. Harle, when he enquired if Mr. Harle or the boys had two guns in their possession. "Well, what if we have ?" was Mrs. Harle's reply. "I must have them," he returned. "You shall not have them if I can help it," was her rejoinder. Hawkins then ordered his men to enter the house and take the guns, attempting at the same time to force his way by Mrs. Harle into the house, she, however, preventing him by maintaining her position at the door. At this juncture, Joseph Harle, a son, being in some part of the building, and attracted through a back door to the spot by the disturbance, standing near his mother, told Hawkins that if he came in he should shoot him. At this Hawkins and his men desisted, held a short parley among themselves, and left the premises.
In a short time Hawkins re-appeared, with about sixty men; the company was led this time by Capt. Brown himself. Brown and his men immediately forced their way into the house, he very abruptly demanding the two guns of Mrs. Harle, saying at the same time that Gov. Harris had ordered all the guns in the country to be taken, and that his men needed them as they were going to cap-
102
HISTORY OF THE REBELLION
ture old Clift, then fortifying on the Tennessee river. Mrs. Harle replied, "Well, if it is right for you to have the guns, then I suppose you can take them." Mr. Harle, absent until then, approaching and hearing his wife's remark, continued by saying, "Well you shall not have the guns by my consent," emphasizing the pronoun my in a way to give Brown the idea, that although his wife had given her consent, and although he presumed that his force would enable him to take the guns, vet he would have to take them against his consent.
At this, Brown immediately raised and leveled his gun to shoot, or as though he would shoot Mr. Harle. Mr. Harle, however, quickly caught the muzzle of Brown's gun, and held it to one side. Brown soon got his gun at liberty, drew back, and taking deliberate aim at Mr. Harle's breast, pulled the trigger, but the cap bursted without discharging the piece. Seeing himself thus foiled, Brown instantly raised his gun, and with it struck Mr. Harle, apparently with all the force that anger could summons, dealing him a blow across the forehead which opened the flesh to the skull, knocking him against the side of the house, which together with being caught by Mrs. Harle, prevented him from sinking entirely to the floor. While he was in this position, if possible, with more fury than before, Brown raised his gun and the second time struck at the senseless and bleeding head of Mr. Harle. But Mrs. Harle throwing herself before her husband, received the blow upon her arm and shoulder, from the effects of which she will probably never entirely recover. Notwithstanding this injury, Mrs. Harle, with what remaining strength she had, continued to protect and defend her husband shrieking for help, and crying for Brown to desist.
By this time, Joseph Harle had come to his mother's assistance, and also plead with Brown to refrain, saying " You have already killed my father, and is not that enough ?" At this remark from Joseph, Brown's rage was transferred to him, Brown asking him in a vociferous manner, if he "had come to take it up?" Joseph promptly
103
IN BRADLEY COUNTY, EAST TENNESSEE.
replied that he had. Some of Brown's men then near, hearing this, leveled their guns at Joseph, threatening to shoot him for interfering with Brown. Mrs. Harle, yet holding her husband, covered with blood, implored them to put down their guns, saying, " You see that Brown las killed his father, don't take his life also.
At this moment, a younger son, compelled by Brown's men, or acting on his own judgment, thinking it best to deliver up the guns, as soon as possible, was bringing them through the door of a small out-house, a few steps to the rear of the main building, and handing them to the men. Brown seeing this said, " Well men, we've got the guns, let's go." And this murderous brute, with his equally murderous gang of rebel villains left the premises, gloating over their savage and bloody victory.
Mr. Harle's dwelling stands upon the west side of a north and south street, in the village of Cleveland, and of course fronts to the east. At the commencement of this outrage, while most of Brown's men were surround- ing the house and ransacking the premises, Brown and a few of his body guards entered at the front or east door. into one of the front rooms, where he had his conversa- tion with Mrs. Harle, and where, near a door of this room conducting into a porch attached to the rear of the main building, he met Mr. Harle. In Brown's assault upon the old gentleman, he forced him back through this door into this porch on the floor of which he was standing, when Brown knocked him against the side of the main building ; and from which place he was taken up insen- sible, and apparently dying, by Mrs. Harle and her sons, after the rebels had disappeared. With careful watching and medical treatment, however, Mr. Harle revived, and finally recovered, at least so far as a man of his age can recover, from such an injury as he received.
