for their families and would gladly enlist if we had arms for them.” CHAPTER IX. SEVERE TREATMENT OF UNION MEN--OATHS OF ALLEGIANCE--IMPRISONMENTS--EXECUTIONS. “Patience, my lord; why ’tis the soul of peace: Of all the virtues ’tis the nearest kin to heaven; It makes men look like gods: the best of men That e’er wore earth about him, was a sufferer, A soft, meek, patient, humble, tranquil spirit, The first true gentleman that ever breathed.” DECKER. The attacks from armed Unionists upon different points that were expected and feared by the Confederate authorities just after the bridge-burnings, did not occur. Previously, disaffected people in some instances and at various localities had been violently treated by over-zealous neighbors or by lawless soldiers in small squads--whipped with hickories or arrested for their Union sentiments and forced to pay money for their release. It was not considered the business of officials to redress such wrongs, even when brought to their attention; for to be a Union man was regarded in their minds as itself a crime, and injustices suffered on that account outside the operation of the law, could not rightfully be appealed into court. Besides, to interpose for their repression would tend to cool the ardor and check the activity of Southern partisans, and that would be bad policy. Now that the Union people had grown restive under a power which they felt to be alien and hostile to their Government and Country, and a few adventurous spirits among them had assailed that power, it was concluded that the whole population was blameable, and should be dealt with more severely by the Confederate Government. General Zolicoffer wrote from his headquarters at Jacksboro, Nov. 12th, to Col. Wood, at Knoxville: I will to-morrow send dispatches to the forces near Jamestown, the cavalry near Huntsville, that near Oliver’s, and start out the cavalry here, to commence simultaneously disarming the Union population. You will please simultaneously send orders to all detachments under your command to inaugurate the same movement at the same time in their various localities. Their leaders should be seized and held as prisoners. The leniency shown them has been unavailing. They have acted with duplicity and should no longer be trusted.[23] On the 20th of November Col. Wood wrote from Knoxville to Hon. J. P. Benjamin, Secretary of War, Confederate States, at Richmond: