Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-03-31

TRUE PICTrRE-WoREs AND GLoRIEs or
WAR-How DEsoLArE COUNTRY Looks.
&c. &c.
HEADQUARTERS Army or East ARKASsAsJ
February q. 1868
The person Who has never travelled through a
country marked and SCARED by Their ravages of
can fom no idea of the sOrrowiul destruction
and iesOlation the eve meets and heart coniem
plates the close observer lesurely rides along
either alone or with command No pen can
describe-nO pencil accurately portray the scenes
Of sadness on every side From the hospital in
the camp to the heart Of the country miles back
IL Is the same dark dretry, soul -sickening spec
tacle
Pass the hospitals ride over the rows of little
graves on each side and across some bride path
leading into the country-witness the filled cot
hns coming IN for butial-on and out into the
country, and there is nothing hut sadness, the
more terrible because unnecessary
The woods ike spectral haunts The
silence feels heavy like lead. Every respiration
comes with startling distnctness. A snake
glides across the road Just before YOUR horse
feet like some 6end who has been robbng the
grave Of a brother At times Tapping of
wings is heard flock of dirty buzzards rise
from the corpse of horse or man "A few rods
away. Again some red bird will whistle as IL
in the mockery of delight to think its CAV
plumage is now in fashion where the game is war
and the stakes are blood
The roads are cut uD into and holes till
almost impossible Fences are torn down, the
rails used TO corduroy mud holes The fields IRE
cut up with wagon tracks, where weary teams
have slowly dragged their heavy loads along
Ride up 80 farm house: how sad and deserted
it looks Not living being is To be seen
The school house : broken open-marks OF
bullets around the door knob show target prac-
tice with pistol or rifle The voice of childhood
is no more heard there Hawks and buzztrds
rest on the roof to sail away as we approach
bats have bnilt their nests i'm the corners-toads
sit crouched on the damp floor The little church
in the woods has not escaped It's bell has been
stolen by some barbarous relic hunter: its pulpit
taken for Suffers counter; its fringed pew
trimmings have been torn and the cushions
gobbled by teamsters; the stove or stoves taken
for the use Of some officer
Negro cabins standing guard around the house
of some planter silent and deserted their doors
broken in, the low chambers rdnSacKed for little
bags of cotton The scores of chmneys stand
like monuments of civilized folly. No blue
smoke issuing theretrOm beauties the once pic
ture of health and contentment, or disturbs the
swallows and martins which now make their nests
without fear of molestation.
The fields where busy cultivation was re
warded with the abundance which brought
wealth. now silent wastes The cotton hangs
unpieked from It's hanging Dol; corn fields larger
than Northern farms stand in their yellow garb
Down the long aisleS betw cen rows ot tall stacks,
NAV lie seen few hogs running into wdnesS or
a stray steer which. with snort, fees at our ap-
prOach-warned by The fate of its comrades
Further on will be seen Il hog or COW limping
along. wounded by some forag ing party not
killed but left TO suffer and die of starvation.
Farther on is fine looking house. Once there
peace and plenty within its walls-happness
under its roof, and cODtentment everywhere.
Now. the father, son. husband. brother and over
away. One or two old and faithful ne
gr0es still remain TO protect the women and
children. who tremble at our approach. Enter
the house. The woman Is clothed in black.
God knows for whom, What "A picture The
door lock has been broken in-the bureau and
chests have been broken open-the marks of sa
bre points Gun barrels and axes being left as If
shame The cowarIly thieves who disgrace ma
ton, and who rob with delight The widow and
orphan
1t makes no difference whether the family he
Union or Rebel. A squad of soldiers enter the
house: in hiteei. minutes the work is done.
Men in the army cannot deny these facts.
They arc true rs the Bible Generals German,
Grant and Steele have done much to stop this
system of unsOly plusderng. 10y holding officers
responsible for the acts of their commands. All
honor to such officers. who gentlemen.
no can, for moment, wonder that men have
turned in disgust from the Union cause, and be
come the most bitter of oar enemies? A friend
once angered is terrible ia his revenge In this
section hundreds of Union men who suffered
from the Rebels, but still proved true When
the Federal army came here. they looked for the
protection Government prom ed them. They
believed our troops were friends. They believed
this being proSecuted-aot for partisan
purposes, but TO enforce the laws A their prop
erty was Stolen-ther houses destroyed-their
broken down and used for iue--their private
apartments rabsacked by our soldiers. and no re-
dress given-ther Unonsm was drop by drop
crushed cut; they lost confidence in those who
idly promised to he their friends. and their love
turned-6rst to dislike, then to hate.