Mr. and Mrs. Harle were perhaps, upwards of sixty years of age at the time, and were among the oldest and most respectable citizens of the place. Mr. Harle was a quiet, peaceable, inoffensive man, constitutionally the
104
HISTORY OF THE REBELLION
very reverse of that calculated to enrage or induce the assault of an enemy.
Notwithstanding this affair transpired in the very heart of Cleveland, and was known in less than an hour to the whole community, rebel and Union, yet no attention was paid to it by the rebel authorities. Nor was Brown called to an account for his conduct any more than if he had assaulted a lot of swine on the street. Mr. Harle and his family were "Lincolnites," and this was not only a bar to anything like an arrest or prosecution, but it was the reason that rebel praise, oftener than rebel censure was awarded to Brown for the brutality which he inflicted on them.
While this injured man was lingering upon his couch for weeks, in a critical condition, Brown was frequently seen galloping by his dwelling, not only at his ease, but with greater self-complacency, more individual pomposity and insulting defiance, as he would look in the direction of his victims, than could have been put on, perhaps, by Jeff. Davis himself.
105
IN BRADLEY COUNTY, EAST TENNESSEE.
CHAPTER X.
MONEY EXTORTED FROM UNION PEOPLE, UNDER THE PRETENCE OF PROVIDING FOR THE FAMILIES OF REBEL SOLDIERS.
REBEL recruiting in Bradley and the adjoining counties had not progressed very far, before another subject of ex- citement arose, still better calculated, if possible, to enlist the activities of Capt. Brown, and call forth his peculiar talents, than the work of confiscating private Union arms. His avarice carried him beyond the seizure of mere property ; and an excuse was soon found, connected with the subject of suffering rebel families, that enabled him to revel in the midst of huge piles of the people's money.
The rebel soldiers had left their homes, to meet the Northern invaders, and as a matter of course, some pro- vision must be made for the support of their families during their absence. This necessity, whether real or apparent, was readily laid hold of by Capt. Brown, and made a pretence for inaugurating and carrying on, for weeks and months, one of the most audacious swindles, one of the most heartless systems of robbery that even the rebellion itself ever produced. This branch of busi- ness being added to Brown's general work of driving for- ward the rebel cause, he followed the promptings of his avarice, even at the expense of his Southern patriotism. He wanted rebel soldiers; he wanted obstinate Union men out of the country; but still more than either of these he wanted money; and these were the alternatives to which his victims were universally reduced-they must go into the rebel army, be sent to Tuscaloosa, or they must pay the price of exemption. Those who had the most money could generally settle with Brown, not only the easier for themselves, but the most satisfactory to him !
S
106
HISTORY OF THE REBELLION
An instance that will illustrate the barbarous extreme to which Brown, in many cases, pushed this iniquitous business, was furnished by Mr. T. H. Calloway of Polk county, a gentleman well known in East Tennessee, and whose statements will not be questioned by those having the honor of his acquaintance.
The following letter is Mr. Calloway's account of the case referred to.
CLEVELAND, TENNESSEE. November 12th, 1865.
J. S. Hurlbut, Esq., Michigan City, Ind.
DEAR SIR :- Your letter of the 1st inst., has just been received. The case you refer to was that of Jacob Hadrick, a man seventy-five years old. Capt. Wm. Brown had old Mr. Hadrick and his three sons arrested and taken to Cleveland under guard, in very cold weather, during the winter of 1861 and 1862. After keeping them under guard for several days, he released them, taking the old man's note or obli- gation for $50-to be paid in corn and pork. The old gentleman lived in my neighborhood, was a very poor but hard working Dutch- man, who made his living by blacksmithing. I was from home when he was taken off. Just about the time he returned I came home, and going to his blacksmith shop, found him preparing to kill his hogs. They, however, were not fat enough to kill, and I asked him the mean- ing of his killing his hogs, when they were so poor, and he told me that he had bound himself to pay Capt. Brown $50 in pork and corn. I told the old man that he could not spare the hogs from his family, and must not send the meat to Brown. He persisted in saying that he must do so. as Brown had told him that if he did not. that he, Brown, would send him and his three sons to Tuscaloosa, during the war. I finally prevailed on the old man not to do so, promising to pay the money to Mr. Brown for him. But when I offered to pay Brown, I did it before a lot of rebel officers, publicly, and Brown re- fused to take the money, saying that his men had done wrong to exact such a thing from the old man.
