The Ohio Democrat. [volume] (Canal Dover, Ohio) 1840-1900, 1863-05-01
Horrors Of w; +,

| uAViEOES "a y" IL
We gave the other day an account o
the atrocities committed in Florida b.
Federal troops, on the eve of their de
parture for Hilton Head They reflect,
ed no credit on American soldiers.
We publish below letter from d Mr.
Gilbert to the Frankfort (Ky Common
wealth, detailing atrocities committed by
some of Oluke's and Humphrey Mar
shall'S troops, on the poor inhabitants o
portion of Kentucky Mr.. Gilbert il
vouched for as gentleman of intelli.
gence and integrity:
GRAY HAWK, JACKSON COUNTY, KY. !
April l3, 1868. T
DEAR SIR: This leaves me lower
down in spirits than l have ever been
since l had family. Some ten days
ago Cluke, with some five hundred men,
came in through by Proctor, in Owsley
County, taking all the horses they could
get; came on to my house and took a
mule from me; ate and destroyed all the
corn I had; pastured my wheat, and
committed other depredatioas.
'On Tuesday, the 7th of this month,
Humphrey MarShall's men, with the guer-
rilla band from Breathitt County, com.
menced coming into our county by Proc.
tor, taking horses, cattle, and everything
they could get hold of; came on to
Bonneville, burned the Jail, destroyed
the records in the Clerks Offices, cut the
books up and scattered them through
the streets; came on to my house, took
every horse and mule l had-numbering
differentiated by Jack May, Jerry
South's son, WIN. P. Lacy, James Hurd
and Robert Allen. They got after my
two Oldest sons, up the branch from my
house, and shot most of their ammuni-
tion at them; Lacy then charged upon
my oldest son, with his musket in hand,
cursing him; swore he would hang him.
My son drew his pistol, shot Lacy
through the arm, and into his canteen.
Lacy threw up his hand, ballooed out,
don't" My son fired again, took Lacy
under the ear, and dropped him off his
horse dead. The boys then broke, the
musket balls cutting all around them, ran
down steep cliff that thdir horses could
not charge down, and made their escape
into the woods The rebels then set fire
TO my houses, bnrning everything had,
leaving my wife and children with moth
ing but the clothes they had on Ny
wife got down on her knees to them, and
offered them one thousand dollars in cash
not to burn her houses. They would
not hear her. Shs then tried to get her
things out of the house They kept her
off with their muskets Some few things
however, which she did get out, were
taken from her by the rebels, consisting
principally Of thirty three bed blankets.
The balance all went to the flames.
was in Jackson County at the time, and
am still here. My wife is in school
house. below where my house stood,
with my three youngest children, my
two boys being hid out on the mountains,
with nothing to eat, wear or sleep on,
except what the ,neighbors can furnish
them. Nether-of us can get to see the
other, as the rebels are still passing.
Mine, | understand, was the seventeenth
house they have burned on the route up
as far as my place understand they
burned Clarke'ssat works, and also Gen.
TheophilusT Garrard's houses. How
true this is | do not know. The damage
done, so far up as my house, is certainly
true. My son came to me last night,
and gave me all the particulars.
I have begged and plead hard with
the authorities below for help. The on
ly comfort,I get'is, we are not worth
taking care of, and ought to leave. One
thing you know, and that is, that the
people here are SO poor that they can
not get away, and if they could, how are
they to live when they have no means af-
ter they leave to 60 upon2 ttd ,aoe
'Those counties that are suffering SO
much are the most loyal portion of the
State-Clay, Owsley and jackson turn.
ing out, upon an average, five hundred
volunteers to the county, and not one
Of them permitted to come here to the
rescue of their families and friends, but
are all sent to Vicksburg, Murfreesboro
and other points out Of the State,
u have not seen my wife for some