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


The oewaray troops In tee town fed before one party
in their 'front.' and fell back upon party IN their rear
This caused them, In their fright to imagine that ts
inhabitants or citizens of the town. aided in the assault
Such not the fact Not citizen fired gun rom
house or street; and not man OF mine hred from =
house, or occupied house in firing. lew OF your
cavalry charged the rear force In the street, ana sos
of them perhaps survive who proved brave enough
fight and of course need falsehOOd to excpsengnb
as others did But suppose citizens did fire upon ner
invaders with the hope of driving them away sny
had a right to do so; commanded by the proeAna
ton of their chief State Executive to do So anu W.
false TO themselves If they did not do So Is Is
that they should do so at all hazards under sucn DA
getty threats as your Sd in the series Oh iuiiA -
against citizens Of Williamsburg Take DicsGsVr ~
your own home, Mr. Cizen-soldier, Ss you anu DOu
happen TO be- and let him arrogate to himself inc Pe
rogatve of putting you death, IT you are iouhu 90
opSratino in an attack upon him and rising IN arms
against his occupying troops would you not t9iuA
home duty country service, to defend yoursen 1s4o
his dctation to rise and seize arms against his ro2ps
occupying your houSsi Would you judge as niiiu!
then as you judge harshly nOWS
You are "belOnging to regularly organized corps,
and you are found rising in arms against the Sovereign
of Virginia in her own limits This G'stlncIon' yCS
NAV think will save YOU if captured. Bat, oeherer
yoi dare, against all law, YOU threaten, 70 Pus
death any ciizen"of williamsburg this distinction shSh
not save you if you happen ever to iai into my
will have you hung certain as the suPp0Svu ons
come to pass, and will accord less privilege ii'
did when Governor Of this State, to the fanatic Joun
Brown; turned him to the law, but WIZ Turn lou
| over directly to the hangman! Take thIest, ~
against threat will who, you or i VIII % "i0''
certain and fearful in execution. rru
Your description of my taking and occupying W.
Ilamsburg is not true On the morning OF the llao VI
Apr last found your pickets mile this SIDE OIL va.
Harrisburg and drove them in. expected your ioises
TO meet me this side of the town. They made no &C.
fence whatever but with superior numbers, tooA W
their entertainments; could not be induced TO eAVe
them, and with my light artillery and few men u1
eped TO storm your batteries at Fort Magruder nankeI
as is by several redoubts. You hesSted not 10 si
the already shattered town. and TO save the H'eS
shelters OF its robbed and distressed inhabitants zen
back mile awaited days Tor you 10 give ine pa y
You were not half as bold in attempting 10 put 70 DEAN
regularly organized corps" of soldiers on the he as
YOU are now in threatening put any citizsa to death
in cold blood.
Failing TO tempt you orn of your sronghods 10 hen'
passed few men 10 your rear, ana dtsgro(eu yvur
camp az Whitaker's Mil aud your stores there anu ~
Cheese Cake Church. The amount oi houses ooESss'
and ccmmssary and ordnance stores ue
stroyed could not be compensated, think, oy SeVsiM
hundreds f thousands Of dollars This was done "l'n
out loss except OF two officers and sixteen men ea"
ed who rot detached from their corps, and we're not
,aten un the next day and are now returned TO duty
by exchange. You know best bow many men your
forces lost Of killed, wounded and captured This vas
done inside your lines; between Fort Magruder and
Yorktown where your forces could see the smoke ote
fagratiou and hear the report of the small arms-
And vet your nrces dared not march out of their en-.
trenchments To call this "rdid" General is to cover
cowardce towards soldiers with pretext for sssassna-
tion Of citizens.
What YOU call "thess raids" shall be repeated upon
your sense of humanity, until your moral as well as
your physical nature revols at them They have had
result TO keep you in your entertainments; to relieve
our citizens; open communication with our peo-
pie; to reach Williamsburg and archives to get at
your true position tens thousands worth Of pro-
perty to punish your insoence to destroy your stores
in large amounts scratch your back if you wouldn't
show your face to show slaves that you are not or
masters, and sou that We theirs to fight you; to
whip you out of our lard and could do no more,
to haras YOU to annoy you, take you, kill you as we
could
You have directed General Reyes to re.occupy the
town. and give you notice that will retake il when
eve am ordered and viii go without orders If you
will meet me there outside Fort Magruder. wish US
both to be present when threats TO be carried
out
Gen. Wise concludes by telling the Yankee general
he had "much rather fight him than write him."