Arkansas true Democrat., 1862-05-08
4 Letter from Missouri Lady to
 Eaderal Officer


 Letter from Missouri Lady to a
 Federal Officer.
 The following letter was published few days since in city paper, but as it contained many errors, we have been requested to publish it, that the errors may be corrected, and correct copy of it given to the public
 PUBLISHED BY REQUEST
 CALLAwAY COUNTY, MISSOURI, ]
 January 20, 1862.
 Col. f. IT. HaYe, Commander q Me Federal
 Forces at Fulton, Missouri:
 SIR Will you pardon an intrusion which nothing but mothers solicitude could induce? l am informed that a part ot your command are now engaged in pillaging and despoiling the home which left few days since, because expected daily to be turned out as other help less women have been by the same forces, but especially because am threatened with arrest 1 understand that our estate is to be confscated and myself and little children are to be driven from plentiful and happy home into abect poverty and want. l cannot express astonish- ment at this, for troops whose highest glory is the forcible seizure of unarme1 citizens or midnight assault on a haystack or brushpie, will not hesitate to stoop to any depth of in fanny.
 suppose that am to be held responsible for my husbands political hereses," and upon this premise 1 found the right thus to address you. My husband sir, is in the Southern army. He is a "rebel, and l glory in the fact. He is in favor of constitutional liberty-a warm friend of that freedom which our torefatbers estab- lished, and is therefore, opposed to the dictator ship which "his holiness the pope, Abraham, has reared on its ruins. In common with others, he is battling to drive horde of mercenary in- vaders from the State, that freemen, instead of hireling butchers, may decide the destiny of Missouri. If for this my home has been desc lated, or my helpless children made beggars, welcome poverty and banishment. l had ra- ther the idol of my heart would go down amid the wreck and storm Of battle in death strug~ gle for liberty, that l and my innocent babes should be plunged into orphanage, penniless, than that he should disgrace Us by the slight est submission to a foe without principle and without honor.
 From your position the inference is reason able that you are "ac+ing under authority from Washington Now, while 1 have a profound contempt for the author of your faith, charity would suggest that. you be held personally cul pablo only so far as you lend yourself to the prosecution of his atrocious designs-while 1t would thus not be foreign to good manners to allow you the benefit of any doubt that might arise as to your conduct. Individually, it IS no part of my purpose to whitewash the record which your own unholy zeal has written in our midst, of homes made tenantless, of hearts lace rated, of affections throne dismantled. No grade of authority" no style of military ne cessity," can purchase exemption for that single tragedy, tthe Criswell murder) the memory of which will cling to the murderer like the mark on Cain while he lives, and forever doom him when he dies.
 Although, sir, the individual rights Of pro perty, as recognized and guarantied in your constitutions chartered privileges have been annulled and made void by armed rogues, and its most sacred provisions violated in thousand forms, would it not be well, even yet, to pay at least passing respect to that ancient and |" higher law which says. "Thou shalt not steal; thou shalt not covet thy neghbor's man servant, nor his maid servant nor anything else which is his.' This latter clause would, l supp pose, embrace corn, hay, oats, horses, cattle, and might possibly have peJy remote refer ence to articles of the household, books, pricate papers, etc.
 If sir you came to Missouri to fight, as is so vauntingly said, why, pray you, do you not go where you can get accommodations and cross foemen worthy of your steel? Why do you in sist on the stereotyped evasion that our general can't be caught" won't fight" cant be found,' etc, when it is patent to the whole world that your army have found him on seve- ral occasions, and were welcomed with bloody hands at Springfield, at Drywood, and at Lex ington? He is even now preparing for your re- IL 1l Nf ha. season at his favorite stand in the southwest.
 With so excellent host at your service, why aggravate a skirmish with undisciplined and unoffending citizens;and when defeated by them, why drag from the bed and the freside aged men and little boys, and publish long list of " pri- soners of war to embeish another brilliant achievement of our arms?" Why Is it that, in stead of meeting men u,arshaled in arms, it is so much more preferable, in the language of one of Quixote Lincoln's local Sancho Panga's, to surprise" defenseless men with cavalry in out of.the way tarm houses, in hay lofts and in corn stacks, capturing them in detail? Where IS the tranquility" you came here to restore, aye, and that "protection' you came to give to all is it not such as vultnres give to lambs2
 There is seeming inconsistency, colonel, in thus proclaiming the majesty of freedom and the glory of independence to a people beleagur- ed with bayonets, and deprived of the simplest privileges of American citizenship. The peo ' pie of our country are now unfortunately situ, ated much as were our gracious sovereign's loyal subjects few weeks since, when covering with mortal fear under the roar of the British lion, in the complications of the Trent affair. Can you not sympathize with us? But one more question, and l will not trouble you further.-- With what favor does your newly patented oath meet?-that oath at which liberty revolts and freedom shrieks that monster oath which fear of death, or the dungeon, still more intolerable, forces us to approach with smile and turn from with compliment, though the heart sickens with disgust and the brain burns with lAdigna' ton while heartless tyranny imposes 1t: Let me ask you, sir, if you clam to be sen, sihle man, and ye. believe that the conselences