The Yankees in the Valley — Diabolical outrages.
The Rockingham
Register gives a statement of the doings of the
Yankees on their recent visit to that county, a portion of which we copy:
‘
Among other sufferers, whose case has been brought to our notice, is that of
Philip Cole, near
Harrisonburg, upon whose farm the enemy were quartered during their stay in this vicinity.
They ‘"protected"’
Mr. Cole as follows: They took from him, without compensation, 225 bushels of corn, 25 bushels of oats, 3 tons of hay, all his straw, between 600 and 700 pounds of bacon, a firkin of lard, 5 hogs, (weighing about 150 pounds each,) a number of sheep, nearly all his fowls, (including setting hens,) and all his bees.
In addition to all these robberies, they burnt a large number of rails that enclosed a wheat field, cut up his hornets, and broke up numerous articles of value that they couldn't conveniently steal and carry off with them.
They made
Mr. Cole's barn their headquarters, and did their best to ruin him by way of showing their wish to ‘"protect"’ his property.
Some of the officers told Mr. C. to make out a list of what they took from him, and if he was ‘"a good and loyal citizen of the
United States,"’ and would take the oath of allegiance, they would give him a
receipt (!) for his property.
He told them he didn't do business in that way," and of course didn't get any receipt.
Mr Cole's loss falls heavily upon a most worthy and excellent man, who has a large family to take care of. Some of the robbers told
Mr. Cole, when he complained that they were taking all he had, that he would do well even if he lost all he had and got away alive!
The cowardly rascals knew they had him in their power, and they added insult to the injuries they were perpetrating.
At
Abraham Liskey's, in
Mr. Cole's neighborhood, they stole nearly everything in the shape of bacon, lard, chickens, &c., &c., that could be found on the premises.
They took hens that were setting on their nests, carrying off eggs and all. They left
Mr. Liskey, who is a poor, hard-working man, nothing scarcely of his limited stock of provisions and poultry.
At
Franklin Liskey's, in the same locality, they took bacon, fowls, wheat, and shot his hogs.
In the neighborhood of
Peale's X Roads, they committed numerous outrages, and stole and destroyed a great deal of property.
They took 20 or 25 fat cattle from
Wm. Eiler; 22 fat cattle, 2 negroes, and two of his best horses from
Jonathan Peale,
Esq, besides doing this last named gentleman other damage.
Mr. Peale's loss is estimated at $4,000 or $5,000. Other farmers in the same neighborhood had their hay, grain, poultry, &c., taken.
But time and space fail us to record the innumerable wrongs and robberies committed upon our innocent people by these hirelings of a despotism to whose control we are unwilling to submit
’
The
Register further says:
‘
We understand the soldiers committed numerous outrages in
Pendleton.
They were very impudent, thrusting themselves into people's houses, and stealing whatever they could lay their hands on. They took off nearly all the negroes that were left in the county.--
Esquire Stone, living on
South Fork, was robbed by main force of nearly everything he had. They took his bacon, wheat, negroes, and all, compelling the negroes to leave.--They got about thirteen loads of
Esquire Stone's property.
They ruined
Wm. McCoy's property, destroying all the fences, &c.
Several rapes were committed: in one case a gentleman being compelled to witness an outrage perpetrated on his daughter, in his house, right before his own eyes!
’
