Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1863-01-05
EEpHRAn RAvAans N LoUIsIAaA


~ SEeN8b u q AAaa04AEGAE 1-aN u
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The reader will be well repaid by the perusal Of the
following communication, describing the Abolition raid
into the rich parish Of Lafourche, La. We find it in the
Mobile Fsrs, which journal says il is from the pen Of a
gifted lady, herself a great sufferer from Federal bar
barism, and the wife of one Of the most distinguished
generals in the Confederate service. It is impossible to
read narratives like this without exeerarmg the race
and invoking heavens justice on the wretches thai are
the guilty authors of such terrible desoladon
Among the many Abolition raids to be recorded when
the sad history Of our civil war is written, none viii dts
grace its pages more, or viii stand out ia blacker eOlors,
than the recent one on the Laf0urche, both for the vast
amount Of property destroyed and the insults offered 20
the ruined inhabitants
The Bayou LsfOurebe, one Of the mouths Of the
Mississippi, begins its course AZ the old French town Of
Donaldson, and flows Sc eniy miles TO the Gulf passing
through some OF the most beautiful and hoWishing
parishes in Louisiana. The banks Of the stream were
thiekly lined with magnificent sugar plantations, in q
high state Of cultivation, and very valuable for their
rich, fertile lands, and for the large number Of slaves en-.
gagged in working them. Most Of these estates were
managed By men incapable Of bearing arms, or oy the
familses Of planters- who were absent, engaged either
in the armies or councils ofthe Confederecy. ThBladies,
ike true Southern women and patriots, residing on the
plantations, overlooked the labor Of their negr0es, saw
to and relieved their wants, and kept them under per-
feet control, in astate Of quietude and content. But
sOen the shock Of war rudely broke in upon this tair
scene, and destroyed Il for years, II not forever.
On the 25th of October, aFederal force, four thou
sand strong, under command Of b igadier-Gs1 eraI Welt.
eel, landed at Donaldson, and dividing into two columns,
marched down both sides Of the bayou. As IL is not
proposed to write a military sketch, but rather Of the
results Of conquest, it suf9ees to say, that the Confed-
crates commanded by the gallant M0uton, greatly iufe-
rior in numbers and hastily organized, were forced to
retire, and finally TO abandon the country.
Then began the horrors Of the present system Of war
fare, revengefully adopted by The Lincoln government
and only too e~Iectualiy carried out by Butler and his
officers. Since they have found it i'm Ossibls 20 COW
quer a brave race by civilized means, the ABoGtiouists
have determined to destroy their prOperty-Iuakc j. wild
waste Of their estatas-trke q vital blow al toe yerv
/ unurna Of GnuNheru nrn-ua-ru fha a1uwae cd #n Co.
them, not from feelings Of a false phlanth1opy-for
which Europe mi,takiDgly gives them eredlf-blt for
vengeance and the qualification Of hatred.
8 the Federals advanced, the negroes on ire plsnta-
tons were melted to rebellion by the troops, were fI ed
with a frenzy which they, poor wretches, imagined
freedom and dsZzled by the brilliant promises made TO
them. they generally, in a body, abandoned their COM
Portable h~Omes-forgot the care and benefits Of years.
seized the wagons, mules, hsrses, and even carriages, Of
their owners, robbed them Of every transp0rtabls aui
Gle, and sWelsd by a drunken and d~s0fderiy rabbls the
tTiumphal march Of the ruthless invader. Truly the
Federal general, when be beheld the vast crowd Of his
sable followers must nave faneled h-mselt a conqueror
Of old, with his sOOty eaptjves from Atuca. Roll back
the tide Of years, AID the picture presented was q fitting
Ons for the baTbarous Jays Of the Roman Republic.
On reaching the pretty town Of ThibOdeaux, situated
thirty-fVe miles down tho LafOurchs. Gen. WeiiZeI
ended his march and established his eamp-and that
camp, revolving sight to any one possessed Of even the
ordinary feelings Of humanity or deeeucy. The negroes
doeking into it from all parts of the adjacent country.
soon raised the numbsr 10 thousands. there they were
seen OF al! ages, dressed in their holiday hnerg, with
Ysnkee soldiers (ht assOcistas), all mingled up ia dis
gusting familiarity. Curtis army, so bitterly denounced
by MS own papers, could not have been in q state OK
greater confusion or decentralization To make tempo
raTy shelters for themselves, the negroes tore The fences
from the roadside, roofs from the adjoining houses. aud
covered them with mating and fine esrpetiiag from the
floors Of their masters houses. Then, for a time, they
revealed in Their new and de.usive dreams Of millennium
that had come, the old Inflated by the preaching Of
Aboltionists, the young charmed at beng the compan-
ions aud bellies at the soldiers balls.
What vast the condition ofthe unhappy ladies Fgainst
whom General Butler makes it his proud boast that he
wages war; Some Of them fed an'c-stricken and
frightened from their homes leaving al their worldly
effects behind them others remainel herriisd spect4-
tors Of the wreck Of theic estates, objected 20 the in
suits and plunder Of drunken troopers aud of the un-
grateful race they had for years cared for and pro-
tecttd.
In most instances, out Of hundreds Of those, not a
faithful one remains to peri rm the menial services of
the household, ami those that a day before had been
Surrounded by heal b and comfort were left destitute.
Arms Of every kind were taken from the inhabitants.
even TO the pistols Of the Womeu, an they were thus
left TO the mercy Of the negroes turned loose upon
them The sugar and grain crops wereseized and sold
by General Buffers agents, and q promise OF eompensa-
ton given 70 those who would take the oath Of allie
glance, and could prove theirloyaity.
The slaves having all been declared free by a p-oels-
nation from Gen. Butler, the loyal planters were a.
lowed to hire them a. stated wages but pleased with
their life of v8gary snd idleness. few c0u' d be induced
to work so long as food could otherwise be obtained;
aud in the Lafourche country alone, The United States
has twenty thousand negroes TO eiathe and feed, or 60
leave them 10 nakedness and starvHtnu.
The last and bitterest insult to a Southern planter re-
mains to be told A negro regiment was placed 70
command in Lafourehe when the white troops were re-
moved. The slaves Of that district were RAPIDLY being
organized to form another brigade, ana the ukeiegr aud
most intelligent Of the men were induced 10 enlist bv
the promise Of a liberal bounty or a farm If one hun
dred aud sixty acres on their masters plantations.
outrages Of every kind were Of frequent occurrence.
Planters, for attempting to protect themselves or their
families from insult, were beaten and hand cufed by
their former slaves and dragged by them before the
Abolition authorities. There were yet darker deeds,
where woman was the fearful victim. That more were
not committed is due to toe lingering feeling Of respect
and attachment still existing ia the breast OF the slave.
But to those who know tbs negro character well, and
the great danger Of casting of al disc pliae ana re-
straint, 1t needs not q prophetic eve 10 f0resse the ser-
vile war so exultingly aEd f~endishlv depicted bv ths
abolition journals of the North. The exiles who 60
broken-hearted and pennless wanderers from their once
lovely homes on the banks Of the Lafourche. shuader
at the still more terrible fate that menscsd the land
there and elsewhere 10 beautiful but God forsaken Lou
isians.
Mercy folds her wings and Eghs farewell, wherever
Butler has control.
AN EYEWITNESS AND SUFFrRFR