Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1862-12-23
FROM FREDERICKSBU URG.
Especial Correspondence of Richmond Enquirer" 81
FREDrRlcHsRURG, Va, Dec. L., lSG

INTO night. wrote you last night Of what
had heQrd in regard to matters hcrtahouts.
Tonight can appeal to facts which mine
own eyes have witnessed, and 10 ohscrva.
tions common to all who chose to make lh.m,
Sin vindication," rs the Brute Butler once
said, "of the truth Of history
But where shall | begin, or il, what Sc
quence shall recount the sights which
have this day witnessed Fredericksburg
has been sacked and in part burned. Would
to Heaven that not one Stone had been left
upon another rather than it should have
been the scene Of such ficndish work, az is
everyw here discernablc
Had Satan, in tho councils Of Hell, called
together the worst spirits Of the damned, and
charged them to pour out upon this people
the concentrated walls Of their wrath, hon
estly believe less mischief would have been
done by them than the Union restoring
Yankees. The scene sickcns the sight, ami
human language is inadequate to express the
amount and manner OF injuries inflicted
Not single dwelling, office or clubhouse,
in the town, escaped their search, Use anl
abuse. Where families remained, it was only
to be insulted by the rutlianly mob, whose
incentive to action, if not battle cry, was
"hooty and destruction" a most respccta-
BILE gentleman OF the town, whose house had
been plundered on Thursday night. waH
awakened 10y efforts made on Friday night 20
furce it open. fastening at once to admit
them, rather than have hlS portals destroyed.
he was bidden to prepare supper for tho
party. On replying that ibis provisions had
all been destroyed on the previous night,
the leader Of thu ilupulent gang Of thieves,
with pistol in hand, said, Il must Seu tur my
| self that " hat you say is 50. VERY "eiI,
said the gentleman, "Cone on." lie did so,
and looking at but one room, that sight was
enough for thicying Yankee. Tic said, 81
am satisfied" and left. Tine same gentleman
met General Patrick Preston the same day,
| ard having known him when here ms Militia
rv Governor, extended his hand 10 Kim and
| asked for o guard to protect his prnpr"ty.-
Preston replied. with much feeling, 81 cannot
| take your hand; the tirae is past for that; nor
will protect you- property; if you can per
s,ladc the men not 70 injure your effects you
can do so; if not, you must take the conse-
que2ces." This leads to the observation
that the pillaging and wanton destruction Of
property was not only permitted by those in
command, hut was aut horizcd. In ether
words, the Yankes troops sacked the town
as their reward for crossing the river.
In proof Of this On Monday, the day Of
their departure, wagons were busy running
all day, carrying oir bedding, furniture, ard
Il,
The damage to the town can be- estimated
at $50, 600 and this think, low figure
If one SHOULD question this, he has hut to
visit the town and sec the amount OF property
actually destroyed. and then contemplate tn,
wsnton abuse which everywhere meets the
gaze. Nearly every door in town has herr
broken, windows are torn from their places
shutters wronche,l forcihly from the walls
fencing pulled down, scattered and burned,
beds ripped open and the feathers or st, aw
as the case may, be, Strown over iloorS
streets aud alleys, mirror frames scattered
here snd there, crohbed Of their glasses
crockery and glass ,,earn broken int" .-the't-
sand fragments, printing offices pitched into
pi, -four wasted on every square and corner
Of the streets, the houses that are lclt, riiict
with shot and shell through sides and roofs
books taken from the libraries, backs torn
off and leaves flying in every direction even
children's clothing and play things ripred to
pieces and scattered to the winds. Provl-
sions of all sorts stolen, and what could not
10 used, DESTROYED. Dead Yankees arc lying
in every part Of the t"wn-and in thick pro
fusion in the Fair Grounds. Every iron
safe in the city was forcibly broken open ard
their contents atStrac.od, as far rs was valu
able, and the rest consigned TO the iiln'cs.--
Merchants books OF accounts IN every III
stance mutilated, destroyed or carried off,
The grave-stones, shat !or years have silently
marked the last resting place Of the dead, have
been laid hold of with violent hands. and nu
tilatcd and destroyed. The arms and legs Of
dead Yankees challenge the sight at every step.
The walls Of houses are Gcrinb led over with
their wretchcd vulgarity and obsccn'ty. and
the houses in soIne instances turned into sta
bles and even used for worse purposes. = he
sanctuares Of the living God nave been vio.
lated and abused Mercitul Father in Hea-
| ven what recital and W hat people,
We could go on in our recital, it secms to
us, ad infnitum but we forbcar. Our enc
mies provoked in all this, the vengeance not
Of man, but of Jehovah.
| 4 ;On Friday they were ri"t!i.g with dciW''9iI
lust and unbridled license. On Saturday tho
bloody and fatal battle field. told lho work OF
wful rstributon so recently evoked and SO
sisnsly manifested. The tale of blood and car
mage was truly frightful. Our men, shielded by
natural and Providrntlal barriers IN The
hands Of the Almighty, administered Il most
terrible chastisemcnt to those who had out
ragud man and deticd God. The work If
done, and the almost entire appropriation OF
| the houses Of the town IA hospitals. and tho
further fact, that many Of their wounded had
to he cared for in the streets. where they
have since died, and where their bodies still re-
main, satisfy the belief that the shock Of bat
| tic to them was appalling in rho highest de-
gree. Fifteen thousand will nat ccvcr thci1
lnss-my word Tor it.
have conversod with citizens .f inclli-
gencc. and from all the information can OBJ
tain, there were at least 10000 Yankees
in the town prepared to engage in the fight
on Saturday. 1t may have gone up to $4,000.
Every street running parallel with the rive,
was literally packed with the Yankees.
whilst on tho sidewalks Of the streets ruit-
ming at right angles with the river As many
were placed as it was deemed save TO put in
such position. Not only was This the case
but numerous private lots we're full Of troops
likewise. This, be it remembered, vas only
on their right. On their left they had a force
equally as large, if not lnrgcr.
T think there can he no doubt thst the
officers would have renewed The fight OIL
Monday, could they have gotten the men to
the work, or have relied upon thcm. Fol
they so announced hcre and SO autographed
to their journals-but it was no 60. They
themselves, admitted that 5U0OUU men could
not have carried our position: They left OIL,
Monday, evidently alarmed Jest jackson
aided by Providence and high wafer, should
cut them off. Their officers, who came over
under flag of truce to-day, wonder why Gen.