Butts County GaArchives News.....Historical Mulberry Tree at Indian Spring July 1908
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Don Bankston http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00024.html#0005864 April 28, 2011, 7:19 pm

Butts County Progress July 1908
Historical Mulberry Tree at Indian Spring

Fond Memory Paints Interesting Scenes of Days Gone to Come No more
(Written for the Progress by W. F. Smith
Editor Progress: - Indian Spring near Wright’s store, stands an ante bellum 
mulberry tree.  Today my memory was carried back to scenes of other years by 
looking upon this old mulberry tree.
It was upon this tree that Andy Johnson of Tennessee, was hung in effigy.  He 
was the only member of Congress from the South that refused to give up his 
seat and return home when his state seceded from the Union.  Excitement was at 
fever heat.  A long flag was stretched from the Collier Hotel across the 
street to a store on the opposite side.  On one side was the picture of a huge 
rattle snake – under scored with large letters, “Don’t Treat On Me.”  On the 
other side hung a large full grown cotton stalk with the inscription “Cotton 
Is King.”  On a public day some one had made an effigy of Andy Johnson and 
hung him on the mulberry tree with a placard across his breast “Andy Johnson 
of Tennessee – A Traitor to the South.”
Miss Sallie Carter , one of the most popular young ladies of Indian Spring at 
that time, who lived in what is known as the Bryans House walked up with  
pistol in hand and shot him in the face, late in the afternoon, just before 
the torch was applied and the effigy destroyed.
A STRANGE TURN IN AFFAIRS
Now Mr. Editor – On account of his loyalty to that Union, and on account of 
the persecutions of his people, Andy Johnson was nominated for Vice President 
with Lincoln, when Lincoln was nominated for a second term, was elected and 
when Lincoln was assassinated, he became President.  His first acts were in 
defense of the South.  He stood up against the Radicals who desired to 
confiscate the lands of the South.  He stood up against all opposition in 
defense of the people who had whipped, persecuted and burned him in effigy, 
and for this defense of the prostrate South he was impeached by the house of 
Representatative and tried by the Senate and came in one vote of being 
convicted.
When I looked at the old tree and thinking of these stirring scenes of bygone 
days with nearly all of the actors of the old hotel, the old store, and many 
other familiar objects gone, a deep feeling of sadness crept over me and I 
could only say, Oh how sad ! Oh how strange are the dispensations of 
Providence!  Oh how fickle and strange are human affairs.
Fond memory paints the scenes of other years etc.

Yours truly W. F. Smith
Butts County Progress
Week of July 2, 1908


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