The book I have on this was written by one of the descendants of one of the murdered men. So that probably colors his take on it some. But he said there was nothing more than some general talk of aiding US forces if they approached the area.
There was a serious plot of violence and murder by some of the Unionists. Here is a quote from the book, "Tainted Breeze, The Great Hanging at Gainesville, Texas 1862", which I just received today:
"...Young focused on ferreting out only the members who had planned a violent uprising. Young's queries as prosecuting attorney ... did reveal the outlines of a terrifying plot. Several admitted they intended to take possesion of North Texas using munitions from militia arsenals in Gainesville and Sherman...They had identified Confederate sympathizers and intended to murder them and their families..."
Some of the Unionists admitted to trying to contact the Union army and disaffected Indian tribes to coordinate an uprising. They reportedly managed to get some gunpowder from one of the Indian tribes. (These communications were a violation of the Confederate Articles of War, I believe, and punishable by death as specified in the Articles.)
One of the Unionists boasted to the public from the hanging tree of his comrades' plan to kill Confederate men, women, and children. I'm sure that inflamed the community. (One of the jurors had reported that there were 300-400 armed men in sight in Gainesville on Oct 1, the day of mass arrest, so there the makings of a mob were present.)
When alerted of possible lynch mob activities, the jury quickly tried and released over a dozen prisoners to keep them out of the lynch mob's reach.
Although you've noted in one of your posts that it wasn't a lone sheriff facing down the mob after that, it was pretty close. There was one guard at the jail where the prisoners were kept, and he stood off the lynch mob with a pistol. The mob retreated but did manage to hang an accused deserter and horsethief from a less well defended jail.
The jury later gave up 14 to the mob when faced with the threat that all remaining prisoners would be hung. Those 14 had included some implicated by previous testimony.
You are right in that the Confederate soldiers in town apparently did not protect the jury or the prisoners. Jury members were threatened, and some who did not favor the hangings eventually left the jury and were replaced with harsher jurors. One of the jurors was actually a member of the Unionist group (and one of the hung was a slave owner).
After the assasination of Young (who had tried to keep the trial focused on those who planned violence and murder), the trial went downhill. Some of those subsequently hung had been arrested because of their membership in the Union group but apparently had not known the plans of the uprising. "Tainted Breeze" lists 6 of those by name. There may well have been others among the hung who did not know or participate in the secret plans of the insiders of this group that came out in the trial. "Tainted Breeze" says in its Introduction that few of the victims had planned to usurp Confederate authority. In fact, the bulk of the roughly 200 arrested were released.
Good for them.
This is all good information, thanks.
It makes quite a contrast with the way secessionists in Maryland who DID act to overthrow the government, who DID cut telegraph wires, who DID burn bridges and who DID kill federal soldiers were treated. They were all released unharmed.
As I said in another post referring at least to the North Carolina soldiers hanged for treason by Pickett -- the CSA hanged more people for treason in one day than the US has in 226 years.
It's no wonder Robert E. Lee said slavery had a bad effect on both white and black, is it?
I appreciate the even nature of your posts.
Walt