The rebel sympathizers wrote letters to the authorities giving names and sending in accusations against the Union men. As showing the sentiment of some of these men we insert some quotations from a letter written by A. G. Graham, of Jonesboro, Tenn., to President Davis November 12, 1861, and from M. J. Peoples to Secretary Benjamin Graham wrote : "In Carter and Johnson counties, northeast of this, the Union strength is not only as formidable but it is as violent as that of any of the northwestern counties of Virginia. Had they the power not a secessionist would live in this region. The hostile element in these counties is so strong that I give it as my opinion that it will not abate or be conciliated. They look for the establishment of the Federal authority with as much confidence as the Jews look for the coming of Messiah, and I feel quite sure when I assert it that no event or circumstance can change or modify their hope. There are now camped in and about Elizabethton, in Carter county some 1200 or 1500 men armed with a motley assortment of guns, in open defiance of the Confederate States of America who are awaiting a movement of the Federal troops from Kentucky to march forward and take possession of the railroad. These men are gathered up from three or five counties in this region, and comprise the hostile Union element of this section, and never will be appeased, conciliated, or quieted under a Southern Confederacy. We can and will disperse them in a few says, but when will they break out again? I am satisfied the only hope for our quiet and repose, and our co-operation without hindrance in the present revolution, is the expatriation, voluntary, or by force, of this hostile element."

OKALONA, TENN., NOV. 20, 1861.

HON. J. P. BENJAMIN,
Secretary of War, Richmond, Va.

Sir:—In my judgment there is not a Union man in Carter county who was not involved to some extent in the rebellion. Many of them were drawn into it by wicked leaders and some have hastily repented, but many others will seek the first favorable opportunity to repeat the experiment. Under these circumstances what cam be done to hold them in check in the future? If a Northern army invades the State at any future day a majority of our population will undoubtedly tear up the railroad, burn the bridges and destroy the lives and property of our Southern men.

* * * * * * * * * *

If the military commander at this point could have a discretionary power which would enable him to inquire into the character of the rebels and give certain ones the option to join the Confederate service during the war or be sent on for trial for treason I have no doubt the ends of justice would be attained, and much annoyance to the Government avoided. This, perhaps, would be rather a high-handed movement, but the disease is a desperate one and requires severe and energetic treatment. Every Union man in the county either took up arms or was fully advised of the intention of his party to do so, so they are all principals or accessory before the fact. If they are all prosecuted every citizen of East Tennessee must be arraigned before the court or brought up as witnesses. Nearly every rebel in my county could be convicted if all the Southern-rights citizens were brought up as witnesses; but this, perhaps, would look too much like political prosecutions.

* * * * * Even now our most quiet and law-abiding citizens have been shot down in cold blood from behind coverts by the tories, and proof can be made that they have been tampering with the slaves.

* * * * * The Southern men have all been disarmed and the tories have apparently disbanded in most of the counties, but really gone home to await the approach of an invading army. If we are invaded every Southern man will be taken prisoner or else murdered in the night time.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

I am, very respectfully, MADISON T. PEOPLES.

______________

The feelings expressed in these letters are a sample of the feeling that existed towards the Unionists by the extreme disunionists throughout East Tennessee. They would gladly have seen their old friends banished forever from their homes. They could not believe these men were inspired by any motive of patriotism, but on the contrary were simply outlaws of the worst character and they would have rejoiced to have seen them either hanged, imprisoned or. banished from their homes. Such is the spirit aroused by civil war.

The Secessionists in Johnson and Carter counties were greatly alarmed while the "little rebellion" lasted and -many of them left their homes, but we cannot remember now that any special violence was done them at this time.

After Leadbetter dispersed the Union forces at Doe River Cove he returned to Johnson City with his main force, sending a detachment down Doe River to Elizabethton, making indiscriminate arrests as it went. This detachment was accompanied by some secession citizens who pointed out to the officers the Union men who had been active in the rebellion, and looked on with seeming pleasure while they were being arrested, abused, and in some instances their property destroyed. Men who were peaceable and had committed no offense except that they were loyal to the Union; men advanced in years and mere lads were arrested and subjected to the same indignity as those who had been engaged in rebellion. Houses were searched and ransacked, and curses and abusive languages used, even to the women and aged and respected citizens. The sanctity of home was violated by course and profane ruffians in search of arms and plunder.

