Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-04-18
= sCATu5NG LETTER FROM 4 Mis-
SOURE LADY.
[PUBLIsHED BY REQuEsT.7

Fulton, Missouri
SIR: VIII you pardon an intrusion which
nothing but a mothers soHcitude could induce ?
I am informed that part of your command are
now engaged in piIlaging and despoiling the
home which left a few days since, because
expected daily to be turned out as other helpless
women have been by the same forces, but esPe-
cialy because l am threatened with arrest
understand that our estate is to be confscsted,
and myself and little children are to be driven
from plentiful aud happy home into abject
poverty and want. ! cannot express astOnish-
ment at this, for troops whose highest glory is
the forcible seizure of unarmed citizens or a
midnight assault on haystsck or brushpile,
will not hesitate to stOOp to any depth OF infamy.
l suppose that | am to be held responsible for
my husbands political heresies" and upon
this premise l found the right tAus 70 address
you. My husband, sir is in the southern army.
He is rebel, =" and ] glory in the fact. He is
IN favor Of constitutional Hberty-a warm friend
OF that freedom which our Oretathers established,
and Is. therefore, opposed to the dictatorship
which his holiness the pope Abraham, has
reared on Its ruins. In common with others, he
| is battling to drive a horde of meTCenary iuva-
ders from the State, that fTeemen, instead Of
hireling butchers, may decide the destiny OF
| Missouri. II for this my home has been desc
lated, or my helpless children made beggars,
welcome poverty and Punishment / had rather
the idol of my heaE1 would 90 down amid the
wreck and storm Of battle in a death struggle
| for liberty, that ] and my innocent babes should
be plunged into Orphauage, penuiless, than that
he should disgrace us by the slightest submis-
sion to a foe without principle and without
honor
/ From your position the inference is reasonable
/ that you are acting under authority from Wash
/ iugtoU- Yet, while I have a profound CON
tempt for the author Of your faith, charity would
suggest that You be held personally culpabIe
only So far as you lend yourself to the prosecu-
| ton OF his atrocious desigu5-while 1t would
thus not be foreign to good manners to allow
you the beuefit OF any doubt that might arise Az
to your conduct Individually it is no part Of
my purpose to whitewash the record which
! your own holy zeal has written i'm our midst, Of
| homes made tenautlass, OF hearts lacerated of
affections throne dismanted. No grade Of
90 authority" no style of military necessity "
can purchase exemption for that single tragedy,
| (the Criswell mUrdeT); the memory will cling
70 the murder, like the mark on Cam, while Ae
lives, and forever doom him when he dies.
! Although, sir, the individual rights of prop
| erty, as recognized and guaranteed in your con
stitution, chartered privileges have been nuiled
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 neighboT's man servant nor
/ his maid servant, nor any thing else which is
| MS This latter clause, would / suppose, en-
braces barn, hay, oats, horses, CATTLE and might
possibly have rery remote reference to articles
Of the household, books, prirate paDers, etc.
If, sir, you came to me to fight, as Is So vaunt-
ingly said, why I pray you, do you moi go
| where you can get accommodations and cross
foemen wcrthy Of your steel Why do you
insist on the stereOtyped evasion that our gem
/ era "can't be caught" won't fght' can't
be found, etc, when il IS potent to the whole
| world that your army have found him on several
| occasions, and were welcomed with bloody
| hands at Springfield, at DrywOod and at Lex
! ingtOn He IS even now preparing FOR your Te-
ception the most approved hospitalihes of the
I season at his tavOrite stand III the Southwest.
! With so excellent a host at your service, why
/ aggravate a sJirmish with uudisciplined and
UuOieuding citizens; and when defeated by
! them, why drag fTonl the bed and the tireside
| aged men and little boys and publish long List
! OF " prisoners Of war To em1elish 3" another
brilliant achievement Of our arms ?" Why is it
/ that instead of meeting men marshaled in arms
| 1t Is so much more preferable IN the language OF
| one Of QuiXgt. Lincon's local Sancho Pauza's,
/ 20 surprise deteuseess men with cavalry in
| out-ot-the way farm 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 vultures give to lamos
There is a seeming inconsistency colonel, in
| thus procaiming the majesty Of freedom and
the glory OF independence 20 a people belesgur-
ed with bayOuejs, and deprived of the simplest
privilege of American citizenship. The people
Of our country are row unfortunately situated
much as were our gracious sOYe e.gns, 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 sympatize 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 revots aud freedom
ShriekS that monster uath which, fear of death
Cor of the dungeon still more intOerable) forces
as 10 approach with a snub, and turn from with
I IA compliment, though the heart sckens with
disgust, and the brain burns with Indignation
: while heartless tyranny imposes il. Let me ask
you, sir, if you claim 10 be a sensible man, and
vet believe that the cOnsciences of ireeneu can
thus be chained l have a bright, promising
boy of three summers and as / kneel with him
in suppGcatlOB TO the Father of mercies, and en-
deavur TO teach him the duty Of love to that
Creator, l do not fail to leam him to hate, with
all his heart, the perpetrstion of such an enOr-
nifty; and, as HamilcaT sw0re Hannibal to eter-
nsl eumity to Rome so will l Obiigate him TO
avenge, with lies service, the wrongs Of our
country. But, sir, better time is coming We
will yet be free. Her oppTessors will yet, how
ever unwillingiy, DO compelled to retire in
good order" from cur soil The ensign of Co
lumbis viii yet wave where the prostituted
stars and stripes that we once loved so well now
swing in inSOlent triumph God wills it, (Joel,
chap u, both ver.l and the great Price and
his cohorts arg coming
''I he ball Is in motion
Kesstess and free as the waves OF the ocean,
The name of his little band already alls the
earth with its glory. they are tue elect and
&Inointed heralds of Gbertys new evangel to
man. The flames they are kinding now in ex-
! lie viii soon reach and illuminate the dear ma
siye homes from which they have been driven
with such violence, and take a terrible revenge
on the oppres3Ors Of their friends and their
families. The highest motives chat move man
| To action impel our gallant soldiers on 10 new