Assault on two aged Union Men in East Tennessee Assault upon Mr. Johnson, of Clinton County, Tennessee Hanging of John Bemen for uttering Union Sentiments Violence towards Northern People.-Outrage on a Lady Persecution of Union Men, and Facility of Guerrillas in taking Proclamation of Martial Law in Missouri, by Major-General INTRODUCTION. OUR country, during the last four years, has been the theatre of a rebellion, which, in point of magnitude and enormity, has scarcely a parallel in the world's history. Conceived in sin and born in iniquity, it has been, from the beginning, a monstrous exhibition of human depravity, and characterized by cruelties and atrocities supposed to be peculiar to barbarians only. These atrocities, although beggaring description, and almost exceeding belief, are yet substantiated by evidence. abundant and superabundant.. To give an account of these atrocities, is the design of the following work. The author was led to its preparation by what he has seen and suffered. A Southern man by birth and education, he was on his way homeward at the breaking out of the rebellion. At Richmond, Virginia, his progress was suddenly arrested, by acts of violence and threats of incarceration, on account of his refusal to take the oath of allegiance to the rebel government. With difficulty he effected his escape, and succeeded in reaching Washington, D. C. Thrown out of employment-cut off from his resources-cast among strangers--suffering keenly in many ways, and sympathizing deeply with the persecuted Unionists of the revolted States--he was naturally led to think much of the causeless character, and enormous wickedness, and hideous barbarism of the revolt. In this course of thought the present work had its origin. At first, the author's ideal was somewhat indefinite; but as he thought, and read, and wrote, it gradually assumed shape and grew into its present proportions. 1 The author makes no pretensions to literary eminence. He has aimed only at a simple and truthful presentation of facts, and has taken great pains to insert nothing but well-authenticated facts. Comments he has generally avoided, although strongly tempted thereto by his own feelings, preferring to let the facts speak for themselves. He is fully persuaded that his book gives only a faint picture of the reality. This is confirmed by the concurrent testimony of thousands upon thousands of refugees from the land of bondage-of men who, on account of their love for the Union which our fathers formed, have been driven from the revolted States, leaving home, and kindred, and the accumulations of years, perhaps of a lifetime. They tell us that the whole cannot be toldthat the reality exceeds our conceptions. But why, it may be asked, present to the public such a revolting picture of cruelty and crime? How else is the animus of the rebellion, which has filled the land with sighs and tears, with broken hearts and stricken households, to be brought out to view and placed in a clear light? How else is the character of the conspirators against a beneficent government, which made them the chief recipients of its favors, and loaded them with its benefits, to be unfolded and made fully manifest? How else are measures to be adopted, wisely and effectively, for subduing a revolt of such immense proportions and enormous wickedness? How else is sympathy to be awakened, and relief secured for our suffering soldiers, taken captive in battle, and groaning, starving, shivering, dying in Southern prisons-and for the persecuted Unionists of the rebellious States, robbed of their property, driven from their homes, hiding in dens and caves, hunted with bloodhounds, forced into the rebel service--subject to every species of indignity and wrong if suffered to live? Have they no claims upon us? Have we no duties in regard to them? How else is it to be known what it has cost them, and what praise and admiration they deserve for adhering to the old flag? To adhere to the Union has cost us comparatively little; but what has it not cost the Unionists of East Tennessee and Texas? And for it, will they not |