derly, Ely. Major Henning is with me. But few of the escort, who escaped, have come in. I suppose they have gone to Fort Scott. The dead are not all buried, but I suppose the number will not fall short of seventy-five. The enemy numbered six hundred of Quantrell's and Coffey's commands. They are evidently intending to go south of the Arkansas. I have scouts on the trail. Two have just come in, and report coming up with them, at the crossing of the Neosho river. Others are still following them up. Whether they will go directly south, on the Fort Gibson road, across Grand river to Cowskin Prairie, I cannot determine. When they came in they crossed Spring river, close by Baxter. I have sent messengers to Arkansas river, and if they succeed in getting through safely, our forces there will be put on the alert, and may intercept them. I am now waiting the arrival of troops from Fort Scott. If I get them, which is doubtful, as the Fourteenth Kansas is not armed, I will follow the hounds through the entire Southern Confederacy as long as there is a prospect of overtaking them. And I will have it well understood that any man of this command, who again breaks from the line, and deserts his post, shall be shot on the spot; and there shall be no quarter to the motley bands of murderers. I was fortunate in escaping, as in my efforts to halt and rally the men I frequently got in the rear, and became considerably mixed up with the rebels, who did not fail to pay me their compliments. Revolver-bullets flew around my head as thick as hail-but not a scratch! I believe I am not to be killed by a rebel bullet. Yours, truly, JAMES G BLUNT, Major-General of Volunteers. MURDER OF A LAD, FOUNT ZACKERY. CHAMP FURGUSON and his ruffians had been roving over the country around Albany, Kentucky, shooting every person they saw who was suspected of being a Union man; but this license was speedily checked by the suspected approach of a party of United States soldiers, which caused Champ and gang to decamp faster than they had anticipated. As he was leaving, he told the inhabitants that he had killed four d-d Union men that day, and intended to kill more before he left the country. They searched over the town till night, and not finding any suspected Unionists, they left, taking the road toward Spring Creek. Upon their arrival, they met a lad named Fount Zackery. Champ riding up to him shot him, then jumping off his horse, drew out his famous knife, and cut the boy nearly in two, and taking the lad's horse started for Tennessee. This cruel murder expressed himself was committed, because the boy had in favor of the Union; besides, Champ wished the horse, and took this means of securing it. Young Zackery was an inoffensive boy, and was respected for his industry and perseverance.* BARBARITY OF MISSOURI GUERRILLAS. HEADQUARTERS, Fifth Cavalry, MISSOURI STATE MILITIA, GENERAL BEN LOGAN, Jefferson City: Sir-Private Johnson, of the artillery company, was brought in dead * Doctor J. G. Hale, of Tennessee. to-day; he is the fifth one murdered last week, four from the infantry and one from the artillery. (You would not wonder why it is, that I write you that guerrillas' wives should be forced out of the country.) They were all wounded, and were killed afterwards in the most horrible manner that fiends could devise. All were shot in the head, and several of their faces are terribly cut to pieces with boot-heels. Powder was exploded in one man's ear, and both ears cut off close to his head. Whether this inhuman act was committed while he was alive or not, I have no means of knowing. To see human beings treated as my men have been, is more than I can bear. Ten of these men, armed as they are, with their wives and children to act as spies, are equal to twenty-five of mine. Guerrillas are threatening Union women in the country. I am arresting the wives and sisters of some of the most notorious ones, to prevent them from carrying their threats into execution. They have also levied an assessment upon the loyal men of the vicinity, and are collecting it very fast. Yours, &c. W. R. PENICK, Colonel Fifth Cavalry, Missouri State Militia. OUTRAGES COMMITTED BY THE REBELS IN EAST TENNESSEE. EAST TENNESSEE, a region about equal in area and population to New Hampshire or Vermont, having few slaves and no aristocracy, presented an unyielding resistance to the madness of Secession. Even after the first battle of Bull Run, the State gave 32,923 for the Union to 14,768 for Secession, a majority of 18,155. This region of unconquerable loyalty, the rebels determined to dragoon into subjection. They left no means untried, and hesitated not to perpetrate the most revolting barbarities. A reign of terror was established, which in point of ferocity, has scarcely a parallel in ancient or modern times among civilized nations. The Union people were driven from their homes, hunted with blood hounds like wild beasts, and shot down wherever found, without hesitancy or discrimination; their houses were burned down over the heads of their families, and even the chastity of the women was disregarded. All this was done with the consent, if not by the dírection of the rebel government. It grew naturally out of such atrocious orders as the following from J. P. Benjamin, rebel Secretary of War. WAR DEPARTMENT, RICHMOND, November 25th 1861. Sir: Your report of the 20th instant is received, and I now proceed to give you the desired instructions in relation to prisoners taken by you among the traitors of East Tennessee. First. All such as can be identified in having been engaged in bridge burning, are to be tried summarily by drum-head court-martial, and if found guilty, executed on the spot by hanging. It would be well to leave their bodies hanging in the vicinity of the burnt bridges. Second. All such as have not been so engaged are to be treated as prisoners of war, and sent with an armed guard to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, there to be kept imprisoned at the depot, selected by the government for prisoners of war. Whenever you can discover that arms are concen trated by these traitors, you will send out detachments, search for, and seize the arms. In no case, is one of the men known to have been in arms against the government, to be released on any pledge`or oath of allegiance. The time for such measures is past. They are to be held as prisoners of war; and held in jail till the end of the war. Such as come in voluntarily to take the oath of allegiance, and surrender their arms, are alone to be treated with leniency. Your vigilant execution of these orders, is earnestly urged 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 other ringleaders 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 unlimited orders as this, the Unionists of East Tennessee were placed in the most distressing circumstances, and forced to flee in every direction, seeking safety in the woods, caves, and mountain heights of that beautiful Switzerland of America. To them it. seemed as though the Union army would never come to their rescue; but although the night was long and dark, the day at last dawned, help and deliver. ance came, the old flag returned, and was hailed with acclamations of joy. |