Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-09-09
MOrtestGr Dailp Syn
THE DAILY SPY.


SufferIRgs OF the POOf nntLes ana
Slaves.
A letter from Natchez, Miss, 23d ult, gives
an account of a recent raid from that place
through the central part of the state and
south nearly to the Louisiana line, a distance
of one hundred and thirty miles, Of which
brief mention has been made by telegraph.
We quote -
''During the raid we occupied successfully
the towns Of Livingston, Liberty, Ceutrevlle,
Mount Pleasant and Woodville; places never
before visit by blue uniforms. We found the
people everywhere reduced to corn bread and
bacon. The stores in the different villages
were either closed or had nothing left for sale
but bottles of bitters, or few odds and ends
of two years old stock. In all the route
we saw but two fields of cptton-every other
cultivated piece of land was waving with rice
or corn, and, as the planters themselves said,
'The Lord knows how it is to be gathered, for
from every plantation caravan has set out
with their faces towards Matches and liberty;
and hardly one is left in many cases to wait
upon the household
CRUELTY TO SLAVES.
81 can not begin to describe the intense
hatred the rebels seem to have against their
slaves. | have known several instances
where they have shot them down like dogs,
and on zone lonely plantation we found poor
fellow with bonds Of iron on his ankles weigh
ing at least twenty pounds, and, wearing
these. he was compelled to work in the field
and keep up his row. He came along with
us, and after filing tor two days the boys got
the iron off for him. Liberty is the county
seat of Amite county, and is noted for its good
water, healthy location, and female seminary,
one of the finest institutions of the south. and
closed about a week ago for want OF provis-
ions. A confederate hospital had been es-
tablished at Liberty, at which we paroled if
teen soldiers, much to their joy. We de-
stroyed seventeen hogsheads OF sugar, one
hundred and fifteen saddles, and fifty stand of
arms.
AN INCIDENT.
''To give you the southern fireside' idea of
Yankee, relate the following as occurring
while we we're at Liberty "A little boy of
about six years came up to Capt. Holbrook,
of the I'D regiment, with mouth and ears
wide open, and says, why, you alls are like
we ais Certainly said the captain, what
did you think we were lkc?' why, thought
you had tails was the reply.
wooDyILLE.
''W 0Odville, the county seat of Wilkinson
county, was the last and mos: important place
to which we paid our respects. 1t is finely
situated, fOrty-three miles south of Natchez,
and is as beautiful little village of six hun.
dred inhabitants as one would wish to see 1t
has been point of great importance to the
rebels, on account Of its being the terminus of
the West Feliciana railroad, running to Ba-
you Sara, and having erected here fine cot
ton mill of some forty LOOMS that up to orr
arrival had been manufacturing and sending
east, by teams, from two to three thousand
yards of cloth daily. The railroad has been
employed in bringing up molasses and sugar
from Louisiana, which from here has been
sent on by teams. We destroyed ali the roll
ing stock found here, consisting OF two en-
gnes, fourteen freight cars, and two Coaches,
with the railroad machine shops. We also
destroyed three hundred barrels Of molasses
some thirty stand of arms of all descriptions,
and the cotton mill, and captured and brought
away with us very beautiful twelve pound
piece of artillery, of the old French model,
said by the citizens to have been used by
jackson at the battle of New Orleans. We
'opened the prison doors at Liberty and at
Woodvlle, and practically 'let the oppressed
go free Some half dozen slaves were con-
fined in both jails, most OF them not for
having committed any crimes, but because
they were claimed by no master, and accord
ing to the laws of Mississippi they must be
kept In confinement for six months and then
sold to the highest bidder; the money to 90
to the county poor. One that we had releas.
ed told me that he had been in for five
months; that he had accompanied his master
to Vicksburg, where he was killed three days
after his arrival. In a few weeks he started
back to his old home, but there being no one
to claim MIN, he was placed in Jail to await
sale, when the good Lord sent us to deliver
him. The citizens of the country through
which we passed seemed completely detected
AMI all manifested a strong desire for peace.
asked one man, part owner of large plan
tation, and a fair specimen of the uneducated
whites, why, if they were so DESTROYS of peace,
and were willing to see the Union restored,
they did not assemble together and vote to
come back into the Union? why, bless you,
: have nothing more to say about it than one
OF my slaves, was his reply. Such are the
sovereign people of the state of Mississippi.
We returned safely to Natchez last Friday,
bringing in one hundred and fifty captured
mules and horses and ten prisoners-one a
second lieutenant Some twenty were pa
rolled"