Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1863-03-30
Che 8itbmuno dagig,
MONDAY MORNING. MARCH 50, 1853.
nsnrndafinn. Of Soldiers.

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DsDredations of Soldiers.
When cur AMY rctreatet from Yorktown, a great
eonll-,ut vas made by persons living or near it:
roe OF march, OF cepredatiOns committed by the
soldiers. The same cOnplaiats were heard when the
ssmy rcposel On the southern bank Of the Chickahom
ny. AID saJe good The defence Of RiebDOnd. Wheel
. Mcclellan had be, driven Of and the army went to
the Rsppahanpock punish the iusolenee Of Pope
gentlemen were heard " declare that we're
worse than the troops Of Mcclellan. In every instance
where the oath the United States taken property
was scrupuousy protected, aud in many cases where
the test Of perjury Indignantly repudiated degree
Of protection vas granted, which was creditabe to
Mcclellan "a vas unlocked foe by the patriot On the
other hand mo amount Of devotion 10 the sgeed
10 protect the Southern citizen from the Southern sol
der and when complaint made Of fences torn down
aud burnt q gardens robbed of every vegetable and
tsmy.si inlo mud Of OuthOues stripped Of doors and
paus the reception too often given TO the complainant
vas yoIey Of oAths sgaius: himself and Of. insults to
his STATE These are facts which can be substauated
by i,refuq5le p'ooC
Aner Fredericksburg vacated by the Yankees,
tbe Southern soldiers sent TO prOeethe town, stripped
the battered houses OF what ite remained in them and
reduced the already Impoverished inhabitants 10 abso-
Lutte beggy. This also, is fact proven bX tue testi-
Inouy Of gentlemen Of the highest standing. II any
one IS inclined 10 depute it, let him read tue des-
eriptons Of the letter writer's Of better STILL let him
visit the town itself de will see that the very liberal
Subscriptions, made the Fredericksburg sufferers, have
not exceeded their pressing VANS nay lac will be told
b. competen. authority that there will soon be need tor
additional subscriptions to keep tamishng women and
children from positive starvation.
Ii is task not st all pleasing to the Journalist to
make statements Of this sort. They 90 TO the enemy,
are repu5sbed aud iuure the cause. But The harm
sllag from Yankee exaggeraOns well be great
er than that Che IS sustaining in consequence Of the
persistence Of this evil which knows abatement
that oceasoEed by the complete exhaustion oil every
product Of the soil and evsy animal that eau be used as
food. Day after day the complaint is stu heard from
farmers living in the vicinity Of the batteries encircug
This city that tie b,rle left them by the soldiers who sat
down before Richmond last Spring, is being rapidly
Eghed by the soldiers Who sleep all dav ia the barracks
tst they be the wde-awake for the dishonest
operations Of tie uigLl Vegetables are gone, fowls
ere gone and leugth they make bold TO slaughter the
mich ca,us When these are all slain, what is 70 hinder
tseu rom .urung Cannbal5 aud killing men and women
a. veil as cattle.
lie. it be remembered that these deeds done, uo
0y rowing guerlas aud psrtislus but by Lees army
the best appointed, best dicpO,J best fed, and the
best aaisT;ai have in the field rs at RchgoaI and
Fredericksburg, 50. in much greater desee, in the
Valley and j. that wilderness that nov stretches
from Tie Upper R'qpshlunock to the Po,omac-,ts
sane story OF pe,i1g by the Sourern soldyry ia to
A, d B. - IL ~ fT
hopeless condition OF the people IN States further South
wloa7e subject 70 the inroais Of armies Car more law
less than Lees Il the accusation tha; zoe Southwest
more anxious Tor cancellation thar tlsstaJoard Stses
have Foundation in truth, nay not the fact be ac.
c7enel for IA g7ca. part by ghs widespread JepryiI
tols committed 10y q uns5 -lrliael sojierys When
i5-- Of property IS compensated In some sos, by bril-
liant g--o-r- aol -v-s- punishment iuH.,f,I on the
eusElg people u- vel lao 10 tue ord Tor redress
Of g..s5aucss and Nsrd o. prnltous. Lu when the
sTorlof tie profession tees dosn aud uprcots wha,
even .ae ior nigl. have spared il il no marvel the
people while cH 80 70 tie e4ue, trust 90 Longer 10
sru4
Ha1 di3 state Of lugs coa. .nree Are the r'7ht.
Of property ab5ogsleiby thai the private ia lh5
rau-' may rsaJi'h li own code Of imps-s,aleut. ud
mike q. z.onas judge w,,i of tie sygen,ies OF
t.e com,uis,shll OF cine market value OF a q, rzrus
come,tJ'es. We think nor In Maryland private pro
pary scrupu'oasIy respected Although the avuy was
then much more .0 Need OF food than it ever was in
Vrga.s exec perhaps tina, terrible forced marcA
t5u Cupeper and Manassas. Is 10 impossible 10 " n
Virginia. what &fs SO ea-iy done in NaryLuds Surely
not We have heard OF at l-s, one regimen. IA Lees
army, wh;eh, 50 lcug it, gallant Co,csFi waGau-
wounded aud at i;,ha,j, never plf-gsi so-mrch "a
fence rail or ems down a tree w..1- authority OsLes
might do as we'll 4 e..rr Cooarls were as
conscientious AMI arn. Nua- Lac Lecome OF the tine
touoreI AID nos- ell lien; m..,ry practice Of m4l.,r
o6csr3 II IN MAJOR Generals down 10 Corpor,s, res. .
&oir Has il been discarded by orr gsel. Geuer. IS
Has &c been stricken ,u' Of the new editions OF "Regu-
ll:.oaa I.r Tie army Of lie Confederate SL-I -,