The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1862-12-30
UNPARALLELED ENORMITY.
From the Richmond ENQUIRER.


We have before us copies of two depositions,
| which detail the circumstances Of one Of the most
fendish outrageS which truly diabocal foe has
| yet perpetrated. These depositons have been
forwarded to the War Department through our
generals in North Carolina where the erine was
committed. The deponents are Caswell Woods
| and Elizabeth his wife, of the county of Craven
MIR. Woods is certified to by Gen. Evans, as being
"a respectable citizen and loyal to our cause,
which with his being poor man, seem 30 be tba
o1Iy of the ferdsh Outrages by the heIlish
savages" 1t is also stated that he is class lea.
der in the Methodist Church It is due to the
civilized world aud tU outraged humanity, that
the facts stated in these dispositions should be
known, and yet they are too infamously obscene
to be fully described in newspaper. The house
of these quiet and aged citizens was visited on the
night of the I'd of October, by two Yankee
troopers, armed with pistols aud sabres, One of
them (the younger,j who was addressed by the
other as Captain" and sometimes as John, rode
into the piazza, burst open the front door, and
then rode in the house, The other, who was sd-
dressed by the "captain" sometimes as Charlie,
sometimes as George, and Lieutenant, walked in.
Mr.. Woods had retired to bed. We copy from
bis depositions:
81 came down stairs in hurry, in my night
clothes, and the one on the horse said to me, "you
id old rey-headed son Of b-h, where were
you day before yesterday" and when | told him
was home, he said, "you lie, for you shot at me-"
Upon this presence they cut out the cord from
bed in the room, said they would hang him, but
finally tied him, took him out of the house and
lashed him to tree, 9Th the threat of instant
death if he made any outcry or attempted to get
loose They returned to the house and locked the
door after them, and the old man had the mex
pressible agony of listening for the rest of the
night to the screams and doleful lamentations Of
his wife and daughter.
The statement made by Mrs Woods 10 her
deposition Of what passed inside is truly heart
rending. The unparalleled williams made the poor,
helpless women not merely the victim of their
brutul lust, but accompanied the outrage, which
is worse than death, with circumstances that mark
them as the most devilish even among the most
abandoned of villains. Commencing by cursin.
Jesus Christ, with pistol in hand and With threat
of instant death, the deponent was required by
one of the beasts to dvcst herself Of every parti-
Gle of clothing. But this was almost Christian
treatment compared with other acts which may
not be related. While such vas her own suffer
ings, the shreks of her daughter in another room
told that hers was a similar fate. About sunrise
the next morning the human devils departed,
leaving horrible disease with those whom they
had otherwise so terribly outraged
1t is with pain that such sketch as the above
is admitted into the columns Of the Enquirer.
But it is due to our own people and to the world
that the villainies of our enemies shl)uld be
known. The depositions have been laid before us
with the suggestion endorsed thereon oy the Ad
jutant General, that much of this account as
is not too foul for publication shsuid DO given to
the public, through the press, in order that the
righteous indignation of people, our Generals
and our armies, may, under the Providence Of
God, visit just retribution upon an enemy so
fend-like" Concurring in the propriety Of tho
suggestion, we have acted accordingly
We are happy to say that Gen. Gustavus W
Smith has directed every effort to be made TO
ascertain the names of the parties, and to "de-
mand their delivery for trial and punishment =
We hope copies of the depositi7ns have been
forwarded to the authorities Of the enemy Surely
there some, even among them, who would b
borrifed by such conduct The vengeance 81
Heaven n,ust li.,ht urop than end thar cattea