From the South.
The following is an order issued by the
Federals to the people of
Murfreesboro', Tenn. They all refused to take the oath, with but one exception.
The merchants closed their doors, the doctors refused to practice and the ministers to preach.
In such a state of affairs we may imagine how heartily the approach of
Forrest's cavalry was welcomed:
Headq'rs Ninth Reg't Mich. Inf'y,
Murfreesboro', June 17, 1862.
Whereas, it is not the policy of the
Government of the
United States to encourage treason, nor to afford protection to its enemies, whether in open rebellion or in secret conspiracy against the laws therefore, it is ordered, that all traders, merchants, druggists, grocers, shop- keepers, school teachers, preachers, lawyers, and others, in the city of Murfreesboro', who solicit the patronage of the public, be required to subscribe to the oath of allegiance to the
Government of the
United States; and in case of their refusal to take the oath, that they be prohibited from practicing their trade or profession within the limits of the city of Murfreesboro'.
Capt. O. C. Rounds,
Provost Marshal, will see that this order be enforced.
By order of J. G.
Parkhurst,
Lieut. Col. 9th Mich. Inf'y, Comd'g,
Military Governor of
Murfreesboro'.
W. A. Hull, Acting Adjutant.
From New Orleans.
The promised bombardment of
Galveston has not taken place.
On the 14th instant a skirmish took place near that place between a detachment of Federals who had landed and a body of Texan troops.
The
Yankees were forced to re-embark ‘"promptly, "’ and then the
Federal blockading ship opened fire on the
Texans.
The report of the recapture of
Baton Rouge is contradicted.
The
Estoffita says
Butler has received authority from the War Department to recruit new Federal regiments in New Orleans, and has appointed an officer to perform that duty.
By another order, all
auction sales are null and void, unless the auctioneer has taken the oath of allegiance.
Another forbids the assembling of citizens in groups or crowds on the streets, because ‘"it has become dangerous to the public peace."’
The mortar fleet had come down from Vicksburg The valorous little city was considered too hard a nut for it to crack.
What its destination is was not known.
Some of its officers, however, declared that it was
Mobile; others thought
Galveston, and still others
James river.
It must be doing something, but we can hardly see what use it can be of in
James river.
A few days ago there was great fear of an uprising of the people.
Double sentries were put on duty, and some of the heaviest of the war vessels were moored in front of the city.
The purpose was to destroy it if the movement should be made.
It was this fear that prompted the order of the
Provost Marshal, declaring that three persons found together on the streets were equivalent to a riot; and several citizens were arrested and fined for violating it. On the 13th instant the fear of a riot was so great that signal flags from St. Patrick's Cathedral were used nearly all day. The same day a lady was arrested for displaying a Confederate banner in honor of the victory in
Virginia, and the movement among the citizens was so marked and defiant that the
Provost Marshal exhibited considerable apprehension of the result.
Gen. Van-
Dorn is rebuilding the
Manchaca bridge, about thirty six miles from New Orleans, and the
Confederate pickets had driven in those of the enemy at
Kenner, which is distant only twelve miles.
Some two weeks ago there was a battle between some
Texas guerrillas, near
Opelousas, and a portion of
Butler's forces.
How it resulted is not exactly known, but cars returned to New Orleans laden with wounded Yankee soldiers.
Butler sent reinforcements, and a portion of them had come back, making their way through swamps, and getting to their quarters in a very forlorn condition.
Communication with the city, it was supposed, would be entirely cut off. Sailing vessels, accustomed to run to
Madisonville, on the opposite side of the lake, are all retained there; and on the 14th inst, several persons were arrested for running this blockade and imprisoned.
Trade was as dull as before.
On Tuesday there were no clearances, and only two arrivals of small coasters.
Several vessels in the employment of the
Lincoln Government had come in from sea.
There is a great deal of sickness among the invaders; but they conceal this by burying their dead at night, unless in the case of conspicuous officers.
Yankee Depredations in "Union" Districts.
Pikesville, Tenn., a town in the ‘"Union"’ portion of
Tennessee, was visited by the
Yankees on the 14th inst. and ‘"cleaned out."’ The
Atlanta Confederacy says:
‘
Most of the prominent Southern men, profiting by the experience of their brethren at
Jasper, left town.
At 11 o'clock the pickets, numbering eighty men, entered with navy repeaters drawn, and dividing in the public square posted themselves on the various roads leading into town, some going up the valley road two miles or more.
Soon the main body of cavalry came in, numbering about 1,400, after them came the infantry in wagons, about 600 strong, with four pieces of artillery--one a Parrot rifle gun. The officers quartered at the houses of the citizens ordering their dinner, while the men encamped in a grove near the Academy.
