Federal outrages at Hampton.
A Hampton correspondent wishes us to ‘"advise the property-holders at
Hampton to come back to the village and protect their property and personal effects.
Some of the
Federal troops have committed excesses; but it has been stopped.
Now the colored population have begun, and if not stopped soon, the town will be ruined.
Houses and stores are broken open every night.
Peaceable citizens
not bearing armswill not be molested by the
Federal troops.
I was told this by a U. S. officer high in authority"’
The following graphic narration of Yankee outrages is from another correspondent:
Hampton,
Va.,
June 6, 1861.
About once a week I get a sight of your sprightly little sheet.
In several numbers you say, ‘ "send us the news"’ As this vicinity is now, and likely to continue to be, a theatre of the war, and, as some very extravagant reports of what is going on here have been circulated, I thought I would send you a few unvarnished facts, from which your readers may make their own inferences.
Hampton is about 2½ miles by road from
Fortress Monroe--in an air-line, probably a mile less; and about 8 miles by road from Newport News, and 5 by water — being between these two points.
The population is about 2,000.
We have had frequent rumors of a contemplated attack on our little town by the
Federal troops since the war began, but none has ever been made, nor is the town, in a military point of view, worth the trouble of taking There had been no appearance of a hostile demonstration till Thursday, the 23d ult., when a regiment under
Col. Phelps marched into the town, and remained about twenty minutes and quietly returned.
This harmless and yet cruel raid, gave rise to the magnificent stories paraded in the
Northern papers of the ‘ "Battle of
Hampton,"’ ‘"Capture of
Hampton,"’&c. Fearing, however, that something more belligerent might take place, is the small military force we had (not over 150 men) were ordered to
Yorktown, nearly every family has since left the place.
It is now emphatically a ‘"deserted village."’ This was to say the least, an unnecessary, cowardly and cruel insult, answering no other purpose than to frighten a few nervous women To prevent a repetition of it, the bridge leading from the town to the fort was soon after destroyed Since then, and especially since the occupation of New port News by the
Federal troops, the town has been infested with numerous small bands of Zouaves and other troops.
These have gone when and where they pleased, without any apparent restraint, and both in the town and vicinity have committed many most rascally depredations.
It is true, that soon after the people left town, Col Duryear issued a proclamation promising the most profound respect for the rights of person and property, and calling upon the citizens to co operate with him by reporting any violations of law and order by any connected with his camp.
This proclamation, though it may have been made in sincerity, was for any practical purpose.
not worth the paper on which it was written; for, right in the face of it the sanctity of our homes has been violated, and property stolen and destroyed.
The houses and stores of our citizens have been broken open and almost everything of value either taken away or want only destroyed.
Among those who have been the chief sufferers, are
Colonel Carey S. Jones,
Major.
J. B. Carey,
Dr.Banks,
George M. Bates,
Adler, Wm.
S. Smith, I vey,
Cansey,
Sinclair, and others.
After stealing all the poultry, pigs, &c., from
Colonel.
Jones, the vandals went through his house and deliberately destroyed his furniture, smashing his piano, mirrors, bureaus, tables, &c., &c., with the butts of their muskets.
Col. J. went to the camp of
Col. Duryea to make a statement of his grievance, and had the satisfaction of an assurance that if he would point out the guilty parties they should be severely punished !! To show that these depredations are at least connived at by superior officers,
Col. J. found one of his mirrors in the quarters of
Col. Carr.
Did not the
Colonel know that thatmirror was stolen.
and is not the receiver as bad as the thief?
The case of a poor widow, (
Mrs. Gates.) whose husband was a Captain in the U. S. Army, and who has been receiving a pension from the
Government, is peculiarly trying.--The vandals stole or destroyed everything she had — the carpets, bed, chairs, tables, &c., all were taken off by these gallant defenders of public property.
Though I have heard of no case of personal violence offered to a female, yet our ladies have been grossly insulted by being told that their husbands were Secessionists, and would be hanged as soon as they could be caught.
One of them told the faithful servant of
Mr. F. A Smely that he had orders to shoot his master wherever he could find him. This gentleman's wife was fired at several times as she was riding quietly along the road in a buggy.
Last week a body of troops marched from this place to Bethel Meeting House, about ten miles distant, towards
Yorktown, and returned.
On their return they were met by a party of a gentleman and three or four ladies, in a carriage.
The officers stopped and spoke very politely to them — assured them that they intended no harm, and only designed to protect them and their property.
A few minutes after wards it was ascertained that one of those officers had stolen the horse he was riding not an hour before.
The horse belonged to
Mr. John Moore, of this county, and was taken from a small colored boy.
These depredations, however, are now being checked by something a little more substantial and effective than paper proclamations.
As most of our military force is necessarily occupied at
Yorktown, some citizens are organizing guerilla parties.
They have already killed four., and wounded and taken about a half dozen prisoners. Day before yesterday two of our men surprised a squad of about twenty shot two of them dead, and put the rest to flight.
This was within half a mile of their camp at Newport News.
Virtus.
