Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1859-07-28
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rmE mAssAcRE an PERUeIA.
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writing On the 25ta Of June. gives graphic and
particular statement Of the onirages commit ed by
he PSPe's troops in Perugil, on the 2oh of June,
including an account Of the outrage on an Ameri-
can family as related By themselves:
| eannot detail all the horrors that we're perps-
tratsd az Perugia but must proceed to give You an
account of the outrages c5mmitted in the Hotel de
France (el-dsvaat de FEuvope,l kept by Madsme
Susi, for the only guests Of that house at the time
! were party Of your friends, Mr. and Mrs. EdwarCl
~ Perkins, Mrs Cleveland and daughter the sister
and niece of Mr.. Perkins, and his aged mother.
Mrs. Doane, widow Of the late Bishop Deane
Mr.. Perkins had arrived in Perugis with his fsai-
~ week previous, Intending to take villa for the
/ summer and meanwhile was occupying apartments
at this hctel. The family sat down to dinner in
their apartment about three O'clock, aud very soon
heard the sound Of firing al q di.tance, and were
| told that the Swiss had probably arrived
They finished their dinner guilty, and then, ss
the sound Of firing came nearer, they retired into
an inner apartment overlooking the court of the
hotel, as being more safe from stray shots; while
the hotel people closed the windows, shutters and
doors No one in the hotel felt any apprehension
of personal danger until they heard the soldiers
furiously balteriRg at the outer door, They then
felt tie peril, and Mr.. Perkins having discovered
long narrow passage closet, took refuge, there
With his family aad the lsndlady and her mother
just as the door below was battered down and the
soldiers came rushing up the staircase. They kill
ed two servants of the hotel whom they met upon
the stairs unaTmed and defenceless, sad also the
landlord, who stood at the 1ead CT the stairs and
claimed protection as sn inn-keeper. They shot
and bayonttted him within hearing of TIE party in
the closet and then rushed on discovered their con-
ceslment, and wrenching open the door, plunged
forward with their bsyOnits ixed-s dozen of them
WEARING the aspect Of fends
Mr. Perkins az oree addressed them in French,
showing his passport, declaring that they were
IL
Sill the furious brutes shovel no disposition to
spare them, though the ladies on their knees all
implored mercy Of the soldiers for the sake Of
their mothers and sisters, save one soldier, who
seemed disposed TO parley, and whom Mr.. Perkins
at once seized upon and begged to intercede for
them This man was at the same time more in
telligent more humane and less drunk than his
rades.
After moments conversation, he did lake their
part and prevailed, though with much difficulty,
over lis comrades and induced them to retire. though
not until they had matched away the watches Of
ladies, and not without great reluctance on their
part for they heaPed all sorts Of opprObrous
upon them in French, and several times brought
their hayonsts to bear against them.
At last-though this scene occupied less time than
il takes to tell retired and the friend
IL soldier who had saved their lives shut them into
the closet and guarded the door, while his comrades
pillaRed the house. They sackedi thoroughly, de-
molished all the furniture, breaking open drawers
and trunks, carrying away every thing Of value that
was portable Some clothing that they did not want
they tore to pieces They WrenChed the clasps from
the prayer books-took money, jewely silks, iaces
and linen, and did not leave untouched or unnjur-
ed one single article Of the personal property be-
longing to Mr. Perkins and his family For more
than tive hours they were il the house. ransscking,
destroying, and psging, while the party remained
in the olcset and the soldier stood at the door to
protect them.
AT last the soldiers finished their work and de-
parted and my friends came from the closet; but
they had scarcely emerged when there another
iaroad of soldiers below, and the soldier, Conrad,
pushed the party back ino The closet just as new
gang entered the chamber. Thinking that their
eomradc had plunder concealed within the door
which he guarded, they drew their ssbres to cut
him down, when he feigned to be very drunk, aud
they left him without trying the search they in
tended, and were soon out of the house. Then he
opened the door of TIE closet and the party came
out
Soon after the rappells was beaten and the SOL
der Conrad was for leaving them But Mr.. Per-
kins said, 'No, you the only one Of these men
who seems to have human feeling. and you mast
remain and protect u.s. So he consented to stay,
aud Mr. Perkins succeeded in finding some mat
tresses which he placed the floor of the chamber
for the members Of his family, and the soldier lay
down upon anothers the Threshold Of thereon
and was soon fast asleep But there was sleep
for the others that night.
IN the al al uOuEs
out that more soldiers we're coming, and they again
and almost in despair, took to the closet; but it
proved to be false alarm, and they not again
disturbed. Later in the morning the soldier came
to Mr. Perkins to say that the chaplain Of the reg
ment was walking down the street, aud Mr. Per-
kins a. once went out to him, stated who he was
and what occurred, and claimed his protection.
The sleek priest threw blame upon the sOldiery,
expressed some regret and advised Mr.. Perkins TO
go with his family to the hotel in the upper town.
This other hotel had been able by the strength Of its
doors and windows to resist the attack Of the SOL
diers and had not been entered. Thither Mr. Per-
kins soon went with his party. He caused them to
close their eyes they went down the stairs, and
through the hall into the street. and led them BE-
the hand. Fer there on the staircase were the
bodies of the murdered landlord and servants, and
one Of the latter had been stripped his drawers,
and then apparently set FIRE TO. And in front of the
door several bodies that they had thrown from
the housetop Mr.. Perkins placed his family in the
other hotel and then went to find the Colonel Of he
regiment. That officer listened politely to his story,
regretted all that occurred but 'sueh the for
tune of war" at impossible to control his SOL
diers," +" the citizens had brought it upon them
selves" &C., SC.
He gave Mr. Perkins an order for post-horses; the
family rested that day and the next started for For
enee, bringing with them the landlady Of the hOte,
who had lest her husband and been stripped OF all
! she possessed. Before they left Perugia Mr.. Per
kins went through his apartments at the hotel, and
found only broken trunks and boxes and shreds Of
clothing. The family lost property to the amount
! of two thousand dollars aud more
As to the friendly soldier who saved their lives,
| Mr. Perkins asked what he most wanted, and found
that it was to leave his regiment, and Mr.. P gave
| him letter to his bankers in Rome yesterday, re-
! ouesting then 10 procure the mans discharge, and
let him have money to take him to his home in Con-
| stance.
| All the ladies Of his family behaved heroicslly
throught all these terrible and trying which
| | have narrated Not enc Of them tainted, or
shrieked or lost their presence of mind but all
! calm and composed throughout the whole.
The family arrived here night before last, and L
have heard the whole story from their own lips and
give it to you Uer6atHm without exaggersdng any
| Of the particulars.
The Rome correspondent of the London Post, writ
Sing under dats Of the I'd inst states that Cardinal
ANToxELLI has consented to make the reparation de-
msnded for the losses sustained a. Perugis By Mr..
Perkins and his family, and adds:
Mr.. Perkins appears to have been deceived both
by the chiefs of the provisional government aud by
his own landlord with respect to any possibility of
an attack on Monday, and en- the following day he
| had made arrangements to remove TO less exposed
! quarter of the town. Indeed ne aud :he ladies Of
his family had been invited to repair to villa abo4t
| q mile from PeTugia, inhabited by Mrs. Ross Of
Blabmsbug, and her children, Mr.. Ross being 10
England at the time but he did not consider the
danger SO Urgent as render ii advisable to leave