I gave you a good many particulars in relation to Brown's acts when you were here, which I suppose you have. Old Mr. Hadrick died soon after.
Very Respectfully,
THOS. H. CALLOWAY.
Some months previous to writing the above letter, with other accounts of Brown's conduct, Mr. Calloway fur- nished more particular statements, verbally, of this case of Brown's brutality, and of the manner in which he played the hypocrite before his brother officers, in order to shield himself from their censure in regard to it. When approached by Mr. Calloway in the presence of these offi- cers, on the subject of his treatment of Mr. Hadrick, Brown pretended ignorance, and consequently innocence
107
IN BRADLEY COUNTY, EAST TENNESSEE.
in regard to the whole matter, charging the wrong entirely to his men. The letter itself, however, shows that Brown was the leading criminal in the case; and from Mr. Callo- way's verbal statement, it appeared that Brown was per- fectly acquainted with the destitute condition of Mr. Had- rick's family at the time; that he was present when, in obedience to his own personal order, Mr. Hadrick and his three sons were brought prisoners into the rebel camp. Mr. Calloway further stated that the old gentleman was also put into the guard house, and confined during these "several days" by Brown's personal supervision; and when he was released, the note of $50, which Brown ex- acted, was written with Brown's own hand, he threaten- ing at the same time, as stated in the letter, that if the note was not paid the day it was due, he would send Mr. Hadrick and his three sons to Tuscaloosa during the war.
It was well known also, as confirmed by Mr. Calloway, that the guard-quarters in which the old gentleman was kept, (the same in which Union prisoners were placed,) was totally unfit for the most robust man in the vigor of life, much less for a man seventy-five years of age, espe- cially considering the severity of the weather. Mr. Had- ricks' death, which followed soon after his release, was unquestionably induced by the cruel treatment he re- ceived from Brown.
This was not the only aggravated case of this peculiar system of robbing, in which persons in a similar condi- tion with him-persons almost entirely helpless and de- fenseless in regard to themselves-were shut up in Brown's rebel guard-house, fit only for brutes, till by their sufferings nature was broken into compliance with his tyrannical exactions.
This rebel military camp, it will be recollected, held carnival in Cleveland in the winter season of the year. A few days, or at most weeks in the miserable pens of this rebel camp, under a subjugating regimen, together with the every-day prospect of being sent to the still more loathsome; death-dealing dungeons of Tuscaloosa and Mobile, were sufficient to make men feel the difference --
108
HISTORY OF THE REBELLION
especially those on the down-hill side of life-between this grinding oppression and personal liberty; between the value of money and the value of life; between Tuscaloosa prisons and their own homes, even if those homes were in the midst of the whirlpool of the infernal rebellion. As we will hereafter see, Brown's treatment of old Mr. Stonecypher was another aggravated case of cruelty, being part and parcel of this same system of iniquity.
It would be impossible, within the design of the present work, to give an account of all the acts of unusual brutal- ity and wickedness inflicted by Brown upon Union people in and about Bradley, under the cover of pretending to collect supplies for destitute rebel families. The particu- lars in full of a single case as emphatically illustrate the general character of this piece of rebel iniquity, and, con- sequently, the general character of the rebellion in East Tennessee, as would numberless repetitions of similar scenes.
Upon this principle we have given a somewhat detailed account of the case of Mr. Hadrick; and the reader can draw his own conclusions as to the amount of crime com- mitted, the personal abuse and injury inflicted by Brown in extorting money and property from, perhaps, three hundred Union people.
The following names of persons, among the many whom Brown compelled to pay tribute, was furnished by Jesse H. Gaut, Esq., of Cleveland. It was furnished in some degree from memory, nearly three years after the occur- rences referred to, which accounts for the incompleteness of the list as indicated by Mr. Gaut's accompanying re- marks.
"A few of the Names of Men in Bradley County from whom Capt. Wmn. L. Brown extorted money, and the amounts taken from each:
William Blair, Esq. $100 00 William Humburd, Esq .. 25 00
George Munsey 50 00
A. J. Collins. 25 00
Wm. Morrison, 50 00
Brown, 25 00
Wm. Francisco,
.50 00
William Hawk, 20 00
Rev. Noah Smith,
50 00 | James O. Dickinson, 15 00
109
IN BRADLEY COUNTY, EAST TENNESSEE.
