From the Louisville Journal.
Lieut. Col. Spears, of Bird's 1st Tennessee regiment, now stationed near Somerset, is in our city. He brought as prisoners John L. Smith, his two sons, Joseph M. and Calvin, and two other active secessionists, who were arrested by a refugee Tennesseean named John Smith, who is now in the patriot ranks of our State. John Smith, when called upon to decide between the Union und the Confederacy, lived in or near Huntsville, and loyally determined to adhere to the Stars and Stripes.
Jeff. Davis' proclamation warning all to leave the Confederacy who did not sympathize with the rebellion, induced him to sell his property preparatory to leaving, and he converted the proceeds into gold. But about the same time came the blockade order of Gov. Harris, forbidding any one to quit the State. John Smith was then seized by the five men who are here as prisoners, aided by some secession cavalry, and scourged and abused in various demoniac ways, until he revealed where his money was concealed. Upon telling where it was, his trunk was broken open and robbed of its contents, and a parcel of counterfeit bank bills inserted in the place. He was then sent on to Knoxville, where he was charged with treason and passing counterfeit money.
After being imprisoned some time, he was tried before a military court, with no forms of law, and as they could make out no case against him, he was discharged, minus a valuable mare and all his money. After incredible difficulty the unswerving patriot reached our army, and joined one of the Tennessee regiments. He obtained permission from his commanding officer to take twenty mounted volunteers, who went as far at the State line. Upon reaching there they resolved to penetrate into Tennessee, and knowing the country well, by unfrequented paths they went to Huntsville, which is about 60 miles from our camp, whence they started. Pushing boldly into the town, John Smith and his comrades succeeded in capturing the five prisoners, and immediately commenced their retreat; rescue was threatened and attempted, but the pursuers were never able to overtake the captors until they returned into our lines with some of the wretches who had acted so inhumanly. The secession robbers were transferred to this city, and John Smith has gone into Tennessee again with a squad of Union soldiers, where he hopes to make more captures. He has all the elements of a successful partisan, and his feats of desultory warfare are noble episodes in our Southern campaigns.
– Published in the Weekly Times, Dubuque, Iowa, Thursday, January 2, 1862, p. 1; this article is also included in The Rebellion Record, Vol. 3, p. 56
