Unpolite Raiders.
. . . We are informed that at
Okolona, in Mississippi, the
Yankees, led by
Grierson, set fire to and destroyed a female institute in a spirit of wanton and devilish destruction.
“At
Starksville,” says a Southern paper, “they took from the stores such articles as they desired.
They visited most of the houses, appropriating watches, jewelry, and money.
They stated there and at other places that this was but an advance-guard, but that in two or three weeks an army was coming that would make a clean sweep, and burn every house in
Columbus.
They captured a team and wagon-load of hats going from the factory to
Columbus.
The hats they distributed among the negroes who were with them, and took the team along with them.
They compelled a great many negroes to go with them.” . . . They took all the good horses and mules, money, jewelry, and
silver ware they could find.
At one house in
Lowndes County a portion stopped and called for milk.
This was handed them in fine cut-glass goblets, which, when they had drank the milk, they dashed to pieces
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on the ground.
A squad stopped at one house and demanded dinner.
The lady said she would not cook for men acting as they were.
They said: “You may think us bad, but we an't nothing, for you'll see----along here in a few weeks.” . . . A small body passed
Garlandsville stealing mules and negroes.
On their way there they used up and destroyed all the corn and meal of
Mr. G. W. Howe, robbed him of two gold watches, all his horses and money.
In
Kentucky the conduct of the
Yankee marauders, who are constantly spying out the land, is said to be that of licensed and uninterrupted outrage.
We have had for some time on our file a copy of an unaffected letter from a lady in
Kentucky; and as it retains its interest as a simple and truthful evidence of the character of Yankee raids, we give it here: “I suppose you have heard of the raid made upon us by the
Yankees.
From ten to twenty caroused in the back porch all night, threatening.
to break in. Papa, never dreaming of such an occurrence, had remained at the farm, to protect our winter provisions, thinking food would be the only thing they would trouble.
In vain we sent messenger after messenger to the officers.
No help came.
The fiends came about dark in the evening.
The first thing they did was to carry off sister Lizzie's buggy.
They broke into the store-room and took sister Lizzie's and sister Emilie's wine, which they drank and carried away next morning.
They found a keg of blasting-powder, with which they threatened continually to blow us up. They were furious against papa, cursing him, saying they knew he was in the house, and if they could get hold of him they would kill him. We have heard of some being butchered in their own houses.
I think it was the goodness of God that kept papa away that night.
Henry and Charley (negro men) stood by us bravely, though the men were threatening their lives.
Henry ran up once and took the keg of powder away from them, which they had over the candle, too drunk to know that, though they would have destroyed the house, they would have been the first to perish.
Henry and Charley, who could talk a little
Dutch, persuaded them, first one way and then another, not to break into the house, and got some to sleep in the cabin.
They did not get in the house till morning.
They got from the upper porch through the boys' room window.
When ma found they were in the house she locked her room door.
As we sat quietly awaiting our fate, still hoping that God--in whose care ma had in the beginning placed us, kneeling with us in earnest prayer — would yet save us, we heard them dancing, whooping, breaking, and plundering away over the house.
At last the robbers scattered, carrying away every thing they could.
Oh! what a sight the house was!
Every thing scattered in confusion; dresses, broken parasols, boxes, etc., in one incongruous mass.
They stole all my jewelry — they broke all of sister Emilie's pictures.
All of the silver was taken.
Nan (servant) was very much distressed at their taking the blankets.
Papa was arrested at the big gate, and not allowed to come to the house to tell us any thing about it. He and seven others were kept in an open tent, exposed to the chill of night and hot sun through the day, and were then carried off to
Louisville.” --
Richmond Examiner.
