Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1862-09-02
ENQCiRi'F'S Ci.i:nESFuEDENCE
To tht EaT,rs of tie Enquirer.

nH,SGE {. H., Aug 90, 1867.
Eentlenen:---SGP1o posing hrie! I:arTati7e Of
thu condition ri affairs il our native e+ctlun
would afford you some interest, l herewith
send you statement of one case coming UNI
der my observation. which affords a fair Illus
rratian Of hundreds that exist, showing the
course pursued by the Yandal hordes &c Lin
coin.
On my return FROM visit to the "Sionc
wall Brigade" weary and hungry, called
at fine mansion, three niles below fa2idan
Station. It wss beautiful residence, sur
rounded by fich bottom lands aud what gave
evidence of once luxuriaut fields CT corT.--
hut lis present appearance indicated that the
Nero Pope bad visited tnst section.
Arriving ut tie house, al aged servant va.
man met ne at tar door, and, on inquiry, III
formed me that Mrs. Robertson and her
daughter, Mrs. R"rsy, wida~ in4.ca, were the
sole " mite occupants 2f the house. Mrs. R:i-
bertson vas prostrated on bad OF grief, and
her daughter had gone some miles to procure
the family some food.
AS soon as this Christian lady learned that
Confederate soldier was at the door, she
! arose from her bed, and with feeble steps, aI-
proached me-. asked her for few mnuti-
fuls Of bread and meat. She said, "You shall
have it, if it wes tho last ia the house-God
will provide for me-" She added -"popn's
army, out of large supply Of bacon, hnre
only left me one small shoulder and R joie, the
balsnce was carrind 81 They also robbed
ME If I'll nv poultry, hogs, corn and suhsis-
tencs generally" encouraged tls "lu lady
UY sariuc Thar the tears nj the " :3n:- and
walls nj thu orphan would MAKE rnsrts OF
pigm:as and heroes Of cowards. Ihat ,Eesv
wronEs would and must be avenged
She then escorted ne through her house,
marked by the tracks Of the despoils,s.-
Tie Once elegant rooms, furnished with
good taste ind at heavy expense, were QUO
scene Of destruction. a fine mahogany Sec
rotary wss broken to pieces and the drawers
carried into TIE gard and used as troughs
in which to feed their horses. 4 mahogany
! side-board was smashed into splirters with an
axe. Gilt china, dessert pans, ice cream
| stands, goblets md decantsrs Of the best
quality, ware BROKEN into fra gI;snts-almo5t
literally ground to aust. Her wardrobe vas
destroyed and the contente stalen. The
there's carried m c@sTy TfSIige OF clothing
Of these pious ladies', except shat they were
wearing, from tie .ineGt silk dresses down 10
night-gowns sna caps aud cvcn their phncs
and stockings. Rocking chairs were destroy
eli and sidc1 taru int, shreds ami streu
over tho yard. uanesh window curtains
were converted into hoTse-ccrers. Bed
blankets, counterpa1cs, sheets, quilts, pillows
and carpets we're packed on horses and yar-
ried to Pope's camp. The family Bible, TIE
most precious and sacred OF sll 1aaijIy relct;,
and the religious hooks whose Ier'isaI vas
50 pleasant To these pious ladies, escaped not
the ruthless hands Of the brutes; they were
all taken, and ,hoze they were not disposed
to keep were torn 20 pieces ard tho leaves
scattered over the premises. 10 add still
more to their inEamy, they even robbed this
"mother in Erael"of her only spectacles, com
mon steel-framed ones. Thus was this fami-
ly reduced from af1luence 70 want, and de-
spoiled of all the necessaries Of life. 1t re-
minded me much Of the description We 1and
Of laundering Arabs.
;lrs. Roney's guitar and ACCORDION we're
DESTROYED. TIE Piano, alone. was saved.
From the. latter one. of the company made
music, while the others danced upon the
floors, and amused themselves by kicking tie
panels out of the DOORS True 20 their in
stincts, these hell-hounds tapped up the cur.
rant jellies and jars Of sweet meats. In the