The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-06-12
THE sACKlNG OF JACKSON, MISS.
JUBILEE AMONG THE AFRICANS.
How they Felt when our Army Left.
Correspondence of the New York Times

Correspondence of the New York Times.
JACKSON, May 16, 1868.
Yesterday our troops devoted themselves
to an examination of the stores and de-
serted dwelling-houses. A good deal of
whisky was found, upon which our men
became somewhat demonstrative, and dur
ing which they pillaged one or two stores,
and would probably have proceeded to
worse acts had not whole brigade of SOL
diers been turned out as guard, who
quelled matters as they began to assume
an ugly aspect. The work of plundering
was carried on by stragglers, assisted by
resident negroes and "poor white citi-
zens." Surprising that the year of jubilee
had finally come, the colored people de-
termined to enjoy it, and with this end in
view they stole everything they could carry
off. Nothing came amiss to these rejoic-
ing Africans they went around the streets
displaying aggregate miles of double-rowed
ivory, and bending under monstrous load
of French mirrors, boots, shoes, pieces Of
calico, wash-stands and bowls, hoop skirts,
bags of tobacco, parasols, umbrellas, and
fifty other articles equally homogeneous. l
noticed among the crowd several pretty
but poorly-dressed white girls, who were
delightfully."- familiar with the soldiers, and
who were about equally active in "toting +"
off plumber and chewing tobacco. This
latter popularity, although an unpleasant
habit, is not altogether an uncommon one
among the fair sex in this land of sunshine
and chivalry.
Among the articles captured were
large number of mail bags, a majority of
which were filled with letters from the
Vicksburg army to their friends at home.
They were of the usual character. ten per
cent. of the writer's unable to spell cor
rectly the name of county and State; sew
enty per cent. commencing: "Dere Com
panyan sect miselt and talk mi pen in
hand" &C., and containing in equal guam
titles, abuse of the "Yanks, protestations
of affection for wife and children, and
particular directions for the treatment of
the gray steer; one per cent. written we'll
and spelled correctly; and all, with one
single exception, full Of valorous brag rel
alive to whipping, annihilating and other
wise "using up the Yankees The ex-
ception was in the case of one writer, who
informed "deer jim," in manner parta-
king at once of emphasis and truth, that
the "Yanks is giveng US hell everware."
VICKsBURG, May 10.
Sherman's corps left Jackson at nine
O'Clock and followed after Mcpherson. As
we left the town, it resembled more the
Internal regions than the abode of civil
cation. Vast volumes of smoke lay over
it, through which, here and there, rolled
fiercely up great mountains of flames, that
made Internal music over their work Of
destruction. The Confederate State House
"a large, new wooden building pen
itentlary, several private houses and sew
eral Government buildings, were all in
flames. The prisoners in the penitentiary
were only two in number, and they were
released before the building was fired. In
this case, as in every other where private
property was destroyed, it was done with
out order, by the drunken stragglers who
roamed through the town.
The inhabitants were apparently highly
rejoiced over our departure. The negroes,
on the contrary, witnessed the evacuation
with undisguised amazement When as
sisting the day before in plundering the
town, they supposed that the Yankees
would stay forever and afford them I'M
limited protection. All at once they dis
covered their deliverers marching away
and they left most all the plundered pro-
perty in their hands, and no chance of es-
cape. One can easily imagine the treat
nent extended to them by the enraged
citizens the moment they were relieved
from our presence. Many darby long
ere this has had cause to regret his pre-
mature calculations relative to the arrival
of the year of jubilee, and to wish that he
had deferred celebrating its supposed ar
rival until later period.
A negro reached our troops, after we
had been gone couple of hours, an re-
ported that the rebels had shot good
many of the colored people, and several
OF our men, among whom was Colonel
Col. Cromwell, of the Forty-seventh ILL
nois, audit is supposed that he is the one
spoken of by the negro.
AS our rear guard left the town, a bat
talliOn of rebel cavalry entered upon the
opposite side and proceeded to pick up
our stragglers, of whom there remained
in town, in out-of-the-way places too
drunk to march, one or two hundred men.
During the balance of the day they indus
triously followed us; but as our rear was
guarded by strong detachment of the
Fourth Iowa cavalry, they prudently kept
at safe distance, and confined their
demonstrations to keeping out of range,
drinking whisky and yelling defiance at our
forces.