Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-01-22
Burning Of the steamers ON the Cumber-
hand.

1
land.
Chaplain Gaddis, who was on board the
steamer Hastings, when she, with others,
was captured on the Cumberland BY the
guerrillas, writes to the Cincinnati Com
mercial an account Of the affair. The Trio
and Hastings left Nashville on the 18th,
to take 400 wounded soldiers and many Of
fcers, through to Louisville. Below Har-
peth Shoals was seen the burning hull of
the steamer Charter which had been burned
by the guerrillas under charge of the noto-
rious Colonel Wade. Lieutenant Van Dorm
Of the 1st Ohio, in command of the gun
boat slidell, had burned some houses on
the river bank, in punishment. The Hast
ings sighted the Trio lying to in a cove,
little distance below the shoals, but thought
nothing Of it until hailed by party of
guerrillss on shore, who ordered the Hast
ings to land. The boat not coming round
quick enough to suit the guerriIlas, they
fired a vOlley Of musketry and two six
pound balls, which took effect on the steam
er. When the boat landed, Colonel Wade
told the captain to q take his d---d Yam
KEGS ashore" as he would burn the boat.
Mr.. Gsddis says Of subsequent scenes;
/" instantly appealed to him in behalf
Of the wounded. During this time his fol-
lowers had come on bosrd and took full
possession Of everything
Here should like, if 1 could, to picture
out to your readers and the world at large,
the awful scene fpillage and plumber that
ensued. All but two or three Of them were
demorahzed by the drink obtained preTi-
Gus TO cur arrival, from the bar Of the Trio.
will not attempt TO pen-picture the scene,
language fails, and words are beggars, in
attempting to do so. Near one hundred Of
the thisving, plundering gang was engaged
in rifing everything, from the clerks Of
fee to the ohambermsid's room. For few
moments the stoutest hearts were appalled,,
and CONSERVATION had seized upon all
On passing around, appealing 10 them to
desist I met their Assistant Adjutant
General, in whom / recognized an old ae-
quaintance, who instantly promised to do
all in his power TO save the boat and stop
the plundering. He spoke to Colonel Wade
and he ordered them off the boat; but,
alas, that overshadowing curse Of both ar
mics, was there in full possession of human |
hearts, that might have been more humane |
had not the demon-spirit Of rum hardened |
their natural sympathies and unclaimed |
their baser passions. In their maddened |
thirst for ,plundeT, they trampled over |
poor wounded men, taking their ratiOns,
blankets, overcoats, csnteens, and even |
money out Of their pockets. Never was
there such scene witnessed. For time,
confusion Teigned supreme. During the |
time Dr. Waterman and myself had come |
to terms with Assistant Adjutant General |
Burford in regard to the passengers. The !
officers, able and disable, were to be paroled |
together with the wounded men, but he in /
sisted upon burning the boat. We then /
asked him to spare one boat, and allow us /
to 90 on TO Clarksville. This he consented |
to do, upon my entering into a written
agreement that the boat should hereafter |
carry no other supplies, or do any other /
work for the Government than sanitary
work
ain addition to this, the writer was 10
burn, OF have burned, III bales Of cotton
that were on the deck of the Hastings, up
on our arrival at Louisville. The terms |
were severe, and Wade would listen to no
other and on my falling to comply with |
these terms, the men must be put ashore,
and left without covering, rations or med /
icines, badly wounded, and thirty-fve /
miles from any military post. Military |
rule, and the stern dictates thereof, may |
condemn our conclusion, yet the claims Of |
suffering humanity, under such circum-
stances, would compel us to go further than |
the terms called for. The penalty for fail |
ing to burn the cotton on cur arrival, was |
the simple surrender Of my unworthy self |
to the Confederate authorities; o small |
penalty, considering the amount at stake. !
These terms being agreed on, and Surgeon |
Waterman having made list OF the pa |
rolled men, the guerrillas left the boat, and |
the wounded Of the Trio and her crew and |
passengers, were transferred to the Hast |
ings. While the transfer was going on, |
another steamer hove in sight-the Par
thenia, on her way to Clarksyille. She |
was ordered ashore, and the same scene |
was enacted over again in her cabin, save |
the fact that she had no sick or wounded |
Of any account, but had several passengers |
"The rangers at once boarded her, and |
for some time utter "madnesss ruled the |
hour" The Parthenia was a new steamer,
costing S33, 900, finely finished and furn-
ished. While engaged in rifing her, and !
piling up combustibles on different parts
Of the boat to make her burn rapidly, |
the gunboat Slidell, spoken of elsewhere,
have in sight. Her appearance was sig |
nal Of joy to our men and Of alarm to the
rebels, who Immediately mounted their !
horses ready to run. We hailed Van |
Dorm, and told him to anchor in the mid
die Of the stream, and not come between !
our boat and the range of the guerrillas'
cannon.
To our utter establishment, instead of
getting ready 70 cover himself with glory
in the saving Of so much property and sew
enlliyes, he simply fired his revolver, and
then ignominiously waved his white hand
kerchief in token Of surrender. The reb-
els had fred several volleys at him, and
had done no harm save the wounding Of
one Of Van Dorn's gunners. He then or
dered one Of his own men to strike the col
ors, which he obeyed, and then crossed
over to the rebel side, who, with tremen-
dous yells, took possession Of her"
An Item from Richmond.
Some Of our prisoners recently released
fron, fbe d,,OCaorq at Richmond state that