▁ 1 8 6 0 , ▁Pier ce ▁had ▁written ▁to ▁Davis ▁about ▁" the ▁mad ness ▁of ▁northern ▁abol ition ism ", ▁and ▁other ▁letters ▁un cover ed ▁stated ▁that ▁he ▁would ▁" ne ver ▁justify , ▁sust ain , ▁or ▁in ▁any ▁way ▁or ▁to ▁any ▁extent ▁u ph old ▁this ▁cruel , ▁heart less , ▁aim less ▁unnecessary ▁war ", ▁and ▁that ▁" the ▁true ▁purpose ▁of ▁the ▁war ▁was ▁to ▁w ipe ▁out ▁the ▁states ▁and ▁destroy ▁property ." ▁ ▁In ▁October ▁ 1 8 6 3 , ▁E wing ▁was ▁placed ▁in ▁command ▁of ▁the ▁occupation ▁forces ▁in ▁Louis ville , ▁Kentucky . ▁He ▁was ▁un fortun ate ▁enough ▁to ▁serve ▁during ▁Maj . ▁Gen . ▁Stephen ▁G ano ▁Bur bridge ' s ▁" re ign ▁of ▁terror ," ▁where ▁mart ial ▁law ▁was ▁declared ▁several ▁times . ▁On ▁August ▁ 1 1 , ▁ 1 8 6 4 , ▁Bur bridge ▁ordered ▁soldiers ▁from ▁the ▁ 2 6 th ▁Kentucky ▁to ▁select ▁four ▁men ▁to ▁be ▁taken ▁from ▁prison ▁in ▁Louis ville ▁to ▁E min ence , ▁Kentucky , ▁to ▁be ▁shot ▁for ▁unknown ▁out rages , ▁and ▁on ▁August ▁ 2 0 , ▁several ▁sus pected ▁Confeder ate ▁gu err illas ▁were ▁also ▁to ▁be ▁taken ▁from ▁Louis ville ▁and ▁executed . ▁General ▁E wing ▁declared ▁their ▁innoc ence ▁and ▁sought ▁a ▁p ardon ▁from ▁Bur bridge , ▁but ▁he ▁refused ▁to ▁give ▁the ▁p ardon ▁and ▁the ▁men ▁were ▁shot . ▁ ▁In ▁his ▁aut