The
Atlanta papers contain some intelligence from the rear of
Sherman's army, brought to that city by our scouts.
The
intelligencer, says:
‘
A few days since a detachment of twenty-four men left
Johnston's army for the purpose of breaking up a band of thirty desperadoes, composed of tones and Yankee soldiers, who were committing every species of depredation upon the families of
Murray county.
Mr. McGarrah says that on Monday last a portion of the detachment encountered this band of thieves and robbers, and one of the guides of the detachment,
Martin Peeples, was killed, and seven of the enemy were killed and wounded; that on the next day the remainder of the band was attacked at Spring Peace, and seventeen more of the thieving scoundrels were killed and wounded.
’
He says all the means that devilish malignity can invent, or Yankee ingenuity suggest, are resorted to to punish, harass, vex, and break the spirit of the people.
He also states that printed orders from
Sherman were found upon the persons of some who were killed, directing that, after the 7th of this month, any citizen or soldier, without proper authority, caught within three miles of the railroad, should be immediately executed — that all citizens living within that distance of the railroad must move and their houses are to be burnt.
The
Confederacy has the following:
‘
Young McElreath in his trip visited the vicinity of
Rome,
Texas Valley, and other places in the enemy's lines.
He reports that the enemy everywhere were committing great outrages upon the loyal inhabitants — especially was this the case with
Blair's Seventeenth army corps, who were despoiling the farmers of their wheat and stock in every direction, and otherwise plundering and maltreating them.
In the vicinity of
Kingston, near
Murchison's farm, which he visited, the inhabitants were being robbed of everything of value they possessed.
Many of them had been hung up to limbs of trees in order to force them to give up what money or other valuables it was supposed they had concealed.
Among them was
Mr. Murchison himself, and an old negro man, the property of
Maj. Woolly, from whom the thieves thus extracted some $600.
Maj. Woolly's house, in that vicinity, is now the headquarters for some of the
Yankee officers, while
Mr. Murchison's is used as a boarding house for others of them.
’
During
Mr. McElreath's short stay within the enemy's lines, raiding parties were visiting the principal farms to secure the wheat as the farmers got it out, and to seize what corn they had. All the stock that they came across they killed.
Under this barbarous treatment our informant says that the spirit of our people there is as determined as ever before in its loyalty to the
South.--The women especially exhibit no sign of yielding to the vandal foe; on the contrary, while they have to endure, they bid defiance to their vile oppressors: They have to submit, but they scorn and spit at the thieving vandals.
The
Atlanta Appeal says:
‘
A gentleman well known in this city, who left
Cartersville, Ga., on Sunday last, reports that the
Federals were shipping off the sick and wounded, and hospitals from that point towards
Chattanooga, and all who had affiliated with the
Yankees were selling off their personal effects.
This, in connection with the burning of factories and mills indicates a movement either forward or rears aid of
Sherman's army.
The gentleman also states that, had
Johnston remained three days longer at
Kennesaw Mountain,
Sherman would have retreated.
The Federals admit that they have lost five to our one.
’
