The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1861-05-09

cHlIuron, ali imprisoned and charged
for their board.
The schooner D. P. Pitts, from
Charleston S. c., arrived at this port We.
terday, at l3s o'clock p. M. having OF
board a number of the hands who had
been on the steamship Nashville, and
some persons who had for various rea.
sons become tired of Southern soil, also
family consisting of man and bis wife
and six children, who had been driven
out from their home, near Columbia, be
cause they would not desert the Stars
and Stripes.
Our reporter paid visit to the sehoon.
er, and learned the following facts from
the various parties on board.
1t appears that all masters of vessels
had received public notice on the oath
inst, to leave Charleston within forty
eight hours. or be held by the Southern
Government! All vessels in that port
Immediately prepared for ses-soue,
however, were detained for want of men
to work them.
The Nashville, Capt. Murray, remain
ed behind, it was believed, for the pur-
pose of being fitted out as privateer
A large number ofpoor white men bad
been thrown into prison. and were being
fed in the most miserable manner.
An old man named Tracey, az Irish
man, who had been through the Florida
war with Gen. Scott, and who had been
settled some twenty-seven years within
six miles of Columbia, S. c.. was on
board with bis. wifc and family, from
whom our reporter received the following
information:
My name is Tracy; l have a wife and
six children, who are with me; I had a
farm or plantation, which was located at
Dutch Forks, sone or miles from Co.
lumbia, in South Carolina; have lived
there for twenty seven years; am an l.
rishmsn, but have my citizenship papers
in my book, which l got in the State of
South Carolina; | am about 81 years Of
age, and my oldest son is % years of
age.
On the 9th of April some planters who
lived in the neighborhood called upon NE
aDd left me notice to leave.
While the ten days notice was pend
ing, | aud my son went to Columbia with
load of fodder to market. sand just as
We were leaving Columbis to return home,
we we're assailed aud taken back into Co.
lumbia. Sometime after that my wife
and five children were brought in wag-
on from Dutch Forks, and we were all
jumbled and jolted about like things
which were useless and put into the
guard house. They hauled my poor wife
out of the wagon as if she was bale Of
cotton or bag of rice, using all kinds of
filthy imprecations as they threw her iu-
to the guard bouse.
At 3 o'clock in the morning they came
and brought me and my son out Of the
guard house and they gave me $50 lash.
es, and my son 500 lashes. When they
were Jogging me, the poor devils who
did Mt own thing in the world cried out,
"Give it to the old b-r; he's the worst,
God d-n him-give it to him heavy
After being logged, they pulled and
hauled US just like dead sheep. and threw
US into the cars to take US to Charleston,
where We were put into prison and kept
until the day of the sailing OF the schoon.
er. There l was charged s5 per day for
each of my family for what was called
our board. Sixty dollars was all l had
and they got it from me.
| had a blood mare for which would
not take $500. and had three blood
hounds for which would not have taken
500 piece. They took all my hogs,
geese. turkeys. hens, sheep, and all my
farming utensils, including two plow hor-
ses. had forty acres of wheat, which
will be ready for the sickle next month
(May.)
When the ruffians caught hold Of me,
they demanded that | should sign pa
per giving my allegiance to the Southern
Government, but told them that | ncv-
er would do it so long as the Stars and
Stripes waved for the protection of Amer
lean citizens 10 any part of the country.
told them to take me and hang me as
they threatened to do, and do as they
pleased, burn me if they liked. | would
not desert the flag | fough under, | was
determined to stick BY the "Stars and
Stripes | had been a teamster, soldier
and sailor 10 the service of the United
States in Mexico and in Florida, and
loved the good old flag.
THE WIFE's STATEMENT.
The boys were in the fields plowing,
and the youngest child was with myself
at home. To the course Of the day some
time, heard a noise made by yelling
men. and ! went to the door to see what
was wrong, when | saw some 200 men
on horseback. | thought it was the war
was coming. and SO | lifted the child and
ran for my life. They soon followed me
and chased me into the swamp some three
quarters Of a mile from the house. They
yelled all sorts of hard names after me,
and cried. "shoot her down. '"G-d d--u
her hold her till shoot hor." "She Is
coward, d-n her, If my wife ran 10 thai
way, would gut her," "Drag her a,
long here. pitch her on the wagon, and