Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1863-05-21
An Enistnlaru nnAl.

20 brlgauler a utsCl "hos 80
man can be at loss to conjecture The Enquirer OF
Tuesday gives the rash mssve of the New Yorker and
near three columns of Iespone by the Virginian. 1t
would entertain the readers Of the Wing if I'VE could
and space for the whole but must deny them that
qualification Dix, who writes from Fort Monroe, April
2stb 1858. saws to General Wise, that the town of
Williamsburg has been occupied by Yankee troops as
a picket station outpost to Yorktown; that the in
habtants of the town, though many of them were
known to be unriehdy to the United States, had been
unmolested in their private svocatons and had been
permitted to supply themselves with the necessares Of
life at Yorktown and Fort Monroe; that the Insane
Asylum had been put under the superintendent of
army surgueOn of the United States and its inmates
supplied at the expense of that Government; that not
outstanding these "oices of humanity" the Ysnke0
troops al Williamsburg had been several times attacked
bv the forces of General Wse and that on the Slet
March the latter entered the town and fred upon the
United States troops from the houses, in which they
were aided by some of the inhabitants At later date
Dix saws this was repeated and this second OCCASION
the employees in the Asylum paroei, and the SER
wants carried of. lie concludes:
These raids under the peculiar circumstances are in
violation Of every dictate Of humanity. Having no re-
suit ana apparently object bat annoyance and use
lss sacrifice of life they are also IN violation of every
principle OF honorable warfare. have directed Major
General Keyes reOccupy the town, and thai the ag
gressions referred may cease, give you notice. ia
case Of any repetition of them
lst That the inmates of tine Asylum will be sent to
Richmond and The United States relieved of the burden
Of their support.
I'd That any house which may be taken possession Of
for the purpose Of firing upon the troops Stationed there
will be RACED to the grounG; and
Sd Thst any citizen of Williamsburg not belonging
70 regularly organized corps who shall be found CO.
pertng IN these attacks aud rising u against the
occupying troops will be put to death as a yioator OF
the laws Of civilized warfare.
Gen Wise from his Headquarters at ChaGfn's Farm,
responds under date Of May 2h that he was not aware
dat Williamsburg was picket station on the contra
~ he knew it had the very strong fort Msgruder with
several redoubts occupied Immediately in its rear and
large cavalry camp at Whi.akers MIL Forces, he saws
have been repeatedly despatched from these points up
due Peninsula TO commit depredatiOns aud outrages-
Tue citizens Of Williamsburg he says, have not been
unmolcsled but have been worried and harrassed in
every form odous and oppressive to free and proud
people and they have not been permitted to supply
themselves With the necessaTies of life as DIX states
But says Gen. Wise;
If these facts alleged by you all true who are
YOU and your command that you should be Yorktown
and make a picket station outpost Of Williamsburg!
Who are you, presuming 10 question the allegiance of
the inhabitants Of that place any other Government
not allowing them to beaoyal TO their own! Who are
YOU, D.ssliIs 81 your lenIy in permitting people of
anv portion Of Virginia quietly pursue Eneif uUmestc
svoca Oas 20 be unmolesed and 10 supply themselves
vith the accessories cqt comforts OF life anywhere?-
And Who ave you, who assume to imrJ them to the
rl,ses Of Yorktown and Fortress Monroe to procure
their supplies. Why, your very preeusion proves its
own PURPOSE aud practice OF insult anil outrage Your
roessious are false sir and your fasehood is added
hypocrisy pfarisaiscl hypocrisy. You have imprs
o1ed The Inhabitants OF that ancient and honorable oty
in the limits Of theft corporation, you have allowed
diem to 20 If or out of their limits without provost
p,rsaas pass you have not allowed them to trade OF
buy aud sell without putting at them OdOus and de-
tesabe test oath Of allegiance TO their invaders and
enemies aud their stops have been dogged by guards
and SPIES and uforners you have seized their papers
aud effects ssched their houses aud robbed them of
their slaves aud necessares and comforts Of life and of
their sacred relics you have insultGd their men and
their women pOu have driven their children from their
schools you have burnt their most ancient College Of
WilGm aud Mary, and prevented the inhabitants from
extineuishing the flames and YOU have driven charity
herself from home in her Iusaue Asylum! What
right had you TO touch holy place like that intact al
ways intac; to civilized war'
Aud now you complain that, notwithstanding your d.
vine beaevolence to the Asylum, "Your.troops at Will
lamsburg have been several times attacked by my
"forces" Ard, did you take the Asylum in charge in
order to get behind il you from attack Did
YOU expect not 10 be attacked because you we're so
good TO the 'three hundred helpless inmates!" Take
care sir or your beneyoence may be suspected Of be-
ing something else not half so beautiful in soldier at
hast Now let Us reason together minutely lit
tic. You cane as an invader you drove away the
STATE evil authorities from the hospital and you drove
away, not on'y the board, and the collector and the
steward, and physicians and maIons and nurses; and
prevented iagoing Out-coming for supplies and cut
of the purchase OF supplies, but you drove away the
rsrives Of the inmates that the nearest and dearest
cannot approach inquire about the "hepess inmates"
nor father nOr mother, brother, nor sStST nor
husband nor wife can come 30 TO comfort
10 see to the care or condition OF the IN
fortunate You don't wish the trouble Of them,
you say; is all generous humanity that you have put
an army surgeon in charge and that you have furnished
them with army Iatious and therefore, YOU must not
be attacked But by what authority Of right, human
Divine did you attack aud take TIE Asylum in the first
instances Why picket ard post and guard it stin?-
W ny not leave Il 10 its proper and lawful charge and
State care Rt once! You have riddled the poor old
town; you have driven away its inhsbitants whom
principally the asylum was dependent You have ex.
hsustCd the neghboIDg country around Of Supplies,
nearly Of al necessities, and quite OF all deicaces of
diet for the sick You have declined al response 10 the
question whether your forces would would not mo.
list the necessary men aud means of conducting the
operations Of the asylum in held by the State
authorities and the town by the Confederate forces
Why not yield both 70 humanity and charity, and let
the insane be treated by their "kith aud kin"-
You TO them aliens aud enemies, aud they know it.
You can practice pathology upon them; they want
army physicno physc of yours Of any kind Is it that
you want because you know not prepared to get
at your forces except through Williamsburg and that
by holding up thethree hundred helpless ones" thee
in your front you hope be spared from attack If
such be the use you make Of the insanef that be the
reason why you fred them with army ratous and physc
them by army surgeon, and if such be the reason
Why you put in the plea Of feeding them agai attack
then your sanity cwsrSice will surely be cursed not by
attack but by every dsenes IN might and MAN, Of
Williamsburg and its Inhabitants and its Asylum and
is inmates You are the Invaders, not We you have
made the attack and gained, and hold possession;
and mean, in any and every way in my power known
to civilized warfare to regain and hold possession if
can and whenever can. We defending inva-
IL in..l.aA Id n.Lraa.ad IL atLack