Mohawk Green County Tennessee
Aprile the 1st 1897

I am this Day 70 years of age I now make a statement of my connection and troubles in the Bridge burning case on the 8th of November 1861 I was notififed by Capt Harmon to attend at his house that night he Said for the purpose of Burning the Lick Creek Bridge After Dark I went up to Harmons I hadn't been thair long till thair was forty or fifty men on the ground I understood that Coln Fry was to be thair rite from the Federal Armey at Camp Dick Roberson Kentucky I was very Anxious to see a federal solder as I thought I would like to be one my self so about nine or ten o clock Fry was Brought in on horse Back from little Chuckey by one Mr. Smith I waited about one hour till I thought the excitement of the arrival of Fry was over I then went to see Col Fry to lern all about the whole matter I found Fry and Capt Harmon setting to themselves at a small table with a U S flag spread on it after being interaduced to Col Fry I told him I had come in to Lern all about this Burning of the Lick Creek Bridge he then informed me that the Millitary Authoritys of the U.S.Armey had sent him and Genrel Carter to make Arangements with union men to Burn all the Bridges from Chattanooga to Bristol on the 8th of Nov at night 1861 which he said they had don he sed also that the Armey was on the way then to Tennessee and that a part of the Armey would come into Jimtown that night and as soon as the Bridges was Burned tha would rush rite in and take possion of the road and fortifye and


hold East Tennessee he also said that the Fedral Authorities would protect us in it and that we would be well recompenced for it I then ask him if we would not have to Scout till the Armey reached here tha both said no tha said lust go and Burn the Bridge and go home and never let on like we new anything about it rite here we disagreed on the plan for the future my plan was to go and Burn the Bridge and then travel till daylight towards Kentucky and the next night and so on till we met the Armey or got into Kentucky the rebel Soldiers was then camped in one half mile of us I told them that we would all be arested before the next night tha would not agree with me so I had to give them their own way and time proved in less than 24 hours that I was rite and tha was rong the Bridge was Burned after midnight Saturday morning about one or two oclock and before dark on that evening the Rebles captured C.A. Haun and Capt Harmon and his two sons, arested and taken to Midway and then sent them to the Knoxville Jail thair tha hung C.A. Haun Capt Harmon and his son Henry On Sunday the tenth of Nov tha captured me on a charge of Bridge Burning they drove me out of my house with thair guns and Bayonets Swaring tha would shoot me if I did not move rite out of it fritened my wife nearly to death I left her in spasams with 5 little Childring tha drove me to Midway one of the soldiers a neighbor of mine Stoped as we past his house and got a plow line and would have hung me on the way had it not bin for Some of the officers and a few privates when we got to Midway they tied my hands and feet together and sent me to Knoxville Jail I would like to tell rite here what I Suffered there but I have not the tongue nether power of Language

to express it nether have I time or space to do so I will say that it was the nearest a perfect hell on earth that I ever saw before or since thair was a very prominent offical in the cortmarishal that came into the jail one day and told me that I would hang shortly and I mite depend on it and well informed men in the jail told me that whatever he said I mite depend on as he was rite out of the cortmartial and new what tha was doing so I just as mutch beleaved that I would hang as I ever beleaved that I would eat a meals with in the mean time tha Captured Mr Harrison Self and his two sons and brought them to Knoxville into the jail Mr. Self was an old man and a good citizen so tha tried him on a charge of Bridge burning and that night I herd the jailer and an officer come in and tell Mr Self that he was to hang the next Day at four o clock Mr Self had a daughter in Knoxville who was thair trying to do something for her father and two Brothers She came in the next Morning to see her father tha allowed her so meny meny minits to stay with him in the cage and then ordered her out She then went to Govner Brownlow who the Rebles had in jail at that time and told him that she wanted to tellegraph to Jefferson Davis conserning her Father Brownlow got a peace of paper and pencel and wrote in about these words Mr Jefferson Davis, Deare Sir my father is to be hung this Day at four o clock and all my hapiness senter in him and for my sake put a liter punishment on him She then signed her name to it and ran to the telegraph office and had it sent to Richmond thair was no answer tille it like to have been to late tha had started men to the jail to bring Mr Self out to hang him when the dispatch come tha Started

a runner after them and stoped them before tha got to the jail report sed that Davis and his Secatary of Ware Disagreed over the matter Davis being in favor of Stoping the hanging anyway this Stoped the trying and hanging of Bridge Burners through the interposision of frends I was released about the midle of January 1862 a few Days before I was released Someone Sed to me did you no that youre wife went out of her rite mind when you was arested I Sed I did not I think if I mistake not that it was Mrs. McDonald Well Sed she I woul have told you before now but I thout you had all the troble you could bear anyway so I came home and found my wife in a Bad condition her mind racked I worried with her 24 years and She was never the Same womam in mind any more I am a potter by trade and mite have bin well situated to Day had it not bin for the loss of my wifes mind, but in stid of being well situated me and my Childring is in the jawes of poverty Suffering Financialy from the affects of that nights work to Seport my Self for the last four years the loss of my wifes mind Cut off every avunue to prosparety and hapiness I am now in feble helth and need help and I need it now I have always bin Loyal to the Goverment and expects to live and dy so

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