Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-08-30
wiseries Of wur.
The following description of scenes which
met the eye on the retirement of McClei an S
force from James river, is from the correspond
ent of The New York TflRes;

The following description of scenes which
met the eye on the retirement of McClei an S
force from James river, is from the correspond
ent of the New York Times;
CHARLES CITY COURT HOUSE.
| At eight o'clock, A. AI, the head of the column
| halted st Charles City Court House, the old
county seat, where half an hour was spent in
! preparing and eating the morning meal: Al
the city there is here consists of the two build
I ings constituting the court house and clerk
I office, which contained the county records
There is an old hotel building on the opposite
! side of the road, with a wide spreading porch,
whose frsmeless windows and doorways testify
that it was long since abandoned to the owls and
bats.
The court house is s very old structure, built
of brick and covered with slate. 1t was erected
during the last half of the seventeenth century,
and contains the oldest records of any other
county in the State l regret to say that all
these old books with the records of real estate
titles and other papers, which must be of great
value to the country, have been wantonly scat
tered in confusion about the premises, covering
the floors and dooryards, and are almost wholly
destroyed. A more impressive exhibition OF the
destructive effects of war could scarcely be I'M
agined, than to see those old an cherished books
OF record and title papers scattered to the winds
OF tTOdden under foot. Sems portions OF these
records date back to 1906 and 1873, and exhibit
some neat ana mastery specimens OF penman-
ship Charcoal carica lures Of fierce sud mus
tached horsemen, ornamented the WhlteTashed
walls evidently intended to counterfeit some
cavalry officer Of the German persuasion. The
premises ara thiekly overgrOwn with rank weeds,
aud neglect and decay are stamped on every
thing around l cannot persuade myself that
New England soldiers would be guilty Of such
vandalism.
STATE OF THE ROADS
The roads through this part Of Virginia are
now in excellent condition, and with the excep-
tion OF an occasional run" with its steep and
stony activities, snd wet crossing, presents no
obstacle TO a tolersbly rapid march. The dis
tric trayersed by Porters corps is said to be the
garden Of Virginia. At present, however, it
more nearly resembles wilderness, on account
of the deserted and uncultivsted state of the
farms. The large majority Of the estates are
almost wholly deserted and o7eTgrown with
rank weeds. The owners have gone to the
wars, and the negroes have gone with them, or
have run and found their way into the lines Of
the national army.
At Colesville, a fine old estate within two
miles of Charles City, large part of the farm
lies waste, the owner, a specimen Of the old
Virginia gentleman, remaining at home to la
ment his misfortunes, and to look after what re-
mains Of the property and negroes He tells a
dismal story Of the desOlation among his neigh
boTs property. Many farmers, he stated, hsVe
lost all their hands, and their places have been
visited by the soldiers, who have taken away
whole hocks Of sheep, aud deyOured the pigs
and poultry. Some persons, be asserts, have
lost S2s 600 and $4,000 worth of property.
FoRAGING BY THE SOLDIERS.
With prudent regard to the lean condition
Of their Eaversscks, the soldiers who brought up
a.. ,r 81
TO come short of ratiOns, and availed themselves
Of every opportunity to obtain supplies. The
people Of VTginia-at least this part of it-ale
beginning to experience, for the first time, the
presence Of real war. Comparatively few men
cen be found on the various estates which is
strongly Suggestive Of the fact that they have
gone 10 swell the ranks OF tho secession army.
A great many widows" abound along the road
These pleaded piteously to have their hena
ducks and geese spared, but in most cases they
were unheeded, unless the occupants scenes
really poor. The hearts OF the soldiers were be-
low their stOmaehs, which were generally too
camOTOUs TO permit these appeals to reach the
relenting spot Everywhere one could hear the
imploTing screams OF motherly hens torn ruth
lessiy from their unpitied brood Ducks euack-
ed, geese squawked, and turkeys gobbled aud
gave up the ghost. The pigs generally So snelt
mice" and skedaddled out Of reach, or hid in
Aile t@A sithos-
Frequently officers would pause for moment
opposite some farmers gate, TO see that their
spective commands passed by without commit
ting depredations, but generally there were large
parties Of stragglers, purposely lingering behind
their regiment, and these would skillfully exc
cute f ank movements upon hen roosts and barn
yards, charging with unwOnted gallantry upon
the retreatiug columns of fowls, or mounting
the imminent deadly breach through some barn
door or window, incsutiously left open by the
proprietor, and returning with the spoils in the
shape Of full-bTeasted spring chickens and other
luxures.
Mrs Christian was used in an unchristian
manner, having most of her young stock carried
off by the hungry crowd. Her appeals, aided
by your correspondent were for a time success
ful but as the day passed on the soldiers grew
less scruPulous their appetites grew stronger,
and then even the officers found it impossible
TO restrain them. In spite Of my general prin-
cipes l found this indiVidualapplicsiiOn of them
a difficult task Mrs. Christian seemed indeed
widow, and very lsdy-hke person, and withsl
had family of sixteen children, white aud
black, to provide for. The soldiers, however,
found out that she had q son in the Confederate
army, and allowed that he ought to have re-
maned to look after the chickens. Finding it
impossible longer to Withstand the impetuous
charge Of the troops, % w" ordered our horse
and beat retreat, leaving the household III tears
and the neighboring atmosphere Tesonent with
the outeTies of expiring poultry, and alive with
flying feathers. The carnage was terrible and
my pen falters at any further description of the
scene.