Yankee Brutality
--
A Heroic Young Lady.--The
Marietta (Ga.) Rebel has the following:
‘
We have been permitted to read a private letter from
Aberdeen, Mississippi, received by an officer at this post from a relative.
From it we gather the particulars of the murder of
Mr. Isaac A. Jarmon, a wealthy citizen of
Monroe county, and other dastardly acts of the
Federal in their recent raid to that section.
’
When the
Yankees were in the neighborhood of
Aberdeen Mr. Jarmon and
Mr. MeLendon--the latter gentleman being in the regular service of the
Confederate States, but at home at the time — attacked a squad of five of them, wounded one, and took three prisoners. The fifth man escaped and reported them.
On the same evening a party of about five hundred went to
Mr. Jarmon's house, and finding him in his yard shot him dead in the presence of his wife and niece.
As he fell he fired at a Yankee captain and killed his horse.
As soon as his niece,
Miss Sallie Whitley, saw her uncle fall she ran to him. A dozen guns were levelled at her by the ruffians, and they threatened to shoot her if she went to him. She told them to shoot, but she should go to her uncle.
They then threatened to run their horses over her, but she heeded them not, and went boldly forward.
The villains even mocked her while she was grieving over her uncle's dead body.
She laid his head in her lap and sat in that position for nearly two hours, the
Yankee frequently ordering her to hush crying.
She said to them: "How can you expect me not to grieve when you have killed our all?" They finally took from his body a gold collar button, and searched his pockets, but failed to find several hundred dollars he had in his coat pocket.
At one time
Miss Whitley became so enraged at the fiendish conduct of the murderers of her uncle that she drew a pistol she had on her person, and threatened to shoot come of the scoundrels.
Several guns were leveled at her and two sabres drawn and threats made to kill her, but struck with her gallant bearing they declared she was too brave a girl to kill, and they would let her live until they returned, when she should marry some of them.
After the murder of
Mr. Jarmon the raiders stuck torches to the clothing and beds in the house, and soon the building was in a blaze.
They also burned all the outhouses on the premises, and carried off all the stock of mules and horses and some slaves.
They did not destroy the corn but said they would return and finish the job next day. The next day they had something else to attend to on account of the approach of
Gen. Forrest and his gallant followers.
The Yankee wounded by
Jarmon was taken to the residence of a citizen of
Aberdeen, but a few days afterwards killed by some one unknown.
