Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1861-07-24
Items from Col. I9atterson's Col
umn-


Henry ]. Raymond, editor Of the New
York Times, now with Patterson's column,
has the following in one Of his late letters !:
aThe desertsr to whom | have already
referred says that the rebels are well arm
Cd, but not well uniformed. They have
bat little means Of transportation and are
Eshort Of provisions. They never distribute
bread to the privates, but give them flour,
which they are expected to mix with water
and bake for themselves. He bad spec
linen of the mixture with him lit was Of
the kind that sinks man at once if eaten
before bathing. Ii seems to be the gener-
al usage Of the Southern army to distribute
flour, instead of bread You may remem-
Der that prisoner al Fort Monroe gave
the same report Of the custom at Yorktown.
This man said there were great many men
In the rebel ranks who did not wish to
fight and would gladly get away if they
could Several incidents have occurred
confirming this After the skirnish at
Falling water, some six miles from here,
one Of the rebels was found by our men on
tue field MORALLY wounded. With an ef-
fort to speak, he told those who found him
that he was for the Union,--that he was
on The other side against his willard
that throughout the fight that day he had
not fired hi gun. Reaching out and getting
it, he showed them that the nipple had
been filed with lead, so that it could not
be fired.
/ Men are constantly coming into camp,
asking protection, or applying for the resti-
tuition Of property that has been taken by
the rebels Gen. Patterson treats them
with uniform courtesy, and does all in bis
power to protect the inhabitants from loss.
Everything taken for the army, every field
trampied down, every fence oyerthrown-
all damages If every kind, are appraised
and promptly paid This policy has had
an excellent effect The behavior Of the
men, as general thing, has been good,
though there have been exceptions. AT
the outset, incidents Of robbery and plum
der were frequent but an order directing
instant and severe punishment for every
such offence ha checked it Night before
last, some solder entered the house Of a
poor widow, who occupied it with her
daughter, girl Of Is. lis purposes were
apparent, but were not accomplished, for
the Girl was SO terrified that she died on
the spot. Before the guard, summoned
by tue mothers screams, could enter, the
villain had escaped. lie left behind him,
however, pass and a knife, by which it is
supposed be may be identified. One Hen
| ~ Fisher, belonging to Pennsylvania
regiment, is supposed to be the guilty man.
He is under arrest, and will be tried by
court-martial this afternoon, or tomorrow
If guilty, he will BE- shot at once, with the
hearty approval of the whole regiment. /
am told, however, that be denies the charge,
and that his colonel, who knows him well,
credits his denial He served through the
Mexican war, ard is said to have behaved
well.
/ walked out yesterday to the depot of
tho Baltimore and Ohio Railroad; and
such picture Of wanton and reckless des-
truction Of property | have never seen be
fore. Upon the double-track at that point
stood thirty-seyon locomotives, and little
below were fifteen more, worth from S.
900 to $4,000 each. When Gen. John
son retreated from Harper's Ferry, he sent
! Capt L-tcher, son Of the Governor, with
troops, and orders to destroy all these en-
gines, with all the cas- and al the bridges
on the road. They piled wood under and
around them, and set it on fire. The
wrecked and ruined locomotives still stand
in the ashes upon the track. One Of them
hangs over the place where the long and
splendid bridge was burned. Not less than
/ s750,000 worth Of property belonging to
the Baltimore q Ohio Railroad was thus
destroyed in this vicinity. The only Object
of such wholesale destruction was to pre-
vent its being used by the national troops
yet Gen. Johnston must have known
that this could only delay their movements
for two or three days at furthest.
/ 1t is reported, | know not with how
much truth, that Capt. Ieteher remonstra-
ted warmly against so wanton and so use
less sacrifice, and that, when compelled
to 60 upon this Grand, he burst into tears,
and threatened to resign. / hear these
acts Of the rebel forces, and others like them
spoken Of on every side in terms Of unqual-
flied detestation. They have alienated very
many who were inclined to sympathize
with secession, and wherever our army
goes, or this column at least, confidence
follows in its footsteps
----~-S. -. 4s-.-~------
The Three Months Troops.