The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1863-06-20

THEIR CONDUCT DURING THE
"OCCUPATION," &c.
lcoaarsro.Drscx OF a,cano1D D,.rArcH.
STAFFORD CoUsrY. Va, \


STAFFORD CaUHrY. Val
June l7th, 1863
The long agopy is over "Othello's soccu.
patton gone" Black Republican ruls and
ruin Of his once fertile section terminated, and.
We trust, forever. No longer ere sight and
sense outraged by Yankee prsssnesor Yankee
insolsnes- No longer do tho high hills 81 Ssaf.
ford reverberats with the sound Of the inya.
der's cannon. OF her quiet valleys echo to the
tramp OF the blue coated vandaIs. Free A
their own free air, rescued and disenthralIs
the CALLING chain Of tyrannical usurpaaion bro
ken into fragments BY Southern swords, with
tho bitter memory Of terrible wrongs, and the
barren wastes of present desoIation with:n n
and around them, the long-suffsring inhabitants
Of this old Virginia county can only sxuls in
their deliverance, and exhibit with cheerful
heroism the effects Of their censtancy to the
great principles and the glorious cause Of our
beloved Confederacy.
As participant In the endurance Of the
on Yankee occdpstiun Ii this vicinity. * only
fear the Anglo Saxon tongue, though its dis.
tinguishing characteristic 10 force will scarcely
furnish Sufficient vocabulary of infamy with
which to portray the winter and spring cam
psign Of the Grand Army of the Potomac
upon unprotected homes, cultivated farms,
Confederate woods, and non c0mbatants gene.
rally, physical, agricultural aud material
With some few exceptions, locality and an
efficient guard the restraining cause, every
estate within the enemy's lines has been in
jured; crops, If any on them, appropriated"
H. o etoien,) leaving simply q bare subsistence
"a certain number of bushels Of corn per
head; horses aud cattle, left from the last oc-
cupatiOn, again carried of; pigs and calves
killed and devoured by nightly marauders;
fOcks numerically shearsd by Yankee cut
without leave or iicsnee or knowledge Of the
owners Depreciation was the order Of the
day and night Forests have been levelled
aud wholly disappeared before the axe of the
soldier. Scarcely tree ia visible for miles on
the Potomac and far back into the county
Ga one farm, thickly wooded, but ten trees
are left; others have not one; and apart from
enemy in camp, it is estimated that hundr: :ds
of cords were conveyed to Washington by
spectators for their profit and our loss-a
novel and involuntary mode of heaping Goals
of fire upon the heads of our foes. 'Cultiva
ton in many places, and almost habitation, has
been rendered temporarily impossible.
In my immediate vicinity, private residences
have escaped internal decoration and pillaee
hut number have not been 30 fortunate. On
tie slightest pretext houses have been search
ed, Iitied of their contents, partially destroyed
or burned. Othsrs have been seized as hoepi
tails, and occupied for weeks by the miserable
wounded wretebes and their caIlous, indiffsr
ent surgeons. Imagine q home Of refinement
and peace suddenly become the scene Of fnri
ous conflict, the centre of opposing batteries,
ard al, the fearful carnage of battle. field !;
Al ,,nhu nd t,xra hat or, chcit rct
as slaughter houee, the inmates compelled to
crowd into one or two apartments, the rest
within and withon. filed with mangied enc
mics, Oh the beds sofas, floors, Or the ground
their amputated limbs and flowing blood visi-
BILE ON every side, night made hideous by the
dying groans Of Yankee invaders, and day
only more horrible with the sight as we'll as
sonnd of their wrthing agonies.
The battle Ia terrible; bus from the hospital
good Lord, deliver us This is one Of the
dark scenes. PrivatiODs, trials, annoyanees
of hourly occurrence, tested patience to its
limit Suspicion aud surveillance constantly
excited and exercised with ceasciess acti vity
by pickets and officers Threatened arrests
were continual. 70 ono residence, of-spA;c3a
the only inmates were ladies and children,
the Commanding General cent a written or
der that if any more signals were made to the
"rsbels' opposite, the house and all the out
buildings would be Immediately burned
Without proof that any euch had been made,
and with the knowledge that they neither
could nor " Ould be under existing circum-
stances the Yankee General isruss his brutal
threat. At another abode the ladies were told
by all officer that il any lights were visible
from the windows at night the whole family
would be arrested. In King Gsorge, as we'll
as Stafford, when All army movement was an
ticipated, all gentlemen three miles outside Of
the lines we're arrested ahd required to take
the oath of allegiance or bs sent to Washing.
ton. Though not exposed to unexpected
raids, our situation was very much that
of a continual one. We were already
dssolatsd. and beheld tie evidence Of
the piilage of the Northern Neck in the
gangs of negroes and numbers of horses ri
fled from the women and children, ths rich
aud poor, of that recently VISITED section
gentleman remarked the other day that ia a
part of the country twelve miles square .hsrs
was but one horse aud two worthless inulas
lsft. Physicians horses shared the fate OF all
others. In regard to Kilpatficks late thisvlng
sxpedition, one Federal officer said to Con-
faierats lady, ''it was most disgracsfol, and
would 10 strictly inquired into" The aston
ished lady replied that it was but in keeping
with the aetions Of the Yankees wherever
thav had penetrated, and her own experience
verified il as a customary style Of Yankee
warfare. Stealing and Yankee were synouy-
nous terms to Confederate ears.
Such, in brief. (for particulars would make
a voidme,) are some OF the Inducements to re-
construction aitd Union pursued Ia the oceupa-
ton district. The inevitable resuits you know.
Retributiou will not be long delayed lndig-
nation and wrath swelIs every Southern heart
at the recital Of uumitigated crueltiss, unrrO-
voksd insults, and aggravated wrongs Let
tribulation and anguish be Metsd out IN no
small measure to our wicked and barbar0us
f,,ea The Yankee is an outrage on humanity
a crime against civilization. The war he wages
ia a sio a9aint: God rs we'll as tyranny to
man. Let him feel in his own homo what
war is. Ii the hosts OF his claim cannot
uuench the insane thirst for subjugatiOn, let
dssolated lands and blazing cities In the track
of Confederate armies waken his fear OF re-
taiiation and startie his avaricioas soul 1t is
necessary, it is Just, it il unavoidable. Pres
eat and future have but one aim, one hope, one
which anima.es and elerglz %
svery Southern observation-disclosures. And
only thus can it be accomplished.
know that even now, with the ind lmltabls
ia nacity of noble purpose, our hero.leafers
prees forward to their crowning work. Faith,
vslor, and victory, are theirs. And the field ls
almost won! Already the distant mnrmur Of
that glorious shont Of triumph comes 70 our
expectant ears On every breeze swel:s the
note of proud achievement, the herald Of final
aud fulfilled success. The day 10 breaking, the
ni0ht of sorrow and suffering, and the ''per-
feos day. still fingers amid the encompassing
clouds Of strife which yet darken our horizon;
hmt the clear light 10 there, and We wait In
oalm assurance its gladdsning, glorious beam.
s.Io, coraath in the morning. Though our
;av' nsfionsl and individual viii be always
softsned BY the memory Of oar noble dead, by