Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1863-08-07
A Howl Against Raids.
From tbs Richmond Examiner, July 80

raiding party, after the commission oil
gross outrages, contrary TO therules of civ
ilized warfare, and in the very act OF com
hitting other similar enormities. The ex-
change of prisoners captured in war is it.
self practice of modern civilization, en-
Joined by the humane code of modern
Ichristianity. The old rule was to put pris-
Oners to summary death or, at the option
OF the individual captors, TO hold them as
slaves or, finally TO ransom them for an
agreed price in money,
This ''one-eyed Powell" owes his claims
| 10 a different treatment exclu sively to rules
which he had habilually set aside in a
long career of action, and which he wan
tonIy violated in the very expedition in
which he was captured. For year or
TWO past this person has lived a life ofout-
! rage on the western frontier of this State (;
| horse stealing, house burning, and general
/ robbery, to say nothing of murder, has been
! his employment for long time past; In
which he has won much local fame and in
which be had become exceedingly expert
and adventurous
| Emboldened by success and impunity,
he projected this raid into South Western
Virginia, the leading objects of which were
| the destruction of the salt works in Wash.
! ington County, and the lead mines in
| Wythe, and the destruction of the tunnels
and bridges on the Virginia and Tennessee
Railroad; but the minor objects of which
! were horse theft, arson, mill burning, aud
private injury Turned away from the
saliues by advices that the place was
| strongly guarded, the expedition proceed
ed to wytheville, which lay on the direct
road to thu lead mines, and, beyond these,
to the great railroad bridge over New Riv-
er Fortunately, the party were met at
| Wr,Ih IlS hty
seut forward by Gen. Jones led by an off
Ger of pluck in an engagement in which
| this prisoner Powell was disabled aud ia
| ken. Bereft of its leader aud master spirit,
! the expedition failed, and the raidiug par
| ty at ouce beat retreat, in which they
would have been cut off had they not, un-
der the lead of consummate guides, beta
ken themselves to the woods and crossed
over the mountains at places where taere
were no roads.
But in their march from the Valley of
the Big Sandy to Wylheville, they destroy
ed every mill on their way, took every slave
from his master, burned down several
dwellings, and whenever they saw Instru-
ments of agriculture or crops, easily de-
strOyed, reduced them to ashes Arriving
at Wytbeville, they commenced this sys-
tenn of outrage on non-combatants. They
burned private dwellings, FIST collecting
their furniture into the rooms ignited;-I
made prisoners OF old men; shot priest
going, Sunday morning, to chapel; killed
Capt Oliver after he had surrendered, and
shot other prisoners after their capture
This was the line of violence they were
pursuing up to the time that this man
Powell, who was their real leader, was
wounded and fell into our hands After
his fall, they changed their tactics, releas
i'm I hpir and bpUaD their
Here is presented case where the per-
son really responsible for the most wRnton
aud outrageous violation of civilized usage
luckily falls into our hands, aud the ques-
ton arises. is he to be exchanged without
word OF demur, just as it he were taken
IA prisoner in honorable battle Here is a
man whose proves consists in his peue-
tIating into regions of country where
there are no troops that eau fight him /;
avoiding the noble encounters of honora.
BILE war; carrying fire and sword into the
habitstions OF women, children and old
men; shooting down dumb cattle; making
valorous charges on plows, hoes, spades,
grindsIones, and mills; intiicting all pos
sible Injury upon everything non-vesist-
ant, whether sentient or iuseutent; and at
the first snuff of danger in the breeze,
taking to his heels. To show the base,
ness of spirit which actuated this party,
thus led by one eyed Powell it is only
necessary to mention single practice
which they observed.
When they stole the horses OF farmers
to replace the exhausted ones from which
they dismounted, they shot the noble ami.
mails that had carried them safely on their
way. Here were chevaIiers, priding them
selves on their horsemanship; bat yet so
brutally destitute OF the kindly sentiment
for this noble animal which is even cher
ished, amid lite of barbarism, by Arabs
and Bedouius, as to shoot the harmless,
faded, faithful, dumb beasts down in their
| tracks. Brutality so gross, cruelty SO coarse
aud disgusting, was never before known,
aud remained for the Yankee to exhibit
The leader of brutes in human shape, so
d Sgusting, and the inaugurator Of brutality
SO shocking, is now in this city, waiting 10
| be exchanged under the rules which mod
eru civilization has ordained for the gov
| ernment of HONORABLE e warfare.
| The Yankees have abused this policy of
raids, as they always do whatever they un-
| dertake, into II business most base aud
| beastly The Southern idea of IA raid is a
bold and adventurous cavalry dash behind
| the euemy's lines, or iuto the hostile con
| fines, for purposes purely military, such as
cutting Communications, destroying mill
tary munitions and supplies, and rendering
useless for military purposes whatever arti-
Giles, contrabsnd of.war, may fall in their
way. Il results as a necessity, from this
sort of enterprise, that horses suitable for
cavalry purposes are taken Whenever met
with and this is the only species of pri:
| vate injury Inflicted not usual in the prac-
! tice of armies. Non cOmhatants are uudis.
| turbed; sex and age are generally re-
| spected.
The Yankees, however, abuse the idea
| iuto a very different thing. Their object
is an iudiscriminating warfare on women,
children, old age. dumb beasts and help,
! less brutes. The Southern soldier leaves
the faithful steed that cam no longer bear
him on his rapid march, to the person