Hundreds of loyal men were compelled to sleep on the ground and hide in the mountains and caves while their homes were being desecrated and their wives and children abused as we have said there were those among the citizens who aided and abetted in this work to the credit of humanity, and to many Southern sympathizers, we will say, there were others of them who did many acts of kindness for their Union neighbors at this time, and prevented them from being harshly dealt with. This was also remembered at a later day. While as we have seen there was much hatred and vindictiveness in Carter county, it was not so bad there as in many other counties of East Tennessee. There were many men on both sides who did not make the war a personal matter, and there were friendships between men, fighting in opposing armies, that were never broken, and after the war there was less vindictiveness between soldiers than between citizens who had not been in the army on either side.

Nevertheless, at this period to be a Union man was, in the eyes of a good many Confederates, to be a criminal of the deepest dye. Every word and act was misconstrued into some ulterior design upon the Conferedate Government. Men whose life-long character had been above reproach were now suspected of the most heinous crimes, and their names blackened with the most opprobrious epithets. They were arrested without other charges except that they were Union men.

On the 11th of December Gen. Carroll, who was in command of the Confederate forces at Knoxville, issued a proclamation declaring martial law and suspending the writ of habeas corpus. The people were now deprived of free speech that boon so highly prized by all freemen and especially so by the independent mountaineers of East Tennessee. They knew not what to do nor which way to turn. The rigorous winter common to the high elevation of this mountain region was upon them, • but their homes built by the arduous toil of many years to protect themselves and families, and where was erected the family altar, were now to them a place of danger, to be avoided, or only visited at the dead hour of night to seek a brief interview with their loved ones and steal away again into the almost inaccessible cliffs and ravines of the mountains. Men were heard to say that they had often wondered why the Creator had built these stupendous monuments where little that was useful to. man could thrive, but now they saw the mystery of the Divine plan made clear— they were to be the friendly shelter of the race at such times as this, when "Man's inhumanity to man made countless thousands mourn."

These lines might very appropriately have come into the minds of these hunted refugees:

"For the strength of the hills we bless thee,
     Our God, our father's God!
Thou hast made thy children mighty
     By the touch of the mountain sod.
Thou hast fixed our mountain refuge,
     Where the spoiler's feet ne'er trod;
For the strength of the hills we bless thee,
     Our God, our father's God!"

Many Unionists, and especially the bridge burners, however, escaped to the mountains or concealed themselves so effectually about their homes or among their friends that they were not discovered.

Col. Daniel Stover, the leader of the "Bridge Burners" and the "Rebellion," with Dan Ellis, Jonas H. Keen, B. F. Treadway, G. O. Collins, Watson Collins and others, sought safety in the Pond mountains in the eastern part of Carter county. They were far back in the mountain some seven miles from any settlement, and their place of hiding was known only to William Lewis, a trusted Union man, who resided on the Watauga river. Their provisions had to be carried to them by some of their number who packed it on their backs this long distance through dense thickets and through deep ravines and over steep rough hills.

Here they constructed rude shanties and provided with a few cooking utensils and blankets these men, who had been accustomed to the comforts and many of the luxuries of life, spent many weary weeks expecting all the time to hear of the advance of the Federal army into East Tennessee.

Dan. Ellis was their main dependence. Being by nature and experience a fine woodsman he made many excursions back into the settlements to learn the latest news and bring back letters from the families. Thus began the experience of Captain Ellis, who afterwards did such excellent service both to the Government and to the Union men in piloting the latter from these counties and from Western North Carolina into the Union lines in Kentucky; an extended account of his adventures will be found in another chapter of this history.

Across in the Buck mountains, also in Carter county, was another company of refugees, among whom were Col. N. G. Taylor, Col. J. G. Fellers, Elijah Simerly, Jas. P. Scott, M. L. Cameron, Charles P. and William J. Toncray. These refugees spent some time at the home of David Stout, a Union man who lived far back in the mountains. They were visited by a few trusted friends, bringing them news, clothing and provisions. They were situated very much like the others, but contrived to pass the time more or less pleasantly around their blazing fires, especially at night, whose friendly shades relieved their fears, yet much uneasiness was felt as they knew their place of concealment was being searched for by armed men, and if found their lives would probably pay the penalty of their loyalty to the Union.

