Scenes in a town at the embarkation of a raid.
--A Smithfield, (
Va.,) correspondent of the
Petersburg Register sends that paper an account of the scenes attendant upon the return of
General Graham, and his embarkation from that town for
Fortress Monroe, after his last raid.
He says:
‘
Along with
Gen. Graham were about thirty men of "
African descent," in Yankee uniform, and armed only with axes.
The train of
Gen. Graham when he marched into town was a perfect
olla podrida. Besides his
black and
white,
German,
Dutch and Irish legions, the train on his triumphal entry was composed of slaves, men, women and children, horses, mules and oxen, rockaways, buggies and carts loaded with bacon, turkeys, geese, ducks, chickens, and divers other stolen commodities.
This miscongenated army halted, stacked arms, and built their camp fires in the streets.--Then began a general course of cooking; the fire consisting of yard and garden enclosures.
Some of the lots were almost stripped; those who suffered most were
Dr. Southall and
G. R. Atkinson.--The General took possession of
Mr. Barrett's residence; the provost marshal quartered on Morrisson, and other officers forced themselves on other private families — while the
Episcopal and Presbyterian churches, and nearly every unoccupied house of any description were used as barracks.--One
Lieutenant slept in a negro's room, and on the bed with him. I suppose the liquor ration must have been omitted on this expedition, as the troops behaved very quietly during the night — only a few smoke houses, hen-roosts and bee hives being robbed.
I must not omit to state, however, that the negro axemen rushed into the dwelling of
Dr. Southall in the afternoon during his absence, and frightened his lady dreadfully by abusive language, and threatening her with their axes.
A part of the negroes also forced
Mrs. W. H
Stephenson to open her husband's store which they robbed of goods amounting to the value of about $5,000.
’
After a long, and, to many of our citizens, a sleepless night, morning came.
Soon after dawn the army was all astir and preparing for departure — and now began our trials.
A general system of plunder and robbery was Inaugurated.
The stores of
Cowper &
Jordan, J P
Thomas, and C C
Chalmers, druggist, were literally sacked.
Every horse, mule, carriage and buggy remaining in town were sent to the whart.
Every negro, bond or free, old or young, male or female, who were willing to accompany their false Yankee friends, was moving towards the steamers with all the baggage they could possibly convey.
The number of blacks carried off by this party was about 60, one third of whom were free, leaving many of us without a cook or other servant and the supply exhausted.
The store of
Cowper &
Jordan was forced and sacked by the 23d Massachusetts, in the presence of their
Colonel, who, when complained to, replied that the men were allowed half an hour's recreation, and during that time were beyond his control
They wantonly stove in barrels of fine vinegar, broke up calthenware, carried to the steamer, which lay but a few yards distant, boxes of tobacco a valuable old library, which was left in this county some years ago by the so called
Lieutenant Governor of
Virginia, L. C
P. Cowper — a legacy from his mother — and in fact many articles of real or supposed value, and such as they did not care for were brutally destroyed.
In several instances the absconding negroes robbed those of their fellow servants whom they left behind.
When all this immense collection of stolen articles was gathered on the wharves it was discovered that there was not room enough for the horses and mules, and most of these were turned loose, and recovered by the proper owners.
But the amount of property stolen and destroyed in this village alone would not fall short of $75,000. The loss in the surrounding country I have not heard estimated.
