Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1859-02-18
lailp S'ir9inian.
A Lively Town to Live in.


gentle mnnnors Of the people indigenous to that
carthpuaky locality;
In my last lctter to you | stated that our city
was declared IN u state OF siege. thought the
enemy or opposition party was long way of
Things remained in that condition until about
eight days ago t2orh ult). when | was informed
privately, Mt nbout 4 o'clock in the evening, that
the enemy or" Liberty, had arrived within about
two leagues Of tho town, aud intended to attack
the barracks and the querters of the Governor that
night Aud rs there would probably be n sack
Wholesale robbery at the time, gave my friend
all my most valuable watches and jewolry to tako
care of, his homo not being liable to attack as
my own. | fastened my doors and went to bed ~
usual. hoping it might be fnlsc report. But
nwokc about l2oclock. and inn few minutes after
II booming Of cannons and rattling of small arms
commenced, wns not long in bed, you mny bs
sure.
My arms, which are always in readiness. wcro
placed that could fire through the door. if tho
enemy attempted To break in; and placing all tho
hest customer watches and $50 in silver money in
my carpet bag, and eighteen gold doubloons IN my
pocket. prepared for run ont of my back door,
aud over tho top of my ncighbor's kitchen. Thus
ready for fighting aud running. ! rrmaineT Tor
moro than two hours listening to tho terrific roar
and rattle Of these midnig ght guns. During tho
night sobLcrs went by yelling like devils. and
heard others breaking in the doors of stores in
Main street, but know nothing certain until
morning, when II countrymnn told me that soon
as the nttnrk mad, hv tho Liberals tho
barracks, the criminals seventy in number, in tho
caabuusc were released by n party outside and
being Joined 10y other Williams itam population
commenced breaking open and robbing tho stores
on Main street
Ono store wns guttcd. the loss being Sl3 .0O0
other stores were robbed Ia the amount of 1000
or 5000 cnch, Arms mud ammunition were first
seized, and then ether goods, and oven women
aud children seen carrying oil bundles of
goods Only ono man and one woman among tho
robbers wcrc killed, aud some dozon or moro
wounded Of tho storckeepers, who were unprs-
pared for the sudden attack, somc were killed.
Among the other criminals who escaped was tho
rascal who tried 10 murder me about year ngo;
no hnd been sentenced to ten years Mt hard labor.
The Liberals tailed to take the barracks, and ro.
treated to their camp before dnybrcak. without
losing man. In tho barracks ono WAS killed and
four wounded. Thorc was enough firing OF can
non and muSkctry to have produced ut least ono
hundred killed and five hundred wounded.
Tho stores that we're robbed all belonged 10 for
egncrs--Frcnch, Spaninrds, Germans and Italians.
There are no American stores here except tho drug
store, at which the robbers gave few blows, but
lcit for more attractive plunder. Az the Id
hcrnls are onl waiting for n reinforcement from
5 nora to make mn attack ON n larger scale, tho
foreign merchants and storckccrcrs have closed
thoir places and have been removing their goods
to their respective consulatcs for protection Eve
nv nisht they mount gunrd over their goods armed
to the teeth. Tho French are the most numerous.
and have mounted two or three small cannon
the larapet ui their consul's house. Tho English
Consnl sent word to me. the day after the fight.
that could send my things to his house irI wish
cd NV cnrrc, bag with customer watches and
silver money. | deposited in hs snie. and sent
my tools materials &c., to Bcavcn's drug store,
over which few Americans have hoistcd the
American flag. The vnlunhles gave my friend
before the fight are now with him safely aboard n
German vessel, anchored two miles from the town.
Nv shop IL of course closed like all the rest, and
our town looks ko city infected with the plague.
For eight DAYS these things have been this way,
atd ia the meantime, nil kinds Of rumors are
rent At the last reliable accounts the enemy
werc sixty miles from hero. aud are overw hclming
in numbers ihut hope our stupid Governor
will surrender Mt the first summons, and thus
nvoil fight and its consequences; or that the peo-
pie md the garrison here will pronounce in favor
of libcrnlism aud thus put mn end to the war in
those pnrts Three fourhs of tho population, for
cign ny we'll as native. are, and always havo been
in favor Of the Liberals and this party has been
augmented hy the tyranny fthctiovernor and his
friends in making forced loans from both mex-
cans and foreigners. lie demands certain a.
mount Of money Of the persons whom he thinks
hns il; and if they do not pny, they are taken to
the barracks aud confined in room, with nothing
t. eat until they submit and fork One missr-
lv old woman has been confined three days, though
her friends without contrive to supply her with u
litle bread, which keeps body and soul together !!
The demand upon her is $4,000; how it will end
God only knows.