Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1861-03-06
Horrors of Civil war.

The New York Journal of Commerce SAYS with
truth and Justice that it were well If the people of
this country could better understand what civil
war is, without learning it by their own bitter ex
perience. They would stand appalled, before doing
one act which might precipitate it. Something
might be learned by turning to the history of
the American War Of Independence From be.
ginning to end the conflicts of the Wings and To-
ries were marked by acts of surprising atrocity.
OF the siege of Fort Stanwix, on the Mohawk
River, in the year HI, it is recorded that Gen.
Herkimer raised the militia of the neighborhood
to relieve the Fort, but fell into an ambuscade
of Tories and Indians, and "neighbor met neigh
Dor in deadly conflict. The encounter was ex-
ceedingly desperate; quarter was neither given
nor asked. "There were instances" says the
historian, 'when all was over when the death
grasp still held the kife plunged into neighbor 5
heart. 1t seems as if the fight had been pre-
sided over by demons"
Another instance showing the intense animosi-
ty which dctuated men ia those trying times, oc-
CURED at the capture Of Fort Griswold, near New
London, Connecticut After an obstinate ress-
tance, the Americans laid down their arms and
surrendered to the assailants; but the massacre
continued, led on by Major Bromfeld New
jersey Tory. As the story goes, when he enter
ell the fort he inquired who commanded. Col
Ledyard came forward, saving, 81 did, sir, but
you do now" at the same time delivering up his
sword Thereupon, Bromfed plunged the in
strument 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 adj
vantage of the absence of nearly all the able
bodied men, who were then in the army under
Washington, and led on a party of 100 whit,
men and savages. The whole valley was des
olated and the few women and children who
escaped to the mountains afterwards perished un
der Incredible suffering
On another occasion. when the British were II
possession of Long Island, Washington being
anxious TO learn the designs of the enemy, Ma
than Hale, "a graduate of Yale College, who iaC
previously contemplated studying for the minis
try,) undertook the perlous Job of procuring the
desired information. While returning from th,
duty, he ''was recognized by Tory relative,
taken to Howe'S head quarters, and unceremo
niOusly ordered to be executed the next morning
-Four years later, in 1890, the battle of King
Mountain took place in North Carolina. Colope
Ferguson, who commanded one of Corvallis
division was attacked and surrounded by a formi
dable body OF backwOodsmen, many of them from
Kentucky and Tennessee and after sever
struggle they were utterly defeated, after thre,
hundred had been slain. Ten of the Tories
noted for their cruelty to their cOuntrymen, "wer
hanged upon the spot"
Many other soul narrowing tales characteristic
of those days which tried mems souls" nigh
be collated but they would family depict the hor
rors of frantic war taking place at this more ad
vanced stage of our history, with population tel
times more numerous, and acting under the in
fiuence of passions engendered by protracted sec
tional controversy.