The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1863-07-17
PENNSYLVANIA.
CAMP 55th p. ",
BEAUFORT, S. c., June 10, '63

DEAUFORT, -. w., june III, 20. J
Mr. EDITOR:
AS there arc not many contributions to your
paper from this Department, l will give you a
few lines. The health of the Regiment is very
good. We still have plenty Of picketing to
do, and expect to as long as we stay here.
suppose the news Of the late glorious raid of the
! Stree Americans of African descent" is resound.
ing throughout the North. 1t was made by jim
Montgomery, of Kansas notoriety, and his COM
panions, the South Carolina ''Niggers." -Four
or five hundred Of them, two pieces of artillery
and couple of gunboats, left here and landed
on the 'Alain." between this place and Charles
ton. 1t was a most extensive raid. They
drove three pickets from an old deserted battery,
advanced mile, destroyed few bushels of rice
and burned eight or nine plantation houses, all
of which was private property. l suppose the
Confederacy is tottering from the effects. The
object OF the expedition, was to capture some OF
''Fader Abrams chosen people. They got
seven or eight hundred, mostly women and chill
dren. They took one hundred and fifty of the
men to fill up the ''colored LEGION" the rest are
in Beaufort, being taught by the ''white mig
gers' that they are free-that they are equal to
the white race-that the people of the South
are to be exterminated, and that the houses,
formerly their masters are to be theirs. Such
are the teachings of the ''philanthropic New
Englanders." The determination, as they say,
is begun in earnest, as they have appointed
companions of John Brown to command the
negroes, men that committed murder at mid
night-that dragged innocent men from their
beds and butchered them! What will become of
the helpless women and children at the South,
if these barbarians. commanded by such men,
penetrate the interior2
l have seen resolutions condemning those that
are trying to bring about an honorable peace,
purporting to come from the enlisted men of the
regiments. When those resolutions are adopted
the men are not consulted. They are not COM
posed of the sentiments of the enlisted men,
but are the base resolves of few avaricious
'Egreen back" worshippers. The soldiers are
disguised with the manner in which the war is
carried on. The "blacksnakes" that coiled their
folds around us and have dragged us to destruc-
tion, say 1--WE have one consolation for the Or
phan and widow-the intelligent bearing of
those who once we're slaves but now are free
men," They say ''we see with pride the OPP
plcSocu anu uOWu iTOuucll walking illc otIcGlS
of Southern cities with the air of freemen"-
This is their consolation-for the dead and
MANNED heroes of the battle feld-for the wan
dering orphan and weeping widow. The suf-
ferers Of this war, when turned loose, will make
daylight shine through such hypocritical scoun-
drels. The sons of Bedford county, here in
South Carolina, hail with pleasure the stand
she has taken against the encroachments of des-
pots. They only want to know why those at
home who talk so fercely for the negro policy
of the Administration are not in the field in
stead of hunting down and arresting loyal citi-
zens of the North. On hearing of the arbitra-
ry arrests at home, we often ask ourselves,
''Can America bear the tyrant's breasta
Is she the friend of stern control
Wears she the despot's purple vest,
Or fetters she the free born soul ~
Alas our country must be in sad condi-
ton, indeed, if a patriot dares not speak his
sentiments, if he daros not address public
meeting. Woe TO us, when to crush out free
dom of speech, the cry is heard, ''To the Bas-
tile To the Bastie!''
Yours truly, o. B. S.