Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1863-04-11

goods 900 worth Of hogs stolen, and other property
conscated" The Trustees of the town Of Manchester
about the time of the murder Of Grubbs made writ
ten complaint and when the Division recently changed
its station many slnderouS rumors preceded 1t on the
road.
committee Of officers, consisting of Maj. Waddeile'
of Bennings Brigade, Maj. Campbell OF Laws Brigade
Mai. Reedy, of Robertsons Brigade, and Capt Hlizr'
Of Andersons Brigade selected by the officers oil their
separae brgades were sent to Petersburg and klch-
mond to investigate the grounds Of these charges ana
to see to what extent they were true These oincers
have exhibited to us certificates and statements from
which the following facts are dedueible:
The goods taken by the pretended guard from the store
Of the Halfway Station lone thousand dollars rorh)
consisted of candy envelopes, needles and HhOe Dag
f,H of Ground peas! One of the missing hogs has
come up All the bacon the man had was two or three
middngs. Of the conhscation of other articles they
can hear nothing. And the man robbed, Chalkly is oy
no means certain that the troops did not belong to an
other command and not to Hoods Division, as alleged
At any rate, the story it reached the puohc Pln's
is greatly exaggerated Of the smokehouses broken
open and robbed in Manchester they can locate but
one and as the Trustees certify it after as
certained that it was broken open by the owners own
servants and laid to the account of the soldiers. The
story that rape had been pepeated the Trustees also
oerv IN have been without foundation. 1t has also
been char ged that the citizens Of Richmond teegraphed
TO the citizens of Petersburg warning them against
Hoods Division This the Operator at Petersburg GER
u6es to be untrue.
It's probably true that depredatons upon poultry
Yards turnp bed- and the like have been committed,
for among the thousands that compose the division,
there are of course some bad men, and when the cit-
Gems near the camp persist in selling them liquor in oppo-
siop to the earnest remonsirarce of the officers and
in Dosye violation of law it is impossible to prevent
disorder entirely But it is not true that the officers
of the command do not exert themselves to prevent
these depredations and to bring the offenders to pun
ibuept aud TO nsnuate the contrary, is very unkind
To show the injustice of snch suspicion Gen. Hood
wrote to the Trustees of Manchester that be did not be-
leye that his men had committed murder or rape
Sill he went forward and instituted thorough nvesti-
cation in every company in the Division; and every
mar who was absent from camp the night that Gruobs
WAS Killed was made TO give strict account oil himself
Aud suspicion being fixed upon parties belonging to the
Division they we're promptly arrested and turned over
~ the authorities Of Chesterfield county for trial To
show how deeply the members OF this Division felt upon
the unfortunate affair it is only necessary TO state, that
tbcv promptly offered reward of $4,000 for the ap-
nrebcpsion and conviction OF the murderer; and the
spbserpon already raised and secured TO the family Of
the deceased amounts to several thousand dollars.
These officers have conferred with the Trustees OF
Manchester. who make the dneNde hOR'rable as TO-.
lows:
eve deem Gen. Hood, his officers and men as among
the hest in the service for the good qualities of Off
GERS and men, The country already owes them an OBJ
legation of gratitude which is too highly appreciated
L" 70 demand any farther acknowledgment"
Il is natural that a body of men from the distant
States of Georgia Alabama Texas and Arkansas, who
have been fighting on Virginia soil for more than twen
tv months, and on whose proud banner may be in
seribed. Manassas, williamsburg E;hsm's Landing,
Seven Pines, Garnetts Farm, Neehanicsville, Gaines
Mil Malvern Hill, Cedar Ran, RappanannOck Bridge
TborOughfare Gap second Manassas Sharpsburg, and
fredericksburg should be sensitive when their good
pane is assailed before Virginia public. Their fight
inc qualities are proverbal but with this they not
content. They wish be thought gentlemen in every
community where they go, and not band of cut
throats aud robbers.
We are glad to have it in power to disabuse the
npbe mind of the injurious and unjust impressions that
NAV have been produced by the rumors in circulation,
and to be instrumental placing this splendid body of
troops on the footing that their services soldiers and
their character as citizens ente them to occupy.