The evacuation of Huntsville, Ala — the Vandalism of the Yankees.
The
Chattanooga Rebel learns from a gentleman just arrived from
North Alabama, that the
Federals evacuated
Huntsville, between the 1st and 4th of this month,
Gen. Buell and his staff having gone a week or two previous, and
Gen. Rosecrans, some days after, leaving
Gen. Lytell in commend.
They left via
Stevenson, but returned suddenly in a day or two, and left again permanently, having committed great depredations upon the citizens.
They took from
Madison county probably 1,500 negroes, many of whom went voluntarily, others of whom were forced away.
They also took horses and mules in large numbers, which were immediately branded with ‘"
U. S.,"’ and taken without being paid for. The negroes were employed as teamsters and in other kinds of labor, for which their previous training fitted them.
Some of them made their escape and returned; others were secured by their masters, who pursued them, but the number recovered was small.
Between
Huntsville and
Stevenson the country is desolated and deserted,
Jackson county having been left almost entirely without inhabitants or sign of animal life.
The depot at
Camden is destroyed.
The town of
Woodville is burned to the ground, and from that place to
Bellefonte scarcely a house is left standing.
Blackened ruins is all that remain of the bridge over Paint Reck river, (probably 200 feet long) which was unfortunately burned by our men after the Feds had passed the road the second time, and the depot at
Larkinsville was, we fear, causelessly destroyed.
The Federals are said to have declared the independence of
Jackson county, admitting that they had sustained more loss and stouter resistance from that county than from any portion of the country elsewhere.
Of the 4th Ohio cavalry, numbering perhaps 1,000 on their arrival not more than 300 remained.
They were mainly bushwhacked.
The citizens, with very few exceptions, were wild with rejoicing at their departure.
Judge Geo. W. Lane left with his friends.
Jere Clemens remains, but boarded Federal officers during their stay.
Nick
Davis is considered true.
There were some few who bought and sold cotton; one of whom, (
Hickman,) former proprietor of the
Madison Hotel, was required to give a bond of $40,000 for his appearance.
The Federals, at their departure, left, far fewer Union men than they found, and their bitterest foes are in
Athens, Ala, the last place in the
State to acknowledge allegiance to the Southern Confederacy.
Eighty prisoners (the sick) were left-some of whom having gone home, acknowledge that they have been deceived, and will fight us no more.
