Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1862-01-21
The Wer tn MISSOURI. FederaI A,rocit.e,

The War I'm Missouri-. Fedora, Atrocities.
J. W. Tucker, Esq, late editor of the Mis-
souri, State Sentinel, has issued a most able and
eloquent letter in reference to the Missouri mat
ters, from which we copy the following extract
The tory press of Missouri has sought system
atically to persuade our people that the Confed-
crate States did not want Missouri and only used
her for purposes Of defence. We know the coun-
try full well. The lie is patent since Missouri is
now an lnseparable part Of the Southern COnfed-
eracy. But now long shall we wait for practical
military refutation of this insidious faisehood
How will the Secretary OF War at Richmond ex-
plain to the people OF the South the reason why
the Confederate commander of Arkansas and
Southern Missonrl was not peremptorily ordered
to cooperate with Gen. Price The people Of
Missouri, by voting majority of 15O, 900, are as
loyal and as true to the South as those of Geor-
gia or Louisiana. Every Missourian who leaves
his home to enter the army, has made up his
mind to the burning Of his house and the de-
Structlon and robbery of all his moveable prop
erty. He has consented to give up his domicil
to the torch OF the Federal incendiary, and calm
ly says, as have heard them say, ssGve me
Missouri free and with the South, and will &C.
cept her in blackened and smouldripg ruins we
then have an empire rich and great beyond de-
scription." No State has suffered one 1.-THE as
much ours for opinions sake. No Confede-
rate State will ever suffer as much. Odious, un-
heard of oaths are daily imposed upon men at
their homes, and the man who refuses to swear,
dies within the hour. Women are compelled to
swear that they will abjure their husbands if
they prove untrue to Lincoln's Government
Girls are compelled to swear never to espOuse
rebel. Houses are despoiied of all their goods,
even to baby shoes and baby's jewelry and wear
ing apparel. Whole communities are forced by
the bayOnet to transfer all their property by deed
10 the Federal Government to become absolute
on condition they do not play spies on their
neighbors, and betray them to death whenever
they can. It is nothing to reply the deeds, and
the oaths are not binding. The torch and the
sword follow suspicion of a breach Of the con-
dition. The fatted hogs which the Federal rob-
Der cannot use, are left dead in their pens. Fed
eral soldiers of the most brutal and savage char
acter are quartered in private houses, and contri
buttons in money are levied by the thousands for
the support OF the tory refugees, who have never
| been disturbed. Negroes are forced to leave
their masters, and are driven off by hundreds.
| A reign of unknown terror and horrible cruel
| ty afiicts the land. The burning of beautiful
and prosperous towns is pastime. Would Mis-
souri, suffer thus if she had otcounted the cost
and bargained for constitutional liberty Now,
| these oppressed people only lack organization,
and the presence of our great commander to
rend these chains assunder, and become the in
strument in the hand Of Providence to admins
ter the blighting red hot wrath of righteous Hea-
ven upon these assassins. Missouri bleeds and
writhes like a struggling giant, and only wants
the cooperation of fifteen or twenty regiments
/ of brave Southerners to aid in unbinding her suf-
fering people, and then she could offer an army
to her allies if they should require it. 8
"Many True Word Spoken in Jest.v
In one of his late letters, published in the
Milton IN. o. Chronicle that redoubtable pe-
MUS, "Jesse Homes, the Fool Killer,'' has the
following paragraph:
! Among the latest acts of my mualings was a
chap who almost wore his Lungs cut crying for
Immediate secession, and when secession came,
and war with it, he held back under pretence
that his business was such tnat he couldn't leave
homer The truth is, he was afraid. Another
chap of the same kidney, L caught noseing about
for fat office before he could volunteer | have
slaughtered legions of these ssimmediate'' larks
who were going to play the devil with Yankees
If war followed secession; and some of them
that sspitched in'' managed to sspitch out'' as
soon as they snelt gunpowder.
| They sneaked out by various ways-some by
one sailing and some by another; and some by
| getting little civil appointment at home But
since / was born never heard of so many ssail-
ingsH that didn't seem to impair the physical
man Bit The hardest case, however, that |
have had to chaStise, was a clamorous Secesh
| gent, who had business South when the first tan
| Of the drum for volunteer company fell upon
| his ears. They, say he hid in barn as he saw
the man approaching to solicit his name, but be-
| ing found, his excuse was that lie had business
in the South that wouldn't let him do it.