Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1863-12-19
MISCELLANEOUS.
LETTER FROM JOHN MINOR
BOTTS.
How Fac was Arrested aud E>cspoil-
cd by the Rcbeis--The Evils Of
confederate EsuicS.

On the 18TH ultlnO JOnn MlnOr DOlts
addressed O letter t. the Richmtnd Examin
er, ctpy of which has since been obtained
for publication by the correspondent of the
| Associated Press with the Army of the Po-
tomac. In this letter, dated at Auburn,
| Culpcpper county, Virginia, Mr.. Bolts enters
an cmphat protest against his arrest and the
destruction of his property hy the rebels,
| and fatty denounces the evils of Confederate
rules After some preliminary remarks, in
contradiction of false reports concerning
himself, he says:
HOW THE ACCOUNT sTANDB-MR. BOTT's
WRONGS.
"Lct ne sec how the account stands. On
my part | have done nothing from first to
last of which the government can complain.
unless it be that have not become demo
cratizcd and have made no concessions to
democracy. and have none to make here
after, and because l have not chosen to fol-
low biindly wherever democracy might
choose to lead.
"On the other hand, of what have to
complain First, the legislative power of
the government has been especially directed
retired and secluded life. as was clearly ad-
mittcd by Mr. Henry 5. Foote at the follow,
ing session of Congress, when he said he had
been induced to vote for the declaration of
martial law and suspension of the writ of
htje0g corpus upon a representation of the
condition Of things supposed to exist in the
nvighborh00I OF the city Of Richmond.
but which turned out to be entirely ground
less.
Second, the power of the executive
branch of government las been eXcrted
against me when. unior the dctestablc, un-
written, unknown code called martial law,
upon no charge preferred before the Court
of Inquiry, they had me arrested in my bed.
between the hours of midnight and day ybrcak
hurried me of to a dirty, filthy negro Jail,
where | was kept in solitary confinement Tor
eight weeks, when, with all the vigilance
and research of their numerous detectives,
ttev could find nothing upon which TO hinge
a Cbar"c; and now comes a second arrest
without charge, whilst the army itself has
been turned loose upon me to destroy my
property, by design, and by order of officers
in high command, which | can establish il |
can procure their arrest and trial by court
martial under which order my ward, gar
den and cornfclds have been ruthlcssly in
invaded, the fencing of each torn down to
the ground, and all converted into n general
camp-ground. camp-nreS built and horses
turned into each by the Fourth Virginia
cavalry, under command of Captain Ran
dOlph, and when DR.. Kidwcll-with whom
had been until ten o'clock, picking up and
nursing the wounded men G. both parties
more than twenty of whom was brought to
Day housc-rcmOnstratcd with them, they
said it was wrong, and should not have done
it, but they Were ordered to destroy what
ever they damn pleased : and upon this
being repeated 10y DR.. X. to Capt. X. he nci-
sher affirmed or denied that such orders had
been given.
From which scenes Of violence together
wit" .hc effects produced by my arrest on
the next day, onp of my daughters has been
i'll of nervous typhoid fever ever SINCE and
not only has my fencing been torn down
and destroyed iii every direction, but some
twenty-five or tlirty Of my best hogs have
been shot down, aud have not been left
one car Of my entire crop Of corn; all of
which could not be used was carried off and
destroyed. And now | challenge any and
every man of Che Southern Contedcracy to
com" '1rward with any charge that can be
made against NE ior anything said or done
Tor which their government or its army can
justly complain. And but for the protection
now offered me by guard from the head
quarters Of General r. J.. Lee, none can tell
TO what 4 condition | should have been re
duCCd.
WHAT uE THINKS or THE ORGINATORs or THE
WAR.
"IIave l then, Mr.. Editor, think you, had
much reason for attachment or devotion to
government by which | have been thus
treated You complain of the treatment
Mr.. Nallandigham has received at the hands
of his government lie made many violent
speeches, in which he took active and strong
groInd against his government, and for this
lac was sent among his friends, as they sup
posed. But | have done nothing, taken no
part but maintained firmly and consistently,
as ! shall continue to do, my own private
opinions and the convictions Of my best
Judgment, which has not been controlled by
any considerations of sclfshncss, ambition
or fear, as | wrote the Secretary of War
whilst | was confined in McDauicls negro
jail, in the spring of 1859 aud, because
cannot surrender these convictions, am
thus to be- oppressed and persccuted by the
government and its army | want no better
ylndicatiOn for having withheld my approy-
al of this war than is 10 be found in the
fact that there is not one of those who aided
in bringing it on that would do il, il, with
their present experience, il had To be gone
over again, or ii they could have iorcsecn
what has followed, all of which did fore
see and did iorctell and il any man with
brains in his head and heart in his bosom
says he would, then say Aatly don't be-
Iieye him.
MS sfcoSD ARREST ~ STUART
"iut 20 come back 90 my second arrest
10y General j. T.. Is. stuart. On Monday
morning, the l2gh instant, following the
nist Of the ruthless and heaTtless destruction
Of nay property General stuasts Provost
Marshal rode up with guard % my house,
with warrant, Of which the following il a
! copy
"litAbQtAEttRs CAyAtHr coHTs, Oei Il. lsdA
"LieutsnAnt kyals lou uill zHesi JoLa Alnof
Eais sul soni hiul a. kiahn1ni thHfsos alll be-
fra zfdri nem ihuss bead iuHItsfs s-aa pfasi'
cable nln Alia- tlaa a. ahnoy ttCnsfal les, BAT
t,,i him - pf,sonsF u siais. Lsl As Aaea ls@
iaHuY Ifitsnss
10 eaiaua.ni u Mao GsasIal Z D sTV4AI
a u NtsAtlt, MslaI sAd Ailslsll,
Upon this wATFaai, containing no charge
I was arrested aboal hall past len o'clock
on Monday mofuing, eaH.st under guagd ~
lu'pfpprI CouH House krpt thtlu unlii
lYu ntlaok and thea discharged GA Vac
grnaul that lbrle aas az ghsrat aHsinsl
lle 80 cave bttf ssfpi'pai-i.ly ill3fm
d u. a. a. n = H