Newbern weekly progress., 1862-08-30
Gen. stefnwehr's Order.

Gen. SfeIn1VeEr's Order.
Whatever the word "Guerilla" may
signify in other countries; whateye
may have been the practice of the
Guerilla and Guerilleros in Spain
where the word had its origin, the
one term signifying the party andstlse
other. the partizan in whatever
light these Spanish warriors may
have been viewed, however they may
have been treated by their adversaries,
there can be little doubt what signif-
cation the word has assumed in this
rebellion. It means the shooting of a
man behind the back. It means the
firing upon solitary sentry from be-
hind fence at dead Of night, at New
bern. It means the beating out of
pickets' brains at Washington. It
means the slaughter of helpless women
and children in Tennessee. 1t means
the assassination of sick officer, borne
helpless in an ambulance in Alabama,
"a crime which will be told in all flu
ture history with an infamy equal to
that borne by the assassination OF
A'Becket in England, Sharpe in Scot
land, or William the Silent in the Meth
erlands. It means cowardice. 1t
means n2urGer.
knowing all these things, every one
will read with pleasure the following
order of Brigadier General Steinwehr,
Of Gen. Pope's army, formerly Colonel
of the goth n. Y. Volunteers:
HEADQUARTERS SECOND DIvIsIoN,l
Green's Farm, July 13, 1862.
Special Order, No: 6.
Major William Stedman, commar ding
9th regiment Ohio Volunteer Cavalry, will
cause the arrest of five (5) of the most prom
inent citizens of Luray, Page County, Va,
and send them to these headquarters with
an escort), as hostages. They will he held
as long as we remain in this vicil4i " They
will share my table, and be treated as
friends; but, for every one of our soldiers
who may be slot by ''bushwhackers. one
of these hostages will suffer death, unless
the perpetrators Of the deed are delivered
up to me- 1t is well known that these So
called 'bushwhackers'' are inhabitants Of
the district, and encouraged in their COW
ardly acts by the prominent citizens here
You Will leave q copy of this order with
the family of each man arrested by yon.
A. STEINN EHR,
Brig. Gen. &C m'd'g I'd Division.
There is a peculiar justice in hold
ing these appointment citizens" respon-
sible for these atrocities, for they are
i'll fact responsible for them. Every
one, in any degree familiar with the
details of outpost duty in this war,
will recall to his recollection the face
of more than one of these "prominent
citizens" He will remember their
houses situated either little within or
without our lines, built in better fash
ion than those of their poorer neigh
bors, weather. beated and out of repair,
perhaps, now, but still retaining evil
dences of prosperity Or wealth some
scores Of years ago. He will bring up
before his mind the scattered, empty
negro huts, the overgrowu yard, the
chance horse, the frequent pig. More
than all, will he recall their master
leaning over the gate with an ill-con-
cealed sinister frown on his face. He
has seen nothing Of the rebel pickets,
or the footprints of whose horses are
yet fresh behind his house. Two or
three were there some weeks ago
They never come now. In fact he
rather doubts whether there are such
things at all. He has always been a
good union man. Should one enter
his house, perhaps one might find in
rather an out Of the way corner a
double barrelled gun loaded with
slugs. But these, he says, are for
coons and such vermin. 1t has been
loaded some time, in fact-he did not
know 1t was there. Let the picket
leave this 'prominent CITIZEN" and
look back and see him leaning over
bis gate with his face more sinister
than before; but let him be careful
how he goes much further, and of all
things to beware how he ventures near
that mans house after: dark. This is
one of the class of men whom General
oteinwehr proposes to hold response
Die, and the only wonder felt at his
order, is that he is willing TO receive
them at his table.