Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1863-04-01
REBEL INHuMAN1rY IN LOUISIANA.

The New Orleans Era, of the 18th instant
publishes narrative of rebel barbarity in tn c
parish of st. Tammany, Louisiana. which
MORE than confirms all previous statements of
the suffering among the people of the south
and the tyranny of the confederate rule The
Era derives its information from a refugee,
who, with his wife and two children. one of
whom he carried in his arms, by long and
weary marches, succeeded in reaching Pearl
river land hence escaped by a canoe to the sea-
coast, and so reached New Orleans. We quote
''The people of St. Tammany have been liv-
ing from hand to mouth for about wear.
The Conscription law has driven a II the males
to seek refuge in the woods, while their poor
women and children are left at home, on the
very verge of starvation. Rebe rofficers scour
the country continually with bloodh ounds.
nook and corner, and if the terrified women
protest against their rudeness they are kicked
out of their own houses and coarseIy assaiIed
and cursed by these brutal minions of jeff.
Davis.
s'The people subsist entirely on cracked
corn, which is parched and eaten dry for
bread ,and soaked in hot water for coffee. Oc-
casionally they get hold of a little fresh meat
but as there is not particle of salt to be had
short of dollar spoonful, this meat cannot
be kept, and is very unplatable without salt.
''In this stronghold of the Confederacy the
notes issued by that so-called Government are
not current, except as a medium for the rich
men to pay their debts to the poor. The lat
ter cannot use this money for anything. One
dealer in all sorts of little notions refused to
give five cents worth of tobacco for a ten dol
lar bill, saying the whole bill was not worth
five cents. The whole country is bare of salt,
sugar, molasses, flour, butter, vegetables-in
fact everything except cracked corr
'sThe families of volunteers and conscripts
are represented as being entirely destitute
They go wandering about from one plantation
to another, begging from the lordIy exempts
a little corn meal to keep soul and body to-
gether. They are frequently rudely driven
away without assistance, being told that it is
wrong to encourage begging. For a few
months sort of bounty was paid these unfor-
tunate people, but that has been discontinued
and now they are left entirely destitute.
ssThe women and children are almost with
out clothes. Cotton cards cannot be had at
any price. While thc women had these they
made cotton yarn, VIII ch they spun into coarse
cloth, which answered very we'll. That source |
of supply, like almost everything else, has |
been cut off. These poor, hungry, half cloth
ed women and children, hav ing been deprived |
of their natural protectors by the inexorable |
law now wander about from place
to place, subject to all the jeers and insults of
the rich who are known. to entertain great
for spoor white trash.''
The tot al receipts of coffee in the U. States
'or the year ending December 81 1862, were
Is, ,55S $50 pounds and the total consumption
vas SS S,9S9,9ll, against consumption in 1861
If 1877 ,045,7S6 pounds, being decrease Of
q, ,055, ,S75 pounds, or over 90 per cent.
The New Bedford (Mass.) Cordage Company
lave made manila- hemp hawser, IA inches
n girth, $50 feet in length aud weighing $500
pounds, to be used for hauling off the steame. +
caledonia which is ashore on Cape Cod. (
In 1862 no less than 55,720, ,l60 bushels of
.rain were exported from Chicago, against
g, 1868 38I the previous year.
One thousand years ago the Chinese built