From the Knoxville Register.
“This community was inexpressibly shocked to-day by intelligence of the murder of Gen. Wm. R. Casswell, by some unknown fiend, near his residence, some six miles east of this city. The only particulars we have of the affair is that he was found about half a mile from his own home with his throat cut. His servants report that they saw him struggling with some one in the road, but before they could reach him life was extinct and the murderer fled. Immediately upon receipt of the intelligence here a party of our citizens mounted horses and started out to scour the country in search of the assassin.
The General was in the city yesterday and interchanged greetings with numerous friends.
Gen. C. was about 51 or 52 years of age. He was one of the most universally esteemed and respected of our citizens. Perhaps no man who occupied as prominent a position as a public man ever enjoyed more personal popularity. Affable in his demeanor to everyone, kind and generous and upright and just in all his transactions. It is remarkable that he should have an enemy so desperate a character as his slayer must have been. The affair is as inexplicable as horrible.
Gen. Caswell was a distinguished soldier, having served through the Mexican campaign. He was one of the earliest in this city to embrace the cause of the South at the breaking out of the war. He was appointed by Gov. Harris a Brigadier in the State service, and commanded the forces rendez-voused here until they were turned over to the Confederate Government when he returned to private life.
P. S. Passengers by the train last night from above say the report at McMillans station was that Gen. Caswell had been assassinated by a party of men, who fired upon him from the woods, and after he had fallen from his horse, rushed upon him and mangled him with their knives. A company of cavalry has been sent out to search for the perpetrators.
– Published in The Daily Rebel, Chattanooga, Tennessee, August 9, 1862, p. 3
