Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1813-08-23
the Essex slocp and taken Durham boat,
loaded with flour

ne A-sSSN oIOcl anu laASn y Ourn1m DOal,
oaded with -four.
On the mrs; Information of the approach |
OF ths enemy, Gen. MooerS gave orders for |
Calling out the militia. and when the enemy |
arrived abunt 500 from this and the neigh |
bouring towns had collected, who retired
back a few miles, and have since been join
Ell by the residue of the regimen, from this
county, and a regiment from the county VI
Escx.
Although the officer who had the COM
mand of this expedition assured the Civil
Authority of the village that private pro-
perry should be respected, and that citizens
not IN arms should remain unmolested-yet
these promises were no sooner made than
violated the enemy not satisfied with des-
troying the public buildings. snch as block
house. Arsenal, Armory, Hospital, and
military cantonment, wantonly harmed two
store houses belonging to Peter Sally. Esq.
and one belonging 10 Mai. n. u. Plat
took and carried osfseveral thousand dollars
worth of hardware belonging to Frothing-
ham and Co. Of Boston. which had been stor-
cd with Mr.. Sally. The destruction Of pri-
rate property was not limited to such as
they could eat, drink, and carry away, and
furniture, which could not be of any use TO
the p'underers, was wantonly destroyed
tables, beaureaus, clocks, desks, cupboartls,
crockery, &c. were cut and broken to pieces
ana thrown about the house-books and
writings were torn III pieces and scattered
ABOUT the streets. 1t is impossible to describe
the scene of cruel and wanton waste, and
plumber of the property of our fellow citi-
Sens, and abuse of their persons in a suitable
manner. No one, except such as were eve
witnesses, can form an adequate idea of the
distressing reality. We'll was it for wives,
sisters and daughters. that they remem-
bered the excuses at Hamptom, and truss
ted not their persons to the mercy of the
invaders. The dwelling houses of Peter
sally, Henry Delore, and Juhn Palmer,
Doctors Miller and Davidson, Henry Pow
ers, and Mrs. Peabody, a poor woman with
large fanny of Children, and many others,
stripped of every thing valuable, which
could be carried away or DESTROYED iona
than Griffin, Esq, removed his furniture "a
bout mile out of the village to his farm
house, where the enemy sent piquet guard,
and commpelied him with his two children
20 take refuge in thc woods-scattered about
ms property in different directions and ac~
| tuaiiy Killed and dressed his ewn sheep in
the house-our citizens were driven like
slaves about the village to procure horses,
| carts, and harness, to carry off the spoil of
their inhuman invaders.
One man was compelled with his own
hand to bring brand to set fire to his own
dwelling, and then told If he would give ten
dollars. it should not be burned. The Ma
sonic Hall, was robbed of its records, re-
freshmen.s and Jewels, (the latter of which
were returned.) On their return to Poi
an Roche, the crew of one of their boats
landed, and part went to the house of Mr..
williamsburg found his wife cut of the
house, and, two went in to keep the
husband in check, while the third attempted
to crafty his brutal desires upon her. Her
husband hearing her screams came to her
assistance, and n'the struggle the woman
discharged the villains gun and disengaged
the bayonet therefrom, which she struck
twice into his own back and wounded him
pretty severely-the other two fed and Mr..
Williams and his wife bound the rascal and
sent him in, the inhabitants on the Point au
Roche took the skf in which they came,
and the other soldiers. We have twenty one
prisoners in the whole, which have been
picked up and brought in by the inhabitants.