Benj. Hambright,
50 00 | Samnel Hyrick,
12 50
Robert Hambright,. 50 00
John Stanfield, 10 00
George Cox, of Georgia. 100 00
John Gance. 10 00
J. H. Huff,
50 00
Little Berry Moore. 10 00
W'm. Lacey, Esq.,
50 00
Thomas Prator, 10 00
Wm. Mahoney,.
100 00
John Osment, 100 00
Jacob Hysinger,
50 00
William Stanfield, 5 00
Asa Fitzgerald.
25 00
William Wyrick, 5 00
John Francisco,
25 00
Dempsey Cooper, 15 00
Dr. J. M. Campbell.
25 00
Samuel D. Richmond 25 00
Philip Mahony. 25 00
James Gamble,
25 00
Edmund McKinny, 10 00
Aaron Lee, 25 00
Burrel Lee,
25 00
Gabriel Deford
25 00
These were only a few persons comparatively who were forced to pay money by Capt. Brown. They had only one election, and that was to pay or go to the rebel military prison at Tuscaloosa. Some only gave their obligations to pay their amounts. Greenbury Cate gave liis obligation for $50.
It was said upon reliable authority that Brown got in notes and obligations about $4,000."
The above list contains forty names. From the verbal statement of Esq. Gaut, and from all other information, aside from this list, that could be obtained on the subject, it appears that Brown and his agents, in this particular enterprise, extorted money and property of one kind and another from not less than three hundred persons.
As to the amount actually collected, it was variously estimated, some putting it at one thousand dollars, others at fifteen hundred, and some as high as two thousand.
In regard to the disposition made of these levies, among Union people but one opinion prevailed. For the rebel opinion on the subject we never inquired. The universal opinion of the loyalists was, that not a fourth of these piratical levies ever reached the destitute rebel families of the county.
Similarly with the work of confiscating Union guns, this enterprise was conducted without system. It differed with the former, however, in that it had not even the semblance of valid rebel authority. It was impossible to trace it to a source higher than Brown,-in fact impossi- ble to trace it to any other source. No authoritative enactment, civil or military, gave it shape and form, pre-
Hazard Bean. 10 00
James Hinkle,
25 00
Wm. Smith,. 25 00
$1132 50
110
HISTORY OF THE REBELLION
scribing limits, holding parties responsible, bringing them to report to proper disbursing officers, or anything of this nature. But a kind of general reckless rebel consent pre- vailed, and all, or nearly all, encouraged this self-elected tiger, Brown, and his followers, in the pursuit of their prey. Upon this principle Brown imposed, confiscated, and collected to suit himself, keeping his own secrets, and naturally disbursing and appropriating in the same man- ner. As he doubtless looked upon himself as the most profitable servant in the good work, considered that he was deserving of the most prompt and liberal pay. The produce and other articles collected were more frequently carried off by the rebel officers and men, than systemati- cally distributed to suffering mothers and children in the county.
As to the money collected, it was the universal opinion of Union men that the greater portion, if not the whole amount, was smuggled away for Brown's private uses, and otherwise expended upon his own personal and military aggrandizement. Only enough of money or goods was systematically given out to the needy families to blind those disposed to be honest, and to conceal the theft of Brown and those with him in the secret.
Brown was captain of a company in a cavalry regiment then in camp at Cleveland. Articles of general warfare were needed; but especially those suitable for cavalry. In connection with the above system of foraging, Brown extended his business till it was sufficiently general to cover even the demands of the extensive preparations of the whole rebel camp. Horses, mules, wagons, harnesses, saddles, blankets, blacksmith's tools, and all other prop- erty needed that could be found, was taken or ordered to be brought into camp and delivered at his headquar- ters.
Truth requires us to state that, in most instances at this time, and during the first year of the war, when valuable property, such as horses and mules, was taken for the benefit of the rebel army, it was either paid for in Con- federate money, or vouchers were given by rebel officers.
111
IN BRADLEY COUNTY, EAST TENNESSEE.
Notwithstanding this, however, it was seldom if ever the case that Union owners received the full value of what was taken from them. Although this was ostensibly the rule with the rebel authorities in regard to valuable prop- erty taken for the Confederate Government, yet, under the leadership and through the rascality of Brown, the rule was frequently outraged even in important cases, and generally in all cases where his acts had not to pass under the supervision of the higher authorities.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.