but the disease is a desperate one, and requires severe and energetic treatment. Every Union man in the county either took up arms or was fully advised of the intention of his party to do so, so they are all principals or accessaries before the fact. If they are all prosecuted, every citizen of east Tennessee must be arraigned before ether court or brought up as witnesses. Nearly every rebel in my county could be convicted if all the Southern-rights citizens were brought up as witnesses; but this, perhaps, would look too much like political prosecutions.

martial law ought to be enforced in every county in East Tennessee to hold these bad men in proper restraint, but our president is very averse to such a policy. But be assured if the Norther despotism succeeds in throwing a strong military force in here we shall have much worse than martial law. Even now our most quiet and law-abiding citizens have been shot down in cold blood from behind converts by the tories, and the proof can be made that unionists have been tampering with the slaves.

The mass of the Union party religiously believed that a Northern army of at least 100,000 men was in East Tennessee before they began this rebellious demonstration. The Southern men have all been disarmed, and the tories have apparently disbanded in most of the counties, but really gone home to await the approach of an invading army. If we are invaded, every Southern man will be taken a prisoner or else murdered in the night-time. Our very existence depends on Mr. Lincoln's ability to invade the State. Under these circumstances ought we not to have all the aid in the power of the government to bestow?

If we are not invaded, a few thousand troops will keep the rebels quiet until they are completely subdued, but a hostile force here will open up a passway for our enemies down through North Carolina, Georgia, and all the Gulf States. Of this I think there can be no sort of doubt. In addition to all this, East Tennessee is full of spies and emissaries. Military law alone, in my judgment, will stop the intercourse of these spies with their colaborers in kentucky. men come here under the guise of refugees from Kentucky and Maryland, and thus hold intercourse with our enemies.

Asking your pardon for my boldness and the hasty manner of writing this letter, I am, very respectfully, &c.,

MADISON T. PEOPLES.

BRIGADE HEADQUARTERS,

Warburg, one mile from Montgomery, November 20, 1861.

Lieutenant-Colonel MACKALL,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Bowling Green, Ky.:

SIR: I am moving a expeditiously as possible, with four and a half infantry regiments, a battalion of cavalry, and Rutledge's artillery, to unite with Stanton's command (his and Murray's regiments and McClellan's cavalry) beyond Jamestown, with a view of taking a strong position on the Cumberland river beyond Monticello. The country is sterile from near Clinton to beyond Jamestown, Tenn. The counties of Wayne and Clinton and the western half of Pulaski, in Kentucky, are, I learn, comparatively good counties for subsistence and forage. If I can find a good position on the Cumberalnd for hunting in winter. I hope, by scouring the country on the north bank down to Burkesville occasionally, to command the river, and draw supplies from Nashville