--The 18th inst., was the day in
Eastern North Carolina for the inhabitants to "take the oath" or leave their homes.
A letter to the Wilmington
Journal from
Hamilton, N. C., says:
‘
Hundreds of the most disloyal have already taken it, and in many instances volunteered; hired, no doubt, by the seven hundred dollars bounty offered by the
Federal Government.
The situation of the people of Eastern
Carolina and
Virginia is really heart rending.
Men of all ages and classes may be seen going from one to another shedding tears like whipped children, at the gloomy prospect ahead of them.
Near the town of
Plymouth they have fixed a place for the people to go and take the oath.
They have stretched a huge chain across the road, where all have to go and swear to support Abe in his nigger proclamations, or go to prison.
After they take the oath they are allowed to go into town and barter produce for Yankee notions; the young men and negroes being offered every inducement to volunteer.
The regular troops are re-enlisting for three years, and going home on forty days furlough, in consequence of which the garrison both at this place and
Washington has been considerably reduced.
’
Butler says that he must extend his lines forty miles, in order to feed his troops, on account of a scarcity of provisions among the
Yankees and the continually increasing price — bacon having recently gone up to fifty cents per pound in New York, within an incredibly short period.
The effect of the large bounty offered for re-enlistment will cause everything to go up still higher.
Butler claims to have restored justice to the citizens of
North Carolina and
Virginia, who have come under his rule.
Here is an instance of their blasted justice: About ten days ago
Miss Emma Blunt, a young lady of
Washington county, was found dead near the picket stand.
A
post mortem examination showed that she had been foully used and then knocked in the head with an axe. Suspicion pointed to one
Moore, a free negro, living near the place.
He was arrested, and the premises examined, and an axe with the eye bloody was found, covered with some loose fodder.
It was subsequently proven that the negro was absent the night before — that he brought home a bloody axe, and hid it under the fodder.
The print of an axe was found in the road exactly corresponding to the bloody axe. On being examined he prevaricated exceedingly, and told several different tales.
The one, however, that seemed most probable to
Butler's Judge (?) was, that he saw several rebel soldiers armed with axes; that one of them offered him $20 to tell him where
Emma Blunt was, for he was going to kill her. You may naturally ask what was done with the negro?
He was told that if he would volunteer he should be molested no further.
He volunteered, and was invested with the blue badge of tyranny and oppression, and a gun placed in his hands with which, in all probability, to murder another woman.
