The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1863-01-28
LETTER FRoM AHKANsAa;
ns..-Drumkennesss- steal.
ing---R0bbing--18 and De-
graeefGlIy and InkIimanIY Tro1lz
ed. &c., &C., 3 - ( I.
IGorrespobdence 81 The aeRs5as t0J Ezrfsss ~

ed, SGe., &c, E5ss, ~ go q as,s
IGoeFespoBdsace 81 The Jaels0as t0'5E Ezrfsss q
.s57a lsss 81 IzlENA, Ark, Dec o, 1882.
Editor Jaczsoa Erpress 81 feel 50 indigs
nant at the acts lofisome Aoft tho soldiers ~
this place, that cannot refrain any longer,
from giving JJnr readers. an accQpnt Of their
acts. On the 18th of November, fl lbedi-l
ton of about g, 600 infantry and 2, 200 cavalry
left here for White River Nethipg was ac-3
complishcd; and ,sa afteE,losfng bysssmen, they
returned on the 2Jst of.4hat month One Of
The men was beastiy drunk when he was lost.
think he belonged to the 2gth Rs,sinens,
the object of This expedition wks, but S'n;
very sure it was a failure-the res1lt being
the officers, from GenefaIs down to Lieutonants,
hile4on this trip. with few exceptions, werD%
beastly drunk. / ,aavc been in camp yag11
and have negsf seen such pilfering and stenlzs
ing as was doae tlis ex psdition- The 6iicers
being drnnk; tbes sboys' done Just as they pleas
Ted, guitars were stolen pianos werd sm1shed;
wemen's and children's dresses and sha1iee
were stolen pictures, albums, letters Of al
dates, (from the year 1910 TO 1867 Weddiaf
rings, silver yare, ard thousands o. other 4
things were destroyed and stolen from those
isho had al had not been ia the CoufsdefSts
army. Women and childreD were dFiyen sViy 4.
from the table and the last mersel they had
cooked was grabbed inf6 and all Of their dishes
and cooking utensils Wero carried away on bro 81
ken, leaving the poor, helpless women andsf
children without food or anything to cool 10 !.
in if they had it.. Besides robbin2 ard steal
ing, the cruel wretches in1eeentIy treated Wos
men, both old and young. While they si9Eo
sham efplly abusing woman and her oaug13 {
ter, aged enfy thirteen years, some of the yii-
lians stood by with loaded ,muskets pof6ting'
at the girls brother and told her that If she :
did mot submit. to their wishes they would
blow his brains out This conduct needs I5 :
comment. The perpstgptoEs are IN close con- s
On the 27th 81. No7eslsber We started a. q
another expedition into the State of Miasis.-
sippi and we returned on the 7th Of Deeena-
Der. This was paying. expedition o.' 0eal
went as far as the mouth Of Gold Watar River,
and z placed pdatcpn bridge ssfoss the Islls-
advanced to the. Csstrsl Misssissssippi Keilfoad
We burned several tridges and tooE about ).
sixty. prisoners and rettrped to Helep9a Ihsi9z
was utnre stealing done during this Eipt th51
during the other. From the time we lea the
river until the time we returned they F6r9
into some .zneanness On thsisfrst sy wesi
marched hsyPhraed houses ana Cotton sins y
knocked bee-h5fes: TO pieces !; rokbqd hPusee :
Of dishes, oookiag utensils, and s7eTy thing ).
else ]; broke.open locked dPoErs; tuInsA n1uses.=
down over wonlsIl and children stole horses,sl
mules. chickens, SO and destroyed ieker4s
thing they could find. .I could not help nos
ticing how they treated ons cd man Nho had
taken the oath of allegiance, Z After they haq
burned his grist mill. saw mill, cotton giil. &
they; went to him and told him they ynnteds
something to eat He told them that he Nasl
10 Union man, but be was not in the service.
He also told them that he would give theni
plenty to eat while they were; there. So thsys
drove an ox-wagon, which they had stolen
from some one else MP to his houqo, and he
measured out twenty Eve bushels of sHeei'P 'Po5
tatoes for tlianE He then asked them If they
wanted any neat. They told him they did
esfold them he had no salt meat, but would
give diem dresh meat. He went to his hog
pen ahdakilledi one third Of his hogs and told
the men to take them and then go t6'his. corn
cribs and get all the corn they wanted. They
had burned all of his -four and meal with tho
sriills.s, They were not satisfied then; they
conneHced stealing his mules, horses bee-hive9
and robbing his house. Capt Williams, Co
C., of our regiment, stood by and saw all thist
but, wien they Sesnaasnced stss1lig; /! ga can tag
with honor to Capt. Williams, that hB sent .
SQUAD of as after them; and We dr6ye them
from the house on ssdouble quiek,D - +
(: The new trooes done all cf this stealing.
robbipg and burning. The neE troops down
hese are called aSi6Q men, aUonAcripts,,i
and q Prairie Wolyes.n The last nai1e;its kay-
haps, the most appropriate as they doslittlb
else but steal. Those Of yeuS readers HHc
have relatives or friends IN the army viii, mo
doubt, feel happy to geaEa that the old troops
arc opposed to such disgracsfhl oondsct they
act ike human beings. Tho new troops that
are SO desperate. are mostly from Il
looks as though all the State prisons lad been
emptied, and the inmates senb to Iowa anf
sworn in as Federal SoldictR.
9 Yours, respectfully