Other Union men fearing these camps were less safe than even their homes concealed themselves in their attics or cellars. One case in point was that of Dr. A. Jobe, who, though strongly opposed to the bridge burning, from which the rebellion resulted, but being a leading Union man from the beginning and knowing that in the excitement of the times his life would be endangered, took refuge in his cellar. He had recently built a new residence close to Elizabethton. He had a cellar under his kitchen with no opening into it except a trap-door in the kitchen floor. Signals were arranged so that calling the names of certain members of his family warned him of the approach of soldiers and others so that he must be very quiet; the names of other members would indicate that the coast was clear. The colored servant who occupied the kitchen usually kept the cradle with the babe in it over the cellar door. The kitchen floor was carpeted so the trap-door could not be seen. When soldiers came to the house, which they frequently did, the servant would rock the cradle industriously and sing lullabys to the infant to drown any noise the occupant of the cellar might make.

In a similar manner Geo. W. Ryan, who had been captured and escaped from prison, was concealed under the residence of W. B. Carter for many weeks until he had an opportunity to escape through the lines to Kentucky.

These men and many others spent many weeks in this way, fearing to cough or even draw a deep breath lest they might be discovered and dragged to prison or death.

Thus the dreary winter of 1861-2 moved along. Many Union men to avoid a worse fate joined the Confederate army, hoping to escape to the Federals at a later date; others made their way to Kentucky, while others still hoping for relief remained in hiding.

In February, 1862, Ft. Donalson fell, and following this Nashville also fell into the hands of the Federals. These events afforded some hope and comfort to the waiting Union men.

Gov. Harris fled to Memphis with the General Assembly, which passed an act to call out the militia of the State from the ages of 18 .to 35 years, which the authorities began to enforce in East Tennessee. This again presented a source of new danger to the Union men who had thus far escaped.

Gen. Leadbetter had finally issued a conciliatory proclamation to the Union men which many had accepted so far as to remain at home and be silent. But now, having suffered the loss of free speech and trial by jury, having been insulted, arrested and forced to take the oath of allegiance to the Southern Confederacy, the appalling alternative presented itself of again undergoing the hardships of scouting or fight against the flag they adored, or leave their homes, and their all, and above all, their loved ones, to the tender mercies of their enmies, and to what fate they could not tell-, and for how long they knew not— perhaps forever.

Following soon upon the call for the militia came what was known as the "Conscript Act," passed by the Confederate Congress April 16th, 1862. This took into the Confederate army all able-bodied male citizens between the ages of 18 and 35 years, and later extended to 45, except certain exemptions to those who were laborers or artisans engaged in the production of articles necessary for the army.

Conscript-enrolling officers were at once appointed and, supported by the military, began the hunt for Conscripts. As some alleviation to the people of Carter county, a firm composed of N. G. Taylor and Judge Turley, under the name of Taylor, Turley & Co., began the erection of a steel and iron plant at a place known as "O'Brien's old Forge" in Carter county, three miles south of Elizabethton, and a similar company operated a furnace on Stoney Creek.

They had detailed a large number of men who were enrolled as conscripts to work at these plants and in this way avoid active service in the Confederacy. Other similar iron plants were started in Johnson county, and in many other places.

But these could not employ all, and only afforded relief to a small proportion of the conscripts in Johnson and Carter counties.

It has been said that the Conscript Act took more men from East Tennessee into the Federal army than into the Confederate army. However, the conscript officers now commenced their work in earnest, aided as we have said by the military. Looking back at the history of this period it would seem that by some strange chance the Confederate authorities selected from first to last a most cruel and vindictive set of officers to take charge of the military companies in Carter and Johnson counties. Not only this, but they even brought into requisition the services of some half-civilized Cherokee Indians from Cherokee county, N. C. If we do not characterize this proceeding by any harsher name, we are compelled to say it was most unwise as well as unfortunate; as it would seem even now, that it would not require any great foresight to see that this action on their part would be a case of "sowing the wind and reaping the whirlwind."

Union men who had not been detailed, or detached for work in the different iron works, and could possibly do so, began to flee across the mountains to swell the ranks of the Union regiments now forming in Kentucky, under the guidance of Dan Ellis, whose fame had spread far and wide as a daring and successful pilot. Others, still, fled to the mountains to await an opportunity to get to Kentucky, or at any rate to avoid, for the present at least, service in the Confederate army. Some were too poor to go or could not make up their minds to leave their families perhaps to starve. Some of these as in the days after the bridge burning joined the Confederate army to save themselves and families. Those who took their chances in the mountains would have to steal into their homes to procure food at night, z nd often they found the conscript officers and soldiers in waiting for them. At other times these officers would threaten the members of the families, the fathers, mothers, or little brothers and sisters of the conscripts to extort from them the hiding place of the conscript. These atrocities aroused the indignation of the Union men to the highest point and many sad tragedies followed. An account of many of them will be found in the Chapter of Tragedies.