Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1861-02-07
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UOrrOrS of Civil War.

Yesterday, on board one of the Brook
lyn ferryboats, two Republicans were
talking in very bombastc style on the
necessity of subduing the Southern States.
&c., whereupon stranger of stalwart
form confronted them in manner some
what excited, and disclosing the marks of
what was once terrible wound in ths
breast. said that was received while bat
tling for liberty in Italy; and that if the
gentlemen whom he then addressed had
any actual experience in civil war, they
would not speak flippantly of plunging
the United States into horrors of this de-
scription. There was truth in the re-.
mark. 1t were well if the people of this
country could better understand what CIV
IL 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 1777, it is re-
corded that Gen. Herkimer raised the
militia of the neighbo.hood to relieve the
Fort, but fell into an ambuscade of To-
ries aud Indians, and "neighbor met
neighbor in deadly conflicts" The en-
counter was exceedingly desperate; quar-
ter 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 neighbor's
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 the capture of
Fort Griswold, near New London, Con-
necticut. After an obstinate resistance,
the Americans laid down their arms and
surrendered to the assailants; but the
massacre continued, led on by Mai. Brom-
field. New Jersey Tory. AS the story
goes, when he entered the fort he inauir-
ed who commanded. Col. Ledyard came
forward saying, II did, sir, but you do
now," at the same time delivering up his
sword. Thereupon, Broomfield plunged
the instrument into Ledyard's breast
Sixty of tho yeomanry of Connecticut
whom he bad lately commanded, were at
once slaughtered in cold blood.
Again, at the massacre of Wyoming,
in the valley ofthe Susquehanna. the To-
ries took advantage of the absence of
nearly all the able bodied men, who were
then in the army under Washington, and
led on party of LOO white men and
savages. The whole valley was desolat-
ed, and the few women and children who
escaped to the mountains, afterwards per-
ished under incredible suffering.
On another occasion, when the British
were in possession of Long Island,
Washington being anxious to learn the
designs Of the enemy, Nathan Hale, Ia
graduate of Yale College, who had prev
iously contemplated studying for the
ministry, undertook the perious Job of
procuring the desired information.
While returning from this duty, he "was
recognized by Tory relative" taken to
Howe's headquarters, and uncerem oni-
ously ordered to be executed the next
morning.
-Four years later. in 1890, the Battle
of Kings Mountain took place in North
Carolina Col. Ferguson who command
ed one of Corvallis divisions, was at
tackled and surrounded by formidable
body Of baekwoodsmen, many of them
from Kentucky and Tennessee, and after a
severe struggle they were utterly defeated
after three hundred had been slain. Ten
OF the Tories, noted for their cruelty to
their countrymen, "were hanged upon
the spot"
Many other soul narrowing tales, char
acteristics of those "days which tried
mems souls" might be collated; but they
would family depict the horrors of frat
ricidal war taking place at this more ad.
vanced stage of our history, with a pop
ulation ten times more numerous, and
acting under the influence of passions en-
gendered by protractsd sectional contro-
versy.--New York Joarnol Of Commerce.