The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1862-12-26
Incendiaries Abroad.

We invite attention to the following
from the Atlanta hte,iyener, of Sunday
last:
A few days ago we received letter
from O friend, p. A. Lawson, Esq, near
| Griffin, which we designed laying before
our readers earlier than this, but the
crowded state of our columns, with orig
inal contributions. prevented It, we
now, however, present the reader with
the following extracts from the letter,
which must satisfy oil who read them
that there are incendiaries abroad, for
whom watchml vigilance should be
kept. else, we fear. many a farm and gin
will be enveloped in flames during the
approaching Christmas holidays. The
writer saws:
"lf il be true that misery loves compa-
NY, those who have suffered from the
sume cause ought TO sympa,hize with each
other. On last Sabbath night t29thanlt. y
II had my gin-housa fired by an incendia-
ry. and burned down. with thirty bales of
cotton. two thousand bushels of cotton
seed, fifteen bushels OF oats, eighteen
bushels of peas, ten bushels of goobers, q
new gin and thrasher carriage and bug
gy house, and grain house--damages at
least $4,000. | saw the house when it
was first fired and it is almost incredible
To believe with what rapidity the flames
spread over it. The fire was put in the
lint room, where there were three thou
sand pounds of lint. / can think OF
nothing that so well compares with the
Sight as the lighting up Of one of your
fine churches with gass."
1--WE have upon our place servant OF
as much reliability as any negro IN Geor-
gia, who SAYS that, soon after the fire was
discovered in the gin-hOuse, she saw three
white men of low stature coming from
the direction Of the clubhouse, and pass,
in stopping. saedking manner behind the
negro houses, all dressed alike, with mil
itary caps on, and accompanied 10y large,
light. brindle dog"
THE time has come when planters
should be on the look out for scoundrels,
under the habi!iments of Confederate
soldiers. No man in the Confederacy has
more regard for our brave boys than
have. But for one, for the future, ii will
require something more than a military
cap and convex button, brass or gilt, to
pass in my family, unless | know them
personally. | have seen more strange
looking men passing 10y my house, in the
past two weeks, than ! have seen IN three
months before. can hear buggies pass
ing at all times Of the night; and If all
the men now floating through the coun.
try, with military caps and convex, brass
buttoned coats, right aud properly be-
longing to the army, if they could be sent
back all together, do not think there
would be any more &" fuss ad feather" for
twelve months to come. Cannot | induce
you through your most invaluable paper,
TO arouse the planters of Georgia to more
diligence in these alarming times. ]
hope 50 at least"
What is a poor man to do?-cotton all
buIned-no salt-taxes TO pay-and no
chance to collect any money! But for my
faith in God, should give up. Could
have saved enough to have paid my taxes,
and bought my salt, could have gotten
along finely. But as it is, am quite at
loss what to do"
Our friend Lawson's case is certainly
hard one The fends who have thus de-
stroyed his property, must be Incarnate
ones, and traitors To the cause OF the
South, going about seeking whom they
may devour" The people, in country
and in town, should keep a bright look
out for these prowling scoundrels. They
are to be found almost everywhere, with
the military cap and convex buttons,
wearing the livery of our brave soldiers
ITO serve the devil in" We are abiders
by the law, and always counsel modera-
ton, but we would, nevertheless, not hes
itate TO leyaiise the act that would sum-
marily hang the incendiary caught in
putting fire to either public or private
in these times, and we hope
some such example will yet be set.