Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1863-07-31
hogs had rooted up one mans body and eat
en- his head off.
ToRTURING DEFENoELEss WOMEN.

ToRTURING DEFENCELESS WOMEN.
Capt. Moorley, in charge of a cavalry
force, and Col. Thomas in command of a
number of Indians, accompanied Keith'S
men. These proceeded TO I Tennessee, Keith's
men to Laurel, and were instructed to say
that the cavalry had taken the prisoners
with them to be tried, in accordance with
the pledge of Col. Allen. In their progress
through the country, many Union men were
known to have been killed and scalped by
the Ihdians. Upon the return of Keith
and his men to Laurel, they began syste-
matically to torture the women of loyal men,
to force them to tell where their husbands
were, and what part each had taken in the
salt raid. The women refused to dvulge
anything. They. were then whipped with
hickory switches-many of them till the
blood coursed in streams down their person
to the ground and the men who did this
were called soldiers Mrs. Sarah Shelton,
wife of Esau Shelton, who escaped from
the town, and Mrs. Mary Shelton, wife of
Lifus Shelton, were whipped and hung by
the neck by the neck till they were almost
dead, but would give no information. Mar
tha White, an idotic girl, was beaten, and
tied by the neck all day to tree.
A WOMAN OF EIGHTY-FIvE HUNG.
Old Mrs. Uuus Riddle, aged S5 years,
was whipped, hung and robbed of consider
able amount of money. Many others were
treated with the same barbarity. And the
men who did this were called soldiers
The daughters of William Shelton, man
of wealth and highly respectable, were re-
quested by some of the officers to sing and
play for them. They played and sang a
few national airs. Keith learned of it, and
ordered that the ladies be placed under ar
rest and sent to the guardhouse, where they
remained all night.
Old Mrs. Sallie Moore. 20 years of age,
was whipped with hickory rods till the
blood ran in streams down her back to the
clothed in the habiliments of rebellion, and
bore the name of soldiers !
One woman, who had an infant five or
six weeks old, was tied in the snow to a
tree, her child placed in doorway in her
sight, and she was informed that if she did
not tell all she knew about the seizure of
the salt, both herself and the child would
be allowed to perish. Sergeant N. B. d.
Jay, Of Capt Reynolds company, and
Lieut.. r.. NJ. Decvcr assisted their men in
the execution of these hellsh outrages. All
kinds Of property was destroyed or carried off.
FIVE MEN HUNG.
In April last, Jesse Price, an old man
sixty years of age, two sons and two neph-
ews, were arrested in Johnson county, Tenn
nessee, bordering on Virginia, by Col.
Fouke's cavalry, composed of Tennessee
and North Caaolina men. They were TAX
en- to Ash county, North Carolina, TO be
tried for disloyalty to Jefferson Dsvis &
Co. The old man had been previously ar
rested taken TO Knoxville, tried, and ac-
quilted.
When the five prisoners arrived in Ash
county, groggery keeper proposed to treat
Fouke's men to eight gallons of brandy if
they would hang the old man, his sons and
nephews without trial. The bargain was
struck, and the five unfortunate men we're
hanged without any further ceremony.
The brandy was furnished, and some of it
drank before the tragedy-the rest after
ward.