The weekly pioneer and Democrat., 1863-09-18
Havoc of War.

Man is most wildly and wantonly de-
structive OF animals, when the restraints
are taken off of his passions, and he feels
safe in their indulgence. This is proved
by the havoc committed by mobs, and
also of a soldiery freed from tie control of
discipline. The instances of these wild
ravages since the war began are countless.
Some of them are described in the follow
ing letter published in the Newburyport
Herald, and which states it to have been
written by an intelligent young man who
was with SHERMAN's column in its pursuit
of JOHNSTON, after the fall of Vicksburg
Many people of wealth and secesh procliyi-
ties, left their houses and slaves behind. and
followed Johnston in his retreat These houses
were visited by the Federal soldiers, who, af-
ter taking all they wanted DESTROYED the rest.
and sometimes set fire to the buildings them
selves and burned them to the ground will
describe two instances. The third day of our
march, we halted about three O'Clock in the
afternoon, in the edge of wood, some fifteen
miles from the Big Black. Here we enjoyed
the cooling shade, made coffee. smoked our
pipes and rested till near nightfall,
About half mile from the place lived Or.
Somebody, who had an extensive plantation
and owned large number of slaves. His house
was large and costly one, in the style of our
best New England farm houses, and seemed to
be but recently built. 1t was tastefully and
even splendidly furnished, and the carpets, the
furniture, the pianos, the splendid mi rOrs, the
costly wares, and the large collection of books
in various languages, bespoke degree of
wealth and refinement seldom surpassed even
in Tbo
contained an abundance of beacon, pork, mo-
lasses. flour and sugar, and these stores were
soon discovered and appropriated by the SOL
diers, who also took or destroyed everything of
value in the house. You would frequently
meet a rusty looking old fellow belonging to
some regiment OF the 9th corps, with canteen
full of molasses slung around his neck, leg of
ham in one hand, bag of flour on one shoulder,
and three or four large books in the other hand,
or under his arm. Again, you would meet
countryman with large flower vase in one
hand, or perhaps an oil painting, and in the
other bag of beans, pot of mOlasses, or two
or three volumes of Macaulay or Bancroft. |
went over the greater part of the house, and
such a scene of wantOn destruction never be-
fore witnessed.
In one room there was a Seven-Cctave piano,
made by Chickering, of Boston-a most splen-
did instrument. In ten minutes the top had
been torn off, the legs all split to pieces and
l saw Il fellow walking across the keys. crush
ing them all to pieces with his heavy boots.
Inere We're also two mirrors i'll this room, eX
tending from floor to ceiling, the cost of which
must have been very large. A soldier entered
the room just after myself and, going up to
one OF these mirrors, surveyed his Sunburnt
features in it for a nOment then with thun-
dering kick from one of Uncle Sans brogans,
ne scattered the fragments OF this splendid
piece of furniture to the farthest end of the
apartment. The other mirror was served in
the same way. The curtains re torn down;
the paintings which adorned the walls were de-
stroyed or carried away; the contents Of the
book cases and cupboards were thrown
upon the floor soldier would 90 up to a
chest of drawers, empty its whole contents
upon the floor. select two or three little articles
he could carry in his pocket, and strew the
rest over the room. So it was throughout the
whole house. In fifteen minutes destruction
had done its work and, to complete and give
Il finishing touch to the scene, some vandal
hand applied the torch and, in less time than
it takes me to describe it, the house and all its
outbuildings were in flames, and were soon re-
duced to ashes. When we left, nothing was to
be seen but heap of smOuldering ruins.
At La Vega. seven miles from jackson, a
house OF about the same character, which, had
been abandoned by its inmates, was eTSered
and despoiled of its contents in like manner.
Several barrels of costly wares, which had been
buried in the garden, were discovered, dug up
and destroyed. The owner of the same was
also a doctor, and l saw, by his letters, and
some of the books about the house that he had
son at Cambridge College in 1858.