CONTENTS. PAGE Autobiographical Sketch-Northern and Southern Agitators alike to be Dreaded -Mutineers on board the Ship of State-South Carolina Methodists-The Right of Secession Argued-Jefferson, Madison, and Jackson all deny the Thirty-Nine Lashes and a Coat of Tar and Feathers promised me-Reply to W. L. Yancey on the Platform in Knoxville-Denying the Right of Secession- Pronouncing the African Slave-Trade Piracy-My Ancestors Fighting for this Country-South Carolina the Resort of Tories-Nullification in 1832-Nullifi- Case of Rev. Dr. Neely, the Alabama Secessionist-Praying the South not to submit to the Inauguration of Lincoln-Exhortation to Moderation. South Carolina in 1780-Her Citizens Tories and on the side of the British Crown -Two hundred and twenty-six Tories in Charleston addressing Sir Henry Clinton-R. Barnwell Rhett changes his Name-The Descendants of these Tories spread over the South-South Carolina Royalty. Threatening to Hang us for our Principles-Charges us with being a Yankee- The Wickedness of Secession-Origin of Secession-South Carolina Fires the First Gun-Freedom of Speech to be Denied-Standing out for the Union. Patronage withdrawn from my Paper-Predicting the Success of Secession-The Author always after Office-Indebtedness to Stores-Our own Partisans re- fusing to Endorse us-Members of the Church Spurning us. Position of Border-State Union Men-The Author's Views of Slavery given by request-Blow upon Fort Sumter struck with a view to force Virginia to Secede -Northern and Southern Clergy-Reign of Terror in the South-Virginia The Great Enemy of the Cotton States-Not an Abolitionist-Our Sympathies with the Government-The Rebellion Originated with the South-Charge of seeking to Subjugate the South a False Issue-The Knoxville Whig refusing to Lie and Boast for the Traitors-Not Looking to Reward in Dollars and Cents Secession Forgeries at Knoxville-Attempt to Destroy Senator Johnson, and to Embezzle Money from Amos A. Lawrence-The Guilty Parties Detected—A 11 The Spirit of Secession-Savage Treatment of a Preacher-Attempting to give the Author the Small-Pox-Proposition to have us Mobbed-Treatment of an Old Man-Arrest of Mr. Dickinson-Personal Assaults in Prayer-Raising Lincoln's Blockade by Prayer-The Prayer-Meeting Sign-Forming a Union Church-Shepherds Feeding their Flocks-Secession an Epidemic-The Real The Distinction between the Parties-Infamy of the Leaders of this Rebellion- Rebel Stealing in Tennessee-Rebel Stealing in Richmond-Swindling Horse- The Conspiracy to Break up the Government-The Plot and its Developments- Testimony of Secession Witnesses-Documents worthy of being Prescrved, and Which Side is the Lord on?-Teachings of Secession Clergymen-Prayer of Rev. Mr. Baldwin-Providences of God before and since the Development of this Great Conspiracy-The South has had a Preponderating Influence in the Con- trol of the Government-God has arranged the Conditions of this Great Drama to favor the Government of the United States-Union Victories of 1861-Cities and Towns taken from the South, by Divine Permission, in 1862-Gambling- Hells in Richmond-Profane Swearing and Drinking in the Rebel Army- Speech of W. G. Brownlow, delivered in Knoxville, in October, 1861, before the late Presidential Election, before the Bell-and-Everett Club-Proves a Conspi- racy against the Government by the Breckinridge Democracy-Concedes the Election of Lincoln, but denies that to be a Sufficient Cause for Dissolving the Union-The Speaker Declared for the Union at all Hazards-My Last Interview East Tennessee-Population-Face of the Country-Climate, Soil, and Produc- tions-Rivers and Minerals-Knoxville, Description thereof-The “Register" Newspaper and its Degraded Editor-Railroads and Approaches to East Tennes- see-Description of Cumberland Gap-Voting out of the Union-East Tennes- Exhorting the Secession Leaders to Volunteer-Governor Harris calls for Thirty Thousand Volunteers-The Brave Secessionists try to enlist Union men-Take Offence at our Ironical Articles, and stop our Publication—Our Faiswell Ad- BROWNLOW'S EXPERIENCES AMONG THE REBELS. CHAPTER I. AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH-NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN AGITATORS ALIKE TO BE DREADED-MUTINEERS ON BOARD THE SHIP OF STATE SOUTH CAROLINA METHODISTS-THE RIGHT OF SECESSION ARGUE]) -JEFFERSON, MADISON, AND JACKSON ALL DENY THE RIGHT OF SE CESSION. It is a delicate task for a modest man to perform, when he undertakes to write out a memorial of himself, and especially when he shall undertake to give both his private and public life. But as I have never arisen to any thing like eminence, and as it is the custom of such only as have, to write out a full history of themselves, and to give their bad as well as good deeds to the world, I will be spared the labor and mortification of any unfavorable disclosures. It will, perhaps, be urged that both sides of a man's picture of life should be given, and then the reader, having the whole man before him, will be the better prepared to award to him a righteous verdict. Others will insist that a man should so conduct himself as to be wholly free from improprieties, especially if he be a member of the Church, or wear clerical robes. To this I reply, that if the memoirs of only such as have lived and died without fault, and without incurring the displeasure of designing and bad men, were written, we should seldom, if ever, see a production of the kind. I lay no claim whatever to inimitable excellencies ; but I do claim that my good and evil deeds, if placed in a scale, would not be so perfectly poised that neither end would preponderate! An anecdote of my life will illustrate my views of this subject. Whilst in attendance at an Annual Conference of the Methodist Church, in Abingdon, Virginia, some twelve years ago, I suffered from an attack of fever; and, either from the influence of medicine, or of fever on the brain, I became a little flighty. The opinion prevailed that I would die, and the venerable BISHOP CAPERS, and other ministers, became anxious to know how the "eccentric Parson" felt in view of an exchange of worlds. Accordingly, they visited my room, and the Bishop read the Scriptures, and sang and prayed with and for me. On taking his leave of me,-holding me by the hand and looking me full in the face,—he inquired what my prospects were beyond the grave. It is said-and I have no doubt of the truth of the statement that I returned for an answer, "Well, Bishop, if I had my life to live over again, I could improve it in many respects, and would try to do so. However, if the books have been properly kept in the other world, there is a small balance in my favor!" I have lived long enough in this present evil world to have enlisted the sympathies of many friends, and at the same time to have excited the bitter resentments of many foes. This affords me proof that I have not been a negative character. That a man engaged in the work of propagating Christianity, in opposing error and defending the cause of truth, and, finally, in going about endeavoring to do good, should find himself exposed to enemies, or should meet with violent and protracted opposition, may seem strange. But history and observation inform us that such has been the lot of all decided public men, in a greater or less degree. While some emblazon a man's virtues, others will amplify his faults. A majority, however, labor "The struggling pangs of conscious truth to hide, rather than pursue the opposite course; and it is more than likely that on this account religious sectarians and political partisans have denied me justice. For it has certainly been my lot in life to have the shafts of unmerited censure hurled at me; and since this GREAT REBELLION has been inaugurated, I have been doomed to bear the base insinuations of invidious tongues and pens in Rebeldom ! Perhaps it will be asked, Who is the person that offers this volume to the world? In this the inquisitive reader |