Pomeroy weekly telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio) 1860-1866, 1861-07-26
The WAY THEY GET VOLUNTEERS
IN THE SOUTH.

.
IN TIE SOUTH.
Russell, the correspondent of the
London Times, in his letter from New
Orleans, gave some account eff the i'm
pressing of British subjects into the Sc
oession armies. At this the city papers,
and especially the ,Picayu'se, pretended
to be greatly outraged and pronounced
the statement false.
The British Consul at New Orleans,
not having the fear of jeff. Davis be-
fore his eyes, knowing that a wholesome
dread of the power of England would
make the rebels tremble, sets the thing
in light which none need to mistake.
We give his letter here, as an illustra-
tion of the manner in which the South
ern armies are made up. If British
subjects are treated in this manner, it
needs no proof to confirm the tales of
barbarity and brutal outrage committed
upon Northern citize rs. Here is the
letter of Mr.. Mure, the British Consul
Let everybody read 1t:
(From the New or cans Picayune, July 6th.1
New ORLEANS, July S, 1861.
10 the Editors Of the Daily Picnyuac:
GENTLEMEN: My attention has been
called to an article in yesterday mornings
Picayune, commenting upon Mr..
Russell's tenth letter, written from this
city on the 25th of May, in which my
name is made use of for the purpose of
impeaching Mr.. Russell's veracity. [
have not seen his letter, but that is of
little consequence, as | am not called
upon either to coincide in his opinions,
or defend his views
l take it for granted, however, that
the extract from the New York paper,
relative to the impressment of British
subjects, is correct, and as the statemen t
made by Mr.. Russell involves question
of tact in which [ am interested, think
it due myself not to preserve a silence
which might be misconstrued.
Mr.. Russell's statement, you have;
apparently without any inquiry, charae-
terized, not with your usual courtesy,
as San outrageous falsehood Of his own
coinage" &c, &c. Let us see with
what justice you have used these severe
expressions.
1t is not the fact, as you suppose,
that one or two isolated cases of British
subjects who enlisted in the army, and
''having thought better Of it" then in
voked my protection, made the basis of
Mr.. Russell's statement, or, as you call
it, "monstrous invention" But 1t is the
fuct that since the 18th Of April to this
present day, with very slight intermis
sion, many British subjects, some of
whom were only a few weeks in the
country, were seized and forcibly carried
off from the levee, steamboat landing,
boarding houses, &C., to the different
places of redezvous of military COM
panies When the men resisted they
wore frequently assaulted, knocked
down, and being overpowered, carried
off in furniture wagons to the head
quarters of these embryo companies,
where the most violent threats were used
to compel them Ito sign the papers.
When these outrages commenced,
addressed, in the end of April and be-
ginning of May, communications to His
Excellency, Gov Moore, who at once
granite all the redress in his power, by
ordering the discharge Of those men
whose names [ could furnish as having
been Illegally impressed. His Excellenay
at the same time expressed his unqual-
flied condemnation of such outrages,
and stated that he would endeavor to
put an end to them, rs far as he had any
control or authority over the parties i'm
plicated. [ believe that in one case a
company was ordered to be disbanded,
in consequence Of the very fragrant con-
duct of the recruiting squads, who had
kidnapped men in midday at the end Of
the shell-road.
At the time Of Mr. Russell's arrival
in this city, about thirty five or forty of
these ''illesal musters' had been dis
charged, and my Office was still daily be-
sieged by women, imploring me to get
their husbands released. Within the
last few days, there have been over
twenty applications of similar kind,
and some Of the men, according to the
evidence, have been most severely NAL
treated. One woman alleges that her
husband was seized on his way to pro-
cure medical help for-their child, that it
was three days before she discovered the
rendezvous where he was confined, and
when she saw him he was tied by cords
and so dis6gured by bruises, that she
scarcely recognized him. She was not
allowed to hold any communication
with him, but was threatened with the
prison if she troubled them again.
I do not wish to trespass upon your
columns by multiplying instances. In
stead of one repenting volunteer, there
haze Jeen aJont sirty cases Of impressed
British subjects reported at ma c6fcc. l
am somewhat surprised, when so much
patriotic spirit has been evinced in the
filling up of military companies with so SO
much rapidity, that any resort should
have been had to the gag or bludgeon;
and it is singular that a fact SO notorious
should have escaped the attention of
your city reporter, who might have
easily satisfied himself of its accuracy
by applying to official quarters.
Upon the principle of "audi alteram
partem," request the insertion of this
letter, and remain, dear sir, your obe-
dient servant,
WILLIAM MURE.