The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1862-03-14
Terrible State of Affairs in Missouri


ers, or Lincoln sympathiser, who can
rise from the perusal of these extracts
without a change of sentiment or feel
ing of horror at his association and fra
ternity of opinion, then his proper place
is not here, but in the ranks of the rob
Der bands who are perpetrating the acts
recorded:
"But the saddest tale is yet to be told.
Wehave war, civil war, savage war, among
US and in our midst. All the blood-hounds
of Kansas and nigger-thieves are here,
robbing the people Of every yestige OF
property that is MISUNDERSTANDING
towns and farm houses, and shooting down
men every few days. all the negroes that
was left, or nearly all in the counties oil
jackson, Csss and Bates-in fact all the
border counties, have gone to Kansas: Ell
Their run OFT, or went with the Federal
troops or Federal devils to Kansas. DIR.
j. G. Lea formerly of Bradley county
is broke up, lock, stock and barrel. The
LAWMAKERS took all his stock, wagons,
meat, burnt his wheat, and robbed his
house until they are almost on sutieranee.
But, my dear sir, the worst has not
been told yet, by one half. 1t is heart
rending to relate, too bad TO put on pa
per, but nevertheless true. About four
weeks ago. John Calloway's boy, Albert,
and Hugh's wife's two boys, Jacob and
Ed, all ran off TO Kansas City, and about
two weeks ago a lot of Jennispn's meu,
some 600 or 500, come down from Kaasas
City to Harrlsonville and killed Colonel
Hurst and three other citizens, and wound
ed 10 or y. They then robbed on TO
Westpoint-then returned to Morristown,
some eight or ten miles from your mo-
theirs, and the three boys were with them.
Some of the men and these three negroes
come to your mothers and to John Cal
laway's and his son James'-they found
no men at home-they took all their
horses, oxen, COWS, and wagons, and then
went back to camps. Your mothers boy,
Pink, said he would 60 to camps and try
to get these boys to come back. He stay
ed all night, and returned next day with
a posse of men, yoked up the oxen and
put them to her wagon and drove up to
the house and put every negro on the
place in it, even old RhOda. They put in
all their plumber, and then gathered all
the clothing that had been hid--then
sacked the house, took all the bed-cloth-
ing except scant supply for one bed, all
the women's wearing clothes and chill
dren's, and all of the meat except one or
two pieces, your mother having killed her
hogs short time previous. They, also,
robbed John and James johnson Of all
their household goods and meat. John
and his son 10, and Jim, are in the
Southern army, or went in that direction
the last | heard from them. There is not
a negro left on the place, old or young,
and FIVE white women and nine children
there alone; and not an OK or horse on
the place. Johns wife and children are
there with your mother. | heard from
them on yesterday-they were burning
the negro cabins for fre-wood, and had no
meal or -four and were boiling corn so as
to grit it. have sent them some meat
today, and their neighbors are threatened
if they aid them or see to them in any
way; and the negroes say they will burn
the house before they leave. Some OF the
same devils were in our town three days
last week. and Albert, Johns boy, was
with them, armed as soldier, mounted
on horse. lie quartered at my house
with two other negroes and six or seven
white men. We had to feed them or be
robbed of all we had"
when the last Jayhawkers left here
they had fifty or sixty negroes with them,
about hundred head of horses, $50
head of cattle, and any amount of house
hold plumber that they had robbed the
people of. Hundreds Of families are now
destitute of every comfort OF life. | tell
you we arein deplorable condition here,
and getting worse every day, and by
Spring our country will be desert waste
all the stock and men will be driven
out of the country, and the women and
children will have to suffer, unless the
Southern army returns soon."
The letter from which these extracts
are taken, is lengthy one, detailing acts
such as are described above. The writer
is known to many people in this vicinity,
and his statements may be relied on as
truthful. The crimes and brutalities now
being enacted IN Northwestern Missouri,
are such as the people Of this section will
have to endure should a Federal force
succeed in getting possession Of East Ten
nessee. And yet we cannot keep from
our view the fact, that we have in our
very midst men who are watching and
pining for their coming. Fellow-citizens,
once more we tell you, that if the FEEDER
alists ever make lodgment in East Ten
-nessee Just such scenes as are recorded
above, will ensue here. Your farms will
be laid waste, your stock killed, negroes
taken of, your dwellings aud towns per-
ish by the TORCH and your women and
children be forced out, houseless and
homeless, prey to exposure and want.
But shall the myrmidons Of the black
and ruthless despotism by whose conni-
vance and liberation such deeds are per-
petrated, be permitted to pitch their
tents and light their camp fires in this
fair region? Never! Never! Let US rally
as one man, and with such weapons as
we can command, meet them ut thebor7
der, and by the memories Of the past and
the hopes of the future, resolve to drive
them back Or perish in the attempt. Bet
ter that every plain and valley should be-
come q golgotha, aud every stream and
mountain rill purple with our blood, than
such fatel
The Stampeders.
l.