The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-08-01
FROM YORKTOWN.
Federal Outrng~s--Burninzo Of Hampte
Cenjectursd Move ent afthe nessians, &c.


YoRKrowS, July 20, 1851.
Three weeks sickness has proven ted your
correspondent from picking up and sending
you some Items that might have proved inter
esting to your readers There Is not m UGH,
however, going on, except the continual an
noyance to which our people in the lower
part of this peninsula are subjected by the
barbarians of the North. 1t seems really
hart To apply such 4 term 10 men with whom
we have long been on terms of social and DO
ltical intimacy but when men deliberately
ignore and set aside all the ru les of civilized
life and the laws of honorable warfare and
descend to such deeds as would make any but
n savage blush for shame, why should we not
call men well as things by their right
names, and term them barbarians :" Hav-
ing already plundered nearly every house
within their reach about Hampton they
have lately gone a step further In rascality,
and have begun in earnest to destroy houses
as we'll as furniture
On Wednesday last they slipped up Back
River TO Mr. George BOXERS landing, where
his schooner was lying laden with his fur mi
ture and provisions, which MIR. Is. was about
to remove 10 place of greater security than
his own house afforded. 1t is probable that
the loading Of the schooner was discovered
from the dome Of the Chesapeake College,
where a lookout ia constantly posted, with
glass In hand However this may be- the
schooner had scarcely received her cargo OF
valuables. when a strong force Of armed men
drove off the little crew of three or four men
took possession OF the vessel and started, pro-
badly, for Old Point. If such men n OF
pirates in the literal sense OF the term, what
shall we call them IT this schooner had
peeu captured in al attempt 10 run the block
nde. however unlawful that blockade may be,
there wonld have been some show of the law
tulness OF the prize but as it was ii can be
regarded in no other light than a piratical
theft. Nor is this all. The same day of the
above theft, a steam tag was seen in Back
River, and her pirges, fully manned, were
sent from point to point along the shore, aud
setting fire to.every schooner, sioop 81. they
could find Many of these were Inc entire
wealth OF poor oystermen aud ii shermeu,
whose whole living thu b ockade b ad deprived
them of Hitherto the redoubta Die General
Butler has pretended that these depreda lions
were committed III violation OF orders, which
would protect private property but when Ill
armed steamer Is employed fer purposes OF
arson aud plumber, even this shallow pretext
must be given up, and the acknow lodged lead
rrs of th- Washing ton Adm al StrAtion be
held responsible before the civilized world for
Its savage barb trity.
To consummate this diabolicaI work on
Friday last the Town of Hampton was set on
fire by the vandals and nearly ali that portion
OF the town north OF Z ueen stree being about
one third OF the town. WAS heap Of Smould.
erlug ruins. Unless the wind pre- ven Ted the
progress OF the flames, 1t is probable that ere
this the whole town is laid in ashes The
supposition lie, that the camp Ut Newport
News and the occupati of Hampton had
been abandoned, and to prevent the citizens
from returning 10 their homes in peace, the
town was fired. This superstition is based
upon the fact discovered by some of our troops
who went down with II " of truce on Satur.
day, that they saw yidettes on the roads
lending TO Ne Uport News or Hampton, and
on reaching Hampt they found only a hand
fui OF men there. II these places have not
been abandoned by the enemy why this with
drawing of their guards and videttes Or is
this a mere Yankee trick to catca soma OF our
unWary men Womb IL be surprising If the
panic produced by their disastrous and over
whelmlng defeat at Manassas should lead the
coWardly miscreants to serve Fort Monroe as
they did Gosport Navy Yard and H4rper's
Ferry Is there not full us much reason for
such al act 10 this case IS in either of the
others1 Would not the spIking Of the guns
and blowing up of the casema ties, and des rue
ton Of other property, be in entire keeping
with other acts OF the Adm iustration
cannot close this without relating q little
incident connected with the capture of those
Yankee prisoners on the II IN OF this month
During the sklrmish SIX OF the enemy ran in TO
field and stood huddied toge tner like so
many sheep. Capt. jeff. Phil, IS, of the Old
Dominion Dragons, seeing their danger and
their fright, called on. TO them from the fence
. Lay down your arms and come to me, and
Will protect you :" Four of them immedi-
ately dropped their muskets and the whole
SIX marched up TO the brave captain. He or
iered them into the road where the other
prisoners were, al the same time turned to.
wards the road himself. No sooner had he
turned than one of the two who still retained
his musket aimed deli berately al the captain
Fortunately the miscreants purpose wa dis
covered by trooper armed with i rifle. In the
twinkilng otan eye the deadly rifle wls aim
ed and The treacherOus scoundrel dropped dead
III his tracks. The other Yankee immediately
let TALL his muSket and marched with his four
comp tnlOns 10 the spot poiuted out bv Capt
=. Could any thing better Illus trate The brave
generosity OF Southern soldiers on the one
side, ana the mean treachery OF Northern
| hireiilgS on the other2 (IRTrs