The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1863-09-22
EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA.

J greSS dS ioHoWS
Up to the middle of this month we had cause
for gratitude for our preservation fren what are
called the 'horrors" Of war. Beyond the forcible
abduction or the running off of our negroes, the
TAXI ing of teams, and instances of robbery and
violence, We had suffered no wholesale and syste-
matte plundering, oppression and insult such as l
have to relate. But now We have to look back
upon scenes which out short time since the
Youngest of us never expected to witness in our
once peaceful region. We are plundered,
insuIted, outraged and Inundated people. shall
speak of only what under my knowledge.
doubtless other deeds were done which would
vie with any I have heard of in baseness or
atrocitY
About noon on Friday, the 18th inst, the quiet
old town of Edenon was rudely startled BY several
hundred cavalry, under Col Onderdonk. Moth
ing could have been more unexpected. Many
| citizens from the country were in town, several
with their families. Not one could escape. The
enemy had posted their pickets at every street and
corner, aud one poor fellow who managed to get
without the limits of the town, was overtaken, ar.
rested, carried back, detained for hours on some
improbable charge, aud released to go home robbed
of the only horse and cart which he possessed
Immediately they began a general sezare of
horses mules, riding vehicles of all kinds, carts
and wagons, harness and saddles in town and
country. They had no difficulty in finding what
they wanted. They had native negro guides, and
it is said some white men who were familiar with
every part of the country. They remained till
Sunday morning, about two days and nights, dur
ing which time they excelled themselves in mean
ness. Every inhabited house in town search
ed from cellar garnet for arms, and in most cases.
it must be said, with tolerabe civility, and under
the eye of an officer Every vacant house was ram
sacked without ceremony by the rabble of SOL
diery. The elegant dwelling of Mrs. Page, for in
stance, was thronged all Of Saturday. faithful
old negro who remains in charge of the premises,
says that from early morning till late at night they
were going and coming, swarming through the
whole house, examining every piece of furniture,
opening doors and drawers, and forcing them with
axe or hammer even where the key could be had,
emptying boxes of books and pictures, and medi-
| cnes, each carrying away something, and TAX
ing every key which they could lay hands upon
This latter circumstance deserves to be noted for
it has occurred elsewhere. Evidently many of the
men were jail-birds and convicts, turned out of
the pententiary; professional burglars, thieves or
pick pockets who understand theft as art, and
go prepared with all necessary tools for its prac-
| tice. Many of them, too, were Germans, Dutch or
Irish; but some Of the greatest brutes we're Yam
|. KEGS without doubt. Such, too, were great pro-
portion of the officers. Nor We're they New Eng
| land Yankees; they were from New York and
Pennsy lvania, almost to man. So great was the
rivalry between them, that it is impossible to say
which did most stealing; and whep questioned
| about it, they were equally expert i'll lying
sions or shutting it off on another But many
thieved with the effrontery which only profession
al skill can mpart and took pains to conceal it.
=. But extend my narrative beyond its proper
limits. Hearing of great destruction at Rev. DR..
.Johnstons house, [ went and saw for myself. 1t
had been exaggerated, of course, but the fact was
bad enough. The Williams had held regular orgies
| IL IL A. ,lol r.
the ludicrous Most Of the furniture had been
left in the house, amongst other things fine mod
eru piano forte in the parlor, and very antique
one in the Doctors library at the opposite side of
the house. These were both played upon, whilst
the house resounded with dancing, above and be-
low in hall and chamber and piazza Meantime
others entered the pantry, and with sticks wanton
y broke crockery and glass, like children. A sur
pice of the Doctors, left hanging in the library,
was torn into pocket handkerchiefs and dstriout-
ed among the thieves, whilst pillows and other
bedding, and even books from the library, were
carried away. But for the faithfulness of the SER
wants in charge Of the premises there is no telling
how much more might have been done.
The negroes, everywhere, slave and free alike,
were plundered without mercy, of money and every
sort of clothing Women's dressing much
sought after as men's-and in more than one in
stance negroes had shirt or jacket taken from
their backs, whist not one was allowed 10 pass
them with good one. They not only
brutal set, but ragged and filthy in the extreme.
Barns, store-houses and smoke-houses were bro
ken open and plundered of their choicest contents,
by order and under the eye the officers: We
expect an army, friend foe, to forage their hor-
ses-but not to steal the subsistence of the people,
as these marauders did. Besides these things,
insult was added to injury. Never were such a
gang of thieves and rutians seen here-never did
we expect such humiliation.
From Edenton they went to Hartford, on Sun
day morning, The people had expected them two
days. and not church, of the three iu the village,
was opened.
They stayed there hardly "a hours, but long
enough to take many horses and to commit some
surpa>sing outrages. They took all the horses OF
the doctors, and mixed their medicines. They
arrested the Colonel and Lieutenant Colonel of the
county, at their own homes, compelling them to
put on their old uniforms, meanwhile insulting
their families and intruding roughly and most
peedlessly into their sick chambers add crowding
around their beds. One of these ladies is now
very i'll 10 consequence of fright and agitation and
her life may be the forfeit. The two gentlemen
above named, with four or FIVE citizens and seve-
raj Confederate soldiers from Edenton, were car
ried away to Norfolk. Such our experience
of Col Onderdonk and his cavalry, a band of un-
disciplined beggarly, rufiany troopers which would
disgrace the Chinese or the Turkish Governments
in their weakest administration. And yet these
aro the soldiers of "the best Government the world