The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1863-02-10
BY THE ENEMY TN
EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA.

DEPREDATIONs BY THE ENEMY IN
EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA
The following official statement shows some of
the depredations and outrages of the Yankees in
Eastern North Carolina Can it be possible that
any Southern man would consent to reunion
with such sayages as the Northern people have
proved themselves to be in this war? Any
Southern man who would favor re-construction
Of the Union and agree to live under the same
Government with such a people, deserves
traitors DEATH But here is the statement
HEADQUARTERS, near Hamilton, n c.,
December 18th, 1862.
GENERAL:--In compliance with your request
TO furnish you with a statement of the conduct of
the Federal army in its recent raid through this
section Of Countrywide treatment Of the people,
the destruction of property, &c i have to say
that the morch of the Federal forces through the
country from Washington to Williamston, Hamil-
ton, and up into the county Of Edgecombe was
so generally characterized by ruthless aud
wanton destruction Of private property, and an
utter disregard Of all personal rights, to render
particular recital Of the acts Of vandalism com
n,itted by Gen. Fosters army an impossibility,
Their progress is marked at every step by the
most painful evidences Of rapine and plunder.
Houses were broken open, furniture broken to
pieces, bedding and personal apparel stolen
destroyed, desks and trunks iOrclbly entered and
stripped Of their contents; notes, papers aud
books burned, scattered to the wiuds, OF carried
off; fences burned; ripe fields laid waste; cattle
and hogs slaughtered to such an extent that in
DHmerOus instances only choice pieces were cut
out aud the remainder left for birds Of prey;
horses, mules aud vehicles seized and carried
away; and the very hen-house8 robbed. These
were the general characteristics Of the Yankee
raid
better to illustrate the fendsh spirit by
which the drunken and beastly Yankee soldiery
animated this march.
The village Of Hamilton contained about forty
dwellings with the Usual ut-houscs. One half of
the village was laid in ashes. There were no
Confederate troops there, nor any Confederate
property The inhabitants had done nothing to
offend the enemy. Besides burning one-half the
village, the enemy killed large number Of cat
tie and hogs, indeed, many Of these were killed
in mere wantonness, and were left lying about the
streets and adjoining fields, while others were
skinned and eaten. The poultry was, of course
all consumed. Neither age nor sex commanded
respect from the Yankees. They plundered every
body alike-the rch and the poor, the old aud
the young. Poor widows who earned scanty
subsistence by their needle, were robbed Of every
infant for nearly two days, until mothers love
overcame her detestation of their requirement,
and she was compelled to taAc the oath in order
to procure the restoration Of her child!
The town Of >Willianston was also visited by
the enemy. Gen. Foster, who commanded the
expedition, took up his quarters at the house Of
Jesse r. Stubs, of that town, both on i.s ad-
vance and on his return-Mr. S. being absent on
the first occasion. The house opposite that
pied by Gen. Foster, aud tenaned by q. l.
| Moore a blind man. was burned under the very
nose, as it were, Of Gen Foster-thc street alone
separating the buildings. Before burning the
house the Yankee soldiers took MI Moore from
his bed stole every thing Of value in the house.
and left the flames to complete their balbarous
work. They also burnt the Jail and several other
houses-not one Of them being a hundred yards
from Gen. Fosters headquarters, except the Jail
The soldiers ransackcd every house in the town.
They shot cattle down in the streets; slaughtered
cleaned aud cooked hogs in tne parlors of private
residences; put horses in the residence of Judge
Tizss and the hotel Of Lieut.. Col. Lamb, Of the
17th \. G. Regiment, thus using them as stables,
They broke iuto the iron safes of Rev. Nj Has
sell, Ambhck Williams, SanIl Watts and Peter
O. Foster entered every desk in the town, and
took from them all the notes, money and other
vaIuables. They took twentyseven hundred dol
lars an NANCY from Peter q. Foster. They Tent
10 Tie mouse OF Mr JfoVeS, VINO hau p6th No"
fined to his bed for ten years, dragged him from
his bed, and stripped the house of every thing
portable. They tore down the altar in the Epis-
c"pal Church, destroyed the books, &c. VII
lamston, like Hamilton, had Confederate
troops in it Confederate property, bat was M
habited exclusively by non comtatants and quiet
orderly citizens
So much for the wild and reckless spirit OF
vandalism practiced upon towns occupied tenn
porarily by the mercenary and brutal foe. few
instances, selected at random, will suffice to sho"
that the unoIending farmers on the roads ira
versed by the enemy, Jared 10 better than their
village neehbors.
The Yankees went TO the residence of Miss
Helen Sade, one Of thekindest and most humane
Of nstresses, christian and lady III the highest
sense of the word and took away sixty-nlne
negroes, all her horses and mules, including even
her carriage horses together with all the poultry
sc. that they could lay their hands o.
They went to the residence of j. j Sherrod
entered his house, treated him with personal
violence, broke into his desk, slaughtered ms
cattle and hogs, destroyed his fences, and helped
themselves to as much corn snd provisions as they
could consume, and all this while his house was