| From the Wilmington Journal |
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| November 23, 1861 |
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| From the Knoxville Register, Nov. 17th |
| The Tennessee Tories |
| The Conspiracy |
| Somewhat exaggerated accounts
of the extent of the late bridge-burning conspiracy are going the
rounds of our exchanges. So far as we can learn, there are but two
sections of this division of the State where rebellion is making any
head. From the Jonesborough "Express" we learn that some
eight hundred of the citizens of Carter and Johnson, with, perhaps, a
few from adjoining counties, armed with rifles, have assembled in
Carter county, and are organizing for the purpose, it is supposed, of
resisting any attempt to arrest the party who burned the Union Bridge.
By a letter from Jonesborough, we learn that Col. Stoval's battalion,
and a battery of flying artillery from Richmond arrived at Johnson's
depot yesterday, and, with the force already there, proceeded, twelve
hundred strong, into Carter county in pursuit of the Lincoln force.
The command is under control of Col. Leadbetter, who, our
correspondent says, is a gallant officer, and a high-toned gentleman.
President Banner, of the East Tennessee & Virginia Rail Road, is
actively engaged in superintending personally the repairs now going on
on the road and facilitating the transportation of freight, passengers
and troops. The trains are now making connection between Bristol and
Knoxville, with only the delay occasioned by the change of baggage at
the burned bridges. The Southern men have all left Carter county, for
fear of arrest, and considerable excitement prevails in upper East
Tennessee. In Hamilton county, a body of Unionists, reported to be
from five hundred to one thousand, are in arms, under Col. Clift, and
are marching, as we learn from the Chattanooga "Advertiser,"
to Jamestown to join the Lincoln forces, as per Trewhitt's
arrangement. Col. Clift left under the impression that all the bridges
had been burned on the railroad between Chattanooga and Bristol. It
appears, however, that the Lincoln movement in East Tennessee was
rather premature. |
| They will be likely to fall
into Gen. Zollicoffer's hands, if they are not overtaken by Col. Wood,
who is marching upon them with an ample force. |
| In Sevier county, we believe
that since the capture of the twenty-five prisoners at Pawpaw Hollow,
by Captain Gillespie's company, the small bodies of Unionists who were
in arms have generally disbanded, and little or no opposition is
likely to be offered to the arrest of the incendiaries, when they
shall be ferreted out. |
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