Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-08-13
from the St. Louis Republican.
Springfield correspondence.
SPRIsGFIELD, ILL.,, Aug. 6, Il

Il
| from the St. Louis Republican
| springfield correspondence.
SPRINGFIELD. ILL.,, Aug. 6, 1861.
The following article appeared in the Quin
| cy Herald last week. and was copied by the
Register, of this city, yesterday:
Our attention has been repeatedly called
| within a week or two past, to acts of depre
dation committed by parties of Col. Turchin';
regiment, lately stationed at Palmyra, upor
| inoffensive persons and families in Missouri
| For the sake Of humanity, and for the honor
of the troops implicated in these scenes, We
had hoped that these disgraceful and inhuman
acts were less frequent and less barbarous
than is alleged, but the complaints are too
numerous to justify refusal to notice them
We have been Informed by respectable in
dividuals living in the neighborhood of Pal
myra, of instances of robbery, personal out
rage, and the wanton destruction of property
that would put Camanche or South Sea Is.
lander to the blush. These Zouaves, as the
members of Turchin's regiment are styled,
while stationed at Palmyra and vicinity,
were in the habit of sallying out in parties
of two or three or more, according to the eX-
tent and Importance of the contemplated ex-
petition, either by night or day, as their in
clinations prompted, visiting farm houses
under the pretence of searching for articles
contraband of war in the premises, apprOpri-
ating what they pleased to their own pur-
poses, and not unfrequently destroying pro-
perty from motives of mere malice. We have
understood that nearly hundred horses
have been brought over the river by these
Zouaves, and forwarded to Chicago as trophies
of their valor. A lady wrote to friend in
this city about a week ago, stating that she
had been robbed of all her jewelry by these
marauders,, and that other depredations OF
like character had been committed on the
premises on which she resides
We have letter before US from citizen
of Marion county, Missouri, in which he
speaks In most Indignant terms of the treat
ment to which Missourians have been sub
jected by Federal troops. He says, 'they
have been prowliRg around the neighborhood
OF nights, disturbing peaceable citizens;
arousiug them from their midnight slumbers,
under pretense that they have orders to search
their houses; frightening inoffensive women
and children; threatening that they will shoot
every secessionist; burn their property, and
do all the devilment that characterizes saw
age warfare" ''Such conduct as this" adds
the writer, sis making States rights men by
the hundreds" which, of course, is natural
consequence.
We have also letter before us from citi-
zen of Shelby county, adjoining Marion, west,
in which the writer says, "The Union element
here appeared to be firm, and perhaps gain
ing ground for few weeks past, but the late
shameful actions of the United States soldiers
have driven many sound Union men to the
other side of the question, and there are now
hundreds fast changing all over the cOun-
try" On Saturday night, or very early Sun
day morning, Goth or 21st,) continues the
writer, a band of soldiers consisting of sever
al hundred, started out on marauding ex-
petition to the quiet and peaceful villages
of Emmerson and Philadelphia. while death
and destruction followed in their path-noth-
ing escaped their vile touch-almost every
house was robbed, and that which was not
was destroyed. On their way they
came to church where the people were as
O embed for the worship of God. There every
horse, whether ridden there by a lady or a
gentlemen. was seized by these burgarious
men. The contents of every house in Emmer-
son and Philadelphia, and the surrounding
is a complete wreck, and the ill.,
mates left in a starving, helpless condition"
Other outrages, OF a similar character. are
referred to by the writer, but what we have
given above are enough, if true, TO Salty the
reader there is just cause of complaint.
The writer closes his letter by saying that
he would not be surprised, if these things
continue, to hear that in less than two weeks
Chicago, Quincy, and other cities in Illinois,
were in ashes
We know not that all these statements are
borne out by the facts, but if "a 1.-THE of what
we have heard be true, it would be well if
Col. Turchin's regiment were disbanded at
once. 1t is enough to retaliate for aggrava-
ted offenses actually committed by secession |
sts against Union citizens or soldiers, and |
even this is all wrong if done in the manner |
above described; but to outrage the persons |
Dr. property of unoffending citizens merits |
he severest punishment We are gratified to |
earn, however, that Gen. Pope will bring all |
uture offenders of the kind to a just respon- |
'ibility, and we have therefore reason to be- |
ieve that our neighboring citizens of Mis-
souri, will not be subject to rude treatment |
rom Federal troops in future. 1t is proper |
% say, we have heard of no complaints |
against any other troops than those OF Col. |
rurchin's regiment, and sincerely hope those |
nay be proven to have been exaggerated.
Yesterday we met an old friend, who COM
hands one of the regiments now in Missouri,
md had some conversation with him as to
low he got along in Missouri. He replied
hat he had no difficulty in getting along
veil, but that the r giment of Turchiu was
Iisgracing the State and the army by their
outrageous conduct. We asked him if be
lad seen the article from the Quincy Herald,
nd whether the statements contained in ii
we're true. He replied that he had not read
be article, but that it would be almost i'm
ossible to exaggerate the matter; that Tur
hin's regiment was guilty of deeds that
zould disgrace barbarians; that it would be
impossible to specify all the different acts
hat had been perpetrated by it. He further
tated that Colonel Grant and Colonel Pal
Ter had reported Turchin to the Command
1g General.
This morning we saw captain, who COM
hands company in Colonel GRANTS regi-
1ent. and who was a witness to several of
he misdeeds of TURcHIN's mon. He confirms
be statement as to their rascality. Both of
2e officers we conversed with stated that
lch conduct was rapidly driving even the
Tnion men to take arms to prevent such out
ages. We understand that TURCHIN's regi-
lent has since been removed to Birds Point.
For the fair fame of the State of Illinois.
nd on behalf of decency, and law and order,
e hope that General FREMONT will take this
latter in hand, and disband this regiment, or
unish the perpetrators of such deeds.
IOTA