By two o'clock they were turned loose ‘"at ease,"’ and the work of plundering commenced.--They first entered the store of
S. B. Frailey, and relieved it of everything valuable in a few minutes, driving their wagons to the door and filling them.--Another crowd in the meantime was busy removing the goods from the store of
J. C. Roberson, which they cleaned out entirely, together with the letters, papers, &c., in the post office, which was kept in it. They attempted to break into his safe with an axe and cold chisel, but after damaging it so as to render it useless, they abandoned the job. They then entered the store of
Wilson &Co., by the back stairway, plundering it of most of the goods and destroying the remainder — mixing pills with pepper, breaking ink bottles in the drawer with laces, &c. Getting into the counting room, they broke open the desk, and tore up and scattered around promiscuously bills, invoices, letters, and private papers, taking with them a note safe with some ten or twelve thousand dollars' worth of notes.
They "pressed" all the horses in the neighborhood they could get hold of, and carried with them some 55 head.
They relieved our citizens generally of all the bacon, corn, fodder, oats, &c., near town; shot all the chickens, geese and turkeys they could get sight of; pillaged the house of
Mrs. M. M. Hill, widow of
Capt. Hill, who died while in the
Confederate service; took the clothing, jewelry, &c., of her deceased sister, which she was keeping as mementoes, and divided them out to the female hangers on about their camp; destroyed all the clothing of
I. Pankey, deceased, which his wife had in a private room, and performed a thousand other acts of vandalism not easily enumerated.
They arrested several citizens, but not getting hold of any they particularly wanted, turned them loose on their departure.
They mixed with the negroes, and endeavored, with promises of good pay and freedom, to entice them off. They got away with nine, five of which were returned from
McMinnville and
Murfreesboro'. On Sunday evening, the 15th, they left, taking with them sixteen recruits for their army.
These were men of a particular character, which does not contain philanthropy or patriotism enough to entitle them to the name of "citizen" in any country.
This section is relieved of a class which are a nuisance in any community.
The class which had been called "respectable Union men" is open in denouncing the conduct of the
Federals, and even decent negroes are disgusted with their treacherous, pilfering, and insulting conduct.
’
Conversation with prisoners.
A letter from ‘"Before
Richmond,"’ in the
Columbia (S. C.) Guardian, gives an interesting account of the writer's conversation with some Yankee prisoners.
It says:
‘
We conversed with a wounded New York Zouave, who was shot through the leg — tibia shattered — and was a prisoner in our hands.
He expressed himself perfectly satisfied with the results of the day to him, for his wound would release him from the remaining portion (ten months) of his term of service.
He told us that he had received more personal kindness at the hands of the rebels, in the twelve hours of his captivity, than he had in the twelve months preceding, and that, too, after his officers had marched him into battle with the assurance that the rebels fought under a black flag, and that captivity was death.
He assured us that his men generally fought that battle under that impression.
A Pennsylvania soldier stated to us that only for the last three weeks had their soldiers any idea that emancipation was the policy of the
Federal Government.
Within that time the idea had gained some currency; and that, were his class (small farmers) satisfied that such was
Lincoln's policy, not a man of them would pull a trigger again.
We saw three Federal prisoners drunk on the field.
One of them stated that their daily ration was a gill of whiskey, but that on that day (a battle day) every one had as much as he wanted.
The prevailing tone of these conversations indicated weariness with war, and improved ideal of Southern barbarism, a blaming of the emancipation party North.
We moralized upon the softening influence of adversity upon some minds, and the decided alteration of cases by such circumstances.
A large majority of those we conversed with were foreigners--
Irish, Germans, Scotch,
French.
They grow facetious at rebel outfits, equipments, uniforms, and rebel devotion to their rebellion.
One remarked that usually the first they see of the rebels in an attack is when they emerge from the edge of a wood a thousand yards off; a little
Colonel, in his shirt sleeves and copperas pantaloons, pops out in front and commands: "Fix bayonets!"-- "charge bayonets!"--and on they come at a long run, just as if they didn't know any better!
Another, illustrating our passion for storming batteries and scarcity of outfit, says: "Put a brass cannon and an
oil cloth in sight of the rebels, and they'll charge through — to get them." Our enemies
have better
oil cloths than we. Another says: "Give a rebel a of water and a
pocket-full of crackers, and he's ready for a week's campaign!"
’
The Terrors of bombardment.
The
Yanks have been bombarding
Vicksburg ever since the 22d of May, and have discharged over 20,000 shot and shell at that town.
Up to the 4th of July they had killed six men and one woman, and a correspondent of the Memphis
Appeal says:
‘
The city has suffered considerably from the constant rain of shot and shell that have been poured upon it, though the actual damage in dollars and cents is comparatively small.
I hear that a responsible party has offered to repair all damage done for the moderate sum of $5,000, but I think he would lose money taking the contract for twice the amount.
One is surprised upon first witnessing the character of the injuries sustained from these missiles by the houses of the city.
They generally pass through them like a pistol ball through a pane of glass, leaving a smooth round hole just the diameter of the ball or shell discharged.
Rarely is a wall badly breached, except by the explosion of a bomb, and in no case has conflagration yet been produced.
So much for this terrible bugbear of "shelling cities," of which we heard and read so much.
’
