Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1861-02-02
HORRORS OF CIVIL WAR

On Tuesday, on board one of the Brooklyn ferry
boasts, two Republicans were talking in a very
bombastic style on the necessity Of subdu.ng the
Southern States &c, whereupon a stranger of stall
wart form confronted them in a manner somewhat
excited and disclosing the marks of what was once
terrible wound in his breast said that received
while battling for liberty in Italy; and that if the
gentlemen whom he then addressed had had any
actual experience in civil war, they would speak
less fippantly of plunging the United States into
horrors of this description There 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 appalled, before doing one act which
might precipitate it Something may be learned
by turning to the 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 seige of Fort Stanwix, on the Mohawk
River, in the year 17T7, it is recorded that Gen.
Herkimer raised the militia of the neghborhood, to
relieve the Fort but fell into an ambuscade of Tories
and Indians and "neighbor met neighbor in deadly
conflict" The encounter was exceedingly desperate
quarter was neither given nor asked. There were
instances" says the historian, when all was over
when the death grasp still held the knife plunged
into neighbours heart 1t seems as if the fight,
had been presided over by demons"
Another instance showing the intense animosity
which actuated men in those trying times occurred at
thecapture of Fort Griswold, near New London Con-
nectcut. After an obstinate resistance, the Ameri-
cans land down their arms and surrendered to the
assalants; but the massacre continued, led on by
Major Bromfeld New Jersey Tory. As the story
goes, when he entered the Fort he inquired who
commanded. Col. Ledyard came forward saying,
81 did, sir, but you do now" at the same time de-
lvering up his sword. Thereupon, Bromfeld plung
ed the instrument into Ledyard's breast. Sixty Of
| the yeomanry of Connecticut whom he had lately
| pAal ~ IL
Again, at the massacre of Wyoming in the valley
of the Susquehanna the Tories took the advantage
| of the absence of nearly all the able bodied men,
who were then in the army under Washington, and
! led on a party Of LOO white men and savages
The whole valley was desolated; and the few women
and children who escaped to the mountains, after
wards persisted under incredible suffering.
On another OCCASION when the British were il
possession of Long Island, Washington being anx
| ious to learn the designs of the enemy, Nathan Hall
"a graduate of Yale College, who had previousl,
contemplated studying for the ministry, undertook
the perilous job of procuring the desired informa
ton. While returning from this duty, he was re
cognized by Tory relative" taken to Howe's head
quarters, and unceremonousy ordered to be execut
ed the next morning
Four years later, in 1890, the Battle of King
Mountain took place in th-Carolna. Col Fel
guson, who commanded one of Cornwallss divisions
was attacked and surrounded by formidable bod
of backwoodSmen, many of them from Kentuck
and Tennessee and after severe struggle they wer
utterly defeated after three hundred had been sair
Ten of the Tories, noted for their cruelty to the
countrymen, "were hanged upon the spot"
Many other soul-harrowing tales, characteristic
those days which tried mems souls" might
collated; but they would family depict the horror
of ratricdal war taking place at this advance
stage of our history, with population ten time
more numerous, and acting under the influence
passions cngendered by protracted sectional col
troversy.-New York Jour. Commerce.