The Rockingham
Register has some further particulars of the raid of two hundred Heaslans and
Virginia traitors into
Pendleton county, Virginia, on the 1st of March. The letter, a portion of which we copy, is dated March 7th:
They took a portion of
Captain Lance's company prisoners, and captured about 15 private citizens.
They also took off 75 head of herses, and destroyed a considerable amount of other personal property.
Had the flends of hell been let loose, and permitted to visit the county, they could not have done worse than these devils incarnate have done.
The infamous robber,
Georges R. Latham, with his company of
Taylor county maranders and horse-thieves, was along; and old
John Snider, with his Swamp Dragoons, was also along, and the rest were Ohioans.
Major George Jackson, commandant or this post, with about thirty of the
Charlotte Cavalry, promptly went to meet the invaders, but did but little in consequence of their superior numbers.
About twenty-five of the ‘"Dixle Boys"’ met in the mountains and fired a few rounds, but with what effect we have not learned.
The gallant ‘"Tom Powers," ’ their leader, was killed; also a young man by the name of
Bland.
They threaten next time to come and burn
Franklin.
On the evening of the 4th instant, the 31st Virginia Regiment, and a part of the 44th, left Camp Alleghany under command of
Col. Wm. L. Jackson, and reached
Franklin on the following evening, a distance of 40 miles in twenty four hours! but the blackhearted scoundrels had left.
All the men of the gallant 31st were anxious to meet the enemy.
They returned this morning to their own camp,--both officers and men seemingly greatly dissatisfled in having to leave without inflicting summary punishment upon the infamous, contemptible vandals of modern times.
The Charlotte Cavalry are a brave and chivalrous body of men, but a large number have re- enlisted and gone home on furloughs.
The gallant boys of the 31st will all re-enlist of the war.
The patriotic women of the mountains.
It gives us pleasure to state that the women of the border counties are almost universally true and loyal to the
South in the present struggle, and will do their duty like patriots whenever opportunity offers.
The Rockingham
Register has the following illustration of the fact:
‘
The late Yankee raid into the neighboring county of
Pendleton elicited some of the pluck and spirit of the ladies over there.
They attempted to enter the residence of
Solomon Hederick,
Esq., at the mouth of
Seneca, when
Mrs. Hederick and her daughter, a young woman, drove them back, with no other weapons but an axe and a pitchfork !
Mrs. H. used the axe with effect upon the skull of a Hessian, and the daughter ran the pitchfork into an eye of one of the cowardly scamps.--After this cordial greeting on the part of the gentle-women of the house, the rascals left, and after getting reinforcements, returned and valorously knocked down the doors and broke out the windows with their bayonets.
Brave fellows ! A dozen good women from the ‘"State of
Pendleton"’ would whip a regiment of such cowardly villains.
The reception of the
Yankee invaders and thieves by the male population of the county was also very spirited and determined.
Gray haired men, boys, and even negroes, who had no arms but rocks and brickbats, premptly rallied to the defence of the people of the
North Fork, declaring that no Yankee should set and keep his foot on the soil of
Pendleton county.
No wonder that with such a cordial reception on the part of the people of
Pendleton the vandals were suddenly seized with a desire to retire !
’