Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-09-05
Yankee VandaIisnI on tAe .Tames River
Plantation.
We take the following from the Petersburg

We take the following from the Petersburg
ElPysss:
Coggin's Point, opposite the Berksloy estate.
was tie home Of the venerable Edmund Ruffia,
Sr.i and Of his son. Edmund Rufiu, Jr., who
was Tecently an officer in the Confederate army.
The family Of neither Of these gentlemen were
on the premises during their occupation by the
Yankee seoun3Tels, having been prudent enough
% Withdraw in time 10 safer locality. The
farm has long enjoyed The reputation of the
highest improved and most valuable on the
lower Jemes, and a. the time the enemy ap-
peared uponit it had luIurisnt crops of wheat,
corn and clover growing upon il besides being
well stocked with horses, mules, cattle and pro
visions. Nearly all the slaves belonging TO Capt
tain Rafin had bsen allowed TO remain, aud al
though before The landing of the enemy most Of
the more valuable furniture Of the mansion had
been removed, much OF ths old and inferior re-
mained. There was q cottage in the yard in
which the elder Rnfin had % apartment which
hs regularly occupied, and provided with neces-
tary furniture. All the inside doors Of the
dwelling had been left open and the drawers IN
/ locked, under tue vain expectation they would
thus escape bsing broken TO pieces by the mis-
creanis. i. is known that Edmund Rufin, Sf,
had the honor of firing the first gun at Fort
Sumter. This, With the additional circumstance
OF his son having held commission in tho
Confederate army, reused UP the dlstardy spits
oi the Yankee bandits to the highest pitch, aud
tney no sooner took possession of the
premises than they commenced their per
tofmances in the vindictive line Most Of
the slaves had absconded TO them soon after
theIr gunb0Ats came up the river. Only
eleven remained on the place, and shese
wero soon stolen and carried off by the bandits
Dir. Rotiin Jr, lost, in all, eighty-six of his
negroes. All the cattle. sheep and hogs except
three Of the former and few of the latter that
were running st large and could not probably
be seen, together with ten mules, wero stolen.
The valuable Libraries. both Of the old gentlsnan
and his son, were also stolen. Not volume of
either was left, and as this kind Of property
could not serve the thieves for any present use,
the presumption is, that It was shipped to New
York or Philadelphia, where it viii be suesOned
of for moaey Along with the library, Mr.
Rufiu, Sr, lost all his general correspondence
for the lest eigbteen years, embracing many val
liable letters from distinguished men His room
in the cottage was stripped of every thing in it,
Book cases, desks, drawers, and every article in
beth houses that could MT be carried off, were
more or less broken or ds.1sged. Doors were
wrenehed from thsir hiugSs, and otker similar
injuries inflicted on the property, which, as they
could not In any way profit the plunderers, can
be set down only to the account OF maiignity.
The knobs of drawers were ell unserewed and
carried of; also most Of the hooks in closets
and elsewhere. Every bell was stolen The
only thing that was not done to damage tie pro-
prietor vas that the houses were not burnt. Bat
the windows were broken, aud the inner walls
ali defscsd by charcoal seribblings Of the most
rascslly character, chiefly expressive of con-
cent? ted maignity toward Z. Rufin, 81.
Mrs Martha Cooke, Of Tar Bay, next neigh
T,or ff Cav,tafr, Ruffiss fsrad m halter than ha
did The whole of that rich and aourishing
vicinage has been reduced to state of perfect
desolation, from which we fear, it viii not for
years recover. Other fine old seats on the river,
venerable for their antiquity, and renowned,
some Of them, from their associations with the
early history Of Virginia, have shared like or
even a worse fate.