Tompkinsville, August 14^th 1862
M^r D, E, Downing

The guerrilla warfare is working its ruin as a cause produces its effect a few yesterday about 2. oclock, P. M there were 2 union men Killed on the Road leading from my house to Thompson Arterberry.s Hamilton and about 30 other men came into Tompkinsville yesterday morning about 8, oclk a, m, and had Nathaniel Austin and ^a^ young Heflin Prisenors they shot Austin th[...]rough the head and lefthis Brains was scatered in the road and they shot Heflin in several places, you are acquainte ^with^ Austin and Heflin Both neither of them you Know never belong to any army the man who satealthily takes deliberate aim at the husband and Father of a helpless family, ^and^ because he is friend to his Country, sends the mesenger of death to drink his life blood and compells the heart stricken widow and helpless Orphans to seek protection and support at the hands of a cold unfeeling world. Could the handsofacold grave's dread monster enter claim to such a fiend in any form too horrid to mete out to them there Just desertz

Robert Gillbreth from Gainsburroug Tennessee came to centerville with a night before last with about 50 men they stoled 8 horses in that Neighborhood 2 from James Crafford & 2 from Lewis Crafford and 2 from old man CoffellI have for gatten who they took the other 2 from and they are looking for them back every hour, Downing if we cant get protection from some sorce we are ruin

in this porotion of the county. Hamilton has puthis issued his Proclimation and put it up in Centerville, and says Notice to all scoundels if you refuse to take Confederat bonds when offered to them you for stock or any thing else theywe want that he is orderd from Head Quarters to forthwith to arrest them and carry them to head Quarters he says he will most assuredly obey orders, I could go-on and saytell you a great many thins more but I am in a hurry there is grater excitement here than you ever saw Hamilton went ^to^ my house and cursed and abused my wife and inquired for me and swor his intened to Kill me and orderd his men in my wife-s presence to never let me escape if they ever come in sight of me my wife asked him what he had against me so mutch that he wanted to Kill me for he told here that I had some inditment against him and some of his me for Horse stealing and my friends are urging of me to get out of Neighood for a while. Dowing I want you to try to show the importance of having some protiction give to this parortion of the country for we are here in a helpless condition as you Know that we Know have no guns nor ammonition and all of our men are leaving and have left for the Government service, I want you to write to me as soon as you received thease few lines to write to me and execuse my leHurred letter I knowed you would like here what was going on in this country so nothing more at present

Only Remains your friend &,C
Bennett Spear Jr