Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1854-03-24
From the New York Times
How the Russians Wage WARTIME Sack of


LOsOnez.
On the nfst OF August, I849 about 9 O'Clock IN
the morning, ninety Russian soldiers commanded by
eh nnicefs arrived at Losonez They halted in the
uoic square, and while the officers were breakfast
ing IN the nearest tavern. the soldiers scattered
around among the baker shops of the town They
mad been scarcely fifteen minutes engaged in RECALLING
themselves there, when the place was suddenly sur
rounded oy column of SO Hungarian guerillas who
rushed upon their hated foes with unexrected imne
'uosty hree Russian officers were killed the rest
win all The common soldiers, captured. except
ing only a few who managed 10 escape.
Alter this feat the guerriIIas withdrew When
they had at length departed the bodies of the Rus
Slams were buried IN common ditch. Ii was not
long however, before the rumor reached LosoneZ that
General Grabbe had TO take vengeance on the
town tor the surprise of his soldiers At length ON
Aug !, the afrighted inhabitants learned that the
ehraged russians were within an hours march of
them All who had vehicles at their disposal at once
hurriel away, but the greatest position were compel
cd 10 remain The cholera committing its rava-
ges IN the town, and nearly every family had dead
members to bury or sick to tend.
he town was speedily surrounded by the Russian
advanced guard, composed of Cossacks whose first
measure was to cut off all retreat for those who might
sui endeaVOr to escape Hungarian dogs +" they
cried to the unfortunate fugtves as they drove them
back with clubs
Ere long, a Russian ma or presented himself at
the Town Hail. and the municipality having secreted
|
and mayor among the towns people present, impo-
sing upon the place q of 81, 900 rations of
bread, 90 oxen, 100 quntals of lard 200 bushels of
vegetables, 100 cords of wood, 100 casks OF wine
25 casks of alcohol 100 casks of brandy so 900 r.
tons OF hay, 500 bushels of OATS and 20 quntaIs of
tobacco
This eXOrbant ran ON was laid upon the town.
with an accompanying threat that if it were not
paid by o'clock the next morning, the place should
be destroyed. TO satisfy such demands was impos-
! SIh cI1,k
and the corps of General Sass, had consumed near
y all the provision that could be found in The neigh
borhoo1. Yet every exertiOn made, and then
the populations OF burghers presented themselves at
the head quarters OF Gen. Grabbe, to reach which
1T was necessary to pass through the Russian army
At first free passage refused them they We're
insultcd, beaten and threatened with death but af-
ter having been subjected much Entertainments sue
ceeded in making their way to Gen. Nadde, who re-
celVed them brutaIly, although at the time,
promising to spare the innocent But, by afternoon,
the plIlage began in some of the streets The Off
to console the bants told them there should
be no burning But the soldiers were more frank in
announcing the truth. AT last night came-and
what night ! About 10 o'clock, troop of Cos
sacks dashed into the town and drove the inhabi-
tants towards the cemetery, where the the Russians
slain by the guerrillas had been inferred There
they were ordered to open the pit in which the dead
soldiers had been deposited, and as they were about
to do SO, with mattock and spade, there yell
are!' and they forced to obey The general
plage commenced after midnight. The signal was
given by blast OF trumpets. The regiments march
ed in, one after another This thronging host con-
stantly rerewed did not content itself with pilIagng
the houses, but they tore from the inhabitants
their clothing not excepting their linen and shoes
Those who dill not yield to this outrage with good
grace were RECALLED with shower of blows. All
were soon reduced to condition bordering on COM
plete nudity. Of course, the principal demand was
Eol, ~,
Iacerated, with cuts of the kanSchuk The last regi
ments, finding nothing more to taAe, avenged them,
selves for the disappointment by unheard of cruel
ties. Officers, acel common soldiers shared in
the BOOTY When all the stolen articles had been
conveyed TO the Russian camp, some of the bata.
lions reentered the town with ptchforks and sticks
and broke to pieces everything they had not been
able to carry away. They did not leave single
article of furniture entire. Descending into the eel
lars, they bilged all the wine they could not drink
The excess committed by these drunken barbarians
surpassed all that any could imagine dare tc
describe will say nothing of the outrages commit
ted upon women and girls. Although eyewitness
| can scarcely believe them. This much however,
will say, that neither the churches the resting
places Of the dead were respected. This sack, o.
which, the like has never, perhaps been elsewhere
committed, lasted thirty six hours. During tha
whole time, the town was surrounded so that no Onl
could pass out of it, The destruction mplete
the ruin was total-but even all that was not Ell
ough.
On the 9th of August, fire applied to all thu
houses. The fragments of broken furniture were
heaped up the centre of the rooms, and fire set tt
them with torches prepared for that purpose. BY
refinement of cruelty, while this unfortunate tow1
was burning the Russian reglmental bands playeI
their national airs The flames, the savage music
the ferocious yes and laughter, mingled with erie
E of despair from wild thrOng of naked, mareated
famlshed, and frantic people, made up catalogue o
horrors that cannot be conceived
l. IL ,Io1o Aro,
Those who attempted to extnguish the confagratio
"a vain effort at best-were beaten back by tn
PATROLS who even drove many of the inhabitants int
the flames. Towards evening the heat became in
supportable and the wretched survivors led tc
! ApatfalUa, where it was told them that they wer
to be massacred. But this menace produced elfec
upon them they had already suffered too much fol
that, and so they were permitted to i've the WOrs
punishment that could be inflicted upon them But
in order to make their work complete, on the mex
: day, while the army commencing its march
they assembled, and five francs given to eaci
one, with the following words Sc Strict investlga
ton has been made, and have discovered that til
town fired, not by Russians, but by guerrilla
disguised peasants"
After this unblushing and infamous falsehood, tn
, army moved of, and the wretched toWnspeOple re
turned to gaze upon the smoky ruins OF their dwell
6 ings, so lately the homes of peace and comfort
Douglass.
STEPHEN ARNOLD DOUGLASS United States Senate
from Illinois, was born, says the NeW York Post,
, Brandon, Rutland county, Vermont, on the 22d c
April 1918. and is, consequently, forty-one years
E,th.r was nhvSician and his mother III