Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1861-02-05
Horrors of Civil War.

Yesterday, on board of one of the Brooklyn
ferry boats, two Republicans were talking in
very bombastic style on the necessity of subdu-
ing the Southern States, &C., whereupon stran-
ger of stalwart form confronted them in man
ner somewhat excited, and disclosing the marks
of what was once a terrible wound in his breast,
said that was received while battling for liberty
in Italy; and that if the gentlemen whom be
then addressed had had any actual experience in
civil war, they would speak less tiippantly of
plungiDg the United States in horrors of this de
scriptiOn. There was truth in the remark 1t
were well if the people Of this country could
better understand what civil 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 Ameri-
can war of independence. From beginning to
end, the conflicts OF the Wings and Tories were
marked by acts of surprising atrocity.
OF the siege of Fort Stanwix, on the Mohawk
river, in the year 1777, it is recorded that Gen
eral Herkimer raised the militia in the neighbor.
hood to relieve the fort, but fell into an ambus-
cade of tories and Indians, and ''neighbor met
neigllbor in deadly conflict" The encounter
was exceedingly desperate quarter 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 q
neighbours heart. 1t seems as it the fight had
been presided over by demons"
Another instance showing the intense aninOs-
ity which actuated men in those trying times,
occurred at the capture of Fort Griswold, near
New London, Conn. After an obstinate resist
ance, the Americans laid down their arms to
their assailants, but the massacre continued, led
on by Major Bron6eld, New Jersey tory. AS
the story goes, when he entered the fort, he in
Il H. -1.1 (yol ndx ynrI
forward, saying, II did, sir, but you do now,"
at the same delivering up bis sword. There
upon Bromfeld plunged the instrument into
Ledyard's breast: Sixty Of the yeomanry of
Connecticut whom he had lately commanded
were at once slaughtered in cold blood
Again, at the massacre of Wyoming, in the
valley of the Susquehanna, the tories took ad-
vantage of the absence Of nearly all the able
bodied men, who ERE then in the army under
Washington, and led on a party of l 100 white
men and savages. The whole valley was DESC
lated, and the few women and children who es-
capped to the mountains, afterwards perished un-
der incredible suffering.
On another occasioii, when the British, were
in possession of Long Island, Washington being
an xious to learn the designs of the enemy, Ma
than Hale "a graduate OF Yale College, who had
previously contemplated studying for the minis
try) undertook the perilous job of procuring the
desired infermation. While returning from this
duty, be was 'srecognized by tory relation"
taken to Howe's head quarters, and unceremo-
niously 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 commanded one of Corvallis
divisions, was attacked and surrounded by a
formidable body of backwooismen, 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
s'wera hanged upon the spot"
Many other soul narrowing tales characteristic
of those .'days which tried mems souls" might
be co)lated but they would family depict the
horrors of fratricdal war taking place at this
more advanced stage of our history, with pop
nlation ten times more numerous, and acting
under the influence of passions engendered by
protracted sectional controversy of
Commerce.
Very GooD.-A good anecdote is told OF Mrs.
Patterson, of Baltimore, the lady connected
with the Bonaparte family by marriage. Being
in Italy. at an evening party, it fell to her lot to
he handed 10 to the supper table by young
British nobleman, who had good share OF the
puppy in his composition. Thinking to quiz the
old lady, he said: :,
believe9" 9l -
"a monstrously vulgar people, aren't they 2"
Eyes. but what could you expect when you
consider that they are descended from the Eng
Ishg Had their progenitors, now, been Italians
or Spaniards, we might look for some good
breeding among them."
The nobleman did not venture to address Mrs