The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1861-09-07

Wetake the following from letter writ
ten by Thomas Francis Meagher, the elo-
quent Irish Orator, who has been solder
ing in tho civil war, entitled 1.-THE last
days Of the Goth In Virginia.;
"Detiling through the deserted earth.
works at Germantown, our Brigade bore
off to the left, taking position in line Of
battle in the open fields spreading north
ward from the village. SkirIniShers were
thrown forward, and the village also being
found deserted, the march was renewed,
the position ofthe Regiments being altered
the First Wisconsin taking the right
and the Goth bringing up the rear Of the
Brigade.
Over the streaming bnyonets, through
the swaying colOrs and the clouds Of dust
rolling densely upwards from the tram
pied earth, riding at the head Of the Goth,
beside our Colonel, saw the handful Of
little wooden houses. known rs German.
town, rise up and dilate before us. 0nc
house, however, particularly struck the,
even at the distance, and notwithstanding
| the dust, confusion and tumult through
which noticed II. A two stored house,
we'll proporIi0ned, with viii e, cheerful
face, roses and wood bine, rs took them
to be, coiling and clustering abOnt the
trcllissed porch, young ornamental trees
in front Of il, q clear and handsome feat
urc in the clouded picture against which
we were moving-it was the first pleasant
object, Of the Quieter aud iriendlier order
Of things, we had fallen In with since we
pushed on that morning from Vienna.
"That house is on NE, Father O'Reily.
our Chaplain, hurricdIy observed, as he
whipped his horse up beside the Colonel.
The words had scarcely fallen from his
lips when q round mass Of black smoke
rolled out Of the windows Of the house
and buried il in darkness. Another mo-
mcnt, the red flames were leaping through
the smoke, and the cracking e timberS,
pierced and rifted with the fire, was heard
distinctly above the tramp and tumut OF
the march. The only ornament Of the
village in hot haste and fury was plunging
into ashes. In half an hour it would be,
at best, . heap Of smouldering charcoal.
Whose was the Sou Wy aud malignant
hand that fired the deserted homestead
II is for the Regiments Of the Brigade, in
advance Of the Goth, to answer. With
them rests the responsibility Of this
savage riOtouSnrSs and mischief. The
house was doomed irrcvocnbly when the
69th came up. The Irish Regiment swept
by the blnzing ruin, curSing the rufiianS
who had played the barbarous prank, and
maddened with the thought of the dis
grace it would bring upon the Federal
Flag.
Nor did the wickedncss Of the moment
cotent itself with the destruction Of an un.
protected dwelling. Pigs were shot down
aud cut to pieces, the dripping fragments
being pounccd upon aud carried of in
triumph by the butchers. Turkeys and
chickens shared the same fate. Every
thing left behind them in the village by the
retreating inhabitants, whether useful or
otherwise, was seized and swept away.
saw a private of the Wisconsin Regiment
stumbling along with feather bed across
his shoulders. I saw another with O
Sledgc hammer taken from the vacant
forge. A third had large looking. glass
under his arm. A fourth had a patched
quilt or counterpart wrapped about him
"a curious piece o. uCedlc.work, gaudy
enough to please Carib prince, and sntii
cicntly heavy for winters night in Novr
Scotia. A frenzy Of depreciation seemed
to have seized many Of the soldiers in al
> vance Of us; and the wanton passion ap
peared to grasp at everything with an ut
ter disregard Of its usefulness or absurd
ty. In vain did the officers Of the offend
ing Regiments strive to check the lawless
ness Of the lnen. The raw levies looked
on GermantOwn-the abandoned bantlin.
OF vi'lage-aS their lawful prey, an'
. the flames Of the burning house, widen
> ing rapidly and ficrcely, alone compelled
, them to desiSt."