Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1861-02-01
Horrors of civil war.

OeS Ok "a -
Yesterday, on board of one of the Brook
ly ferry boats, two republicans were talking
in very bombastic style on the necessity Of
subduing the Southern States. &c, where's
upon a stranger OF stalwarth form confront
ed them in a manner somewhat excited,
and disclosing the marks of what was once
a terrible wound in his breast, said that was
received while battling for liberty in Italy
and that II the gentlemen whom he then adj
dressed had had any actual experience in
civil war, they would speak less firpantly
Of plunging the United States into horrors
of this description. There was truth in the
remark. 1t were well if the people of this
country, could better understand what civil
war is, without learning it by their own
bitter experience. They would stand APP
palled before doing one act which might
precipitate it. Something may be learned
by turning to tie history of the American
war of independence. From beginning TO
end, the conflicts Of The wings and tories
were marked by acts of surprising atrocity.
OF the siege of Fort Stanwix, on the Mo-
hawk river, in the year TIT, it is recorded
that General Herkimer raised the militia ia
the neighbohood to relieve the fort, but fell
into an ambuscade of tories and Indians,
and ''peighbor met neighbor In deadly con :
fict." The encounter was exceedingly
desperate !; quarter was neither given
nor asked. There were instances" says
the historian" when the death grasp still
held the knife plunged into a neighbours
heart. 1t seemed as if the fight had been
presided OVER 81 demons"
Another instance showing the intense
animosity which actuatcd men in those try
ing times, occurred at the capture Of Fort
Griswold, near New London, Conn. After
an obstinate resistance, the Americans laid
down their arms to their assailants; but the
massacre continued, led On by Maj. Brom-
field, a New Jersey tory. As the story
goes, when he entered the Fort, he enquir-
ed who commanded. Col. Ledyard came
forward, saying, "I did, sir, but you do
now" at the same time delivering up his
sword. Thereupon, Bromfeld plunged the
instrument into Ledyard's breast. Sixty
of the yeomanry of Connecticut whom he
had lately commanded were at once slaugh-
tered in Geld blood. ~
Again, at the massacre of Wyoming, in
the valley of the Susquehannah, the tories
took advantage of the absence of nearly all
the able bodied men, who were then in tie
army under Washington, and led on a par
ty of LOO white men and savages. I'll @
whole valley was desolated; and the few wo-
men and children who escaped tothe noun
tains afterwards persisted under incredible
suffering.
On another occasion, when che British
were in possession of Long Island, Wash
ington being anxious to learn the designs
of the enemy. Nathan Hale Ga graduate of
Yale College, who had previously contem
plated studying fer the mInlstry,) UNDER
took The %perilous job of procuring the de-
sired information. While returning from
this duty, he was recognized by a tory
relative" taken to Howe's headquarters,
and unceremoniously ordered to be execu-
ted the next morning.
Four years later, in 1890, the battle Of
Kings Mountain took place in North Car
olina. Col. Ferguson, who commanded
one of CORVALLIS divisions, was attacked
and surrounded by a formidable body of
backwoodsmen, many of them from Ken
lucky and Tennessee, and after a severe
struggle, they were utterly defeated, after
three hundred been slain. Ten of the to-
ries, noted for their cruelty to their coun-
trymen, "were hanged on the spot"
Many other soul narrowing tales charac-
%teristic Of those days which tried men's
souls" might be collated; but they would
family depict the horrors of a fratricidal
war taking place at this more advanced
stage Of our history, with population ten
times more numerous, and acting under the
influence Of passions %engendered by pro-
tracted sectional cohtroverSy.-Journat Of
Commerce.