Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-01-09
A Sharp Military Correspondence.

HOW REBEL GENERALS COMPLAINTS WERE
ANSWERED BY GEN. FOSTER.
On the 9th OF November, Major General
S. G. French commander of the rebel forces
at Petersburg, Va, sent letter to Gen. Fos-
ter, at Newbern, complaining of the conduct
of the federal troops during their march up
the valley of the Roanoke river. Here is one
of the counts of the Indictment
Negroes were forcibly abducted from their
owners many isolated houses in the villages
Of Hamilton and WILLIAMSON were wilfully
burned; parlors of private residences were
used for stables: family carriages were taken
to your camp, abandoned, and destroyed;
houses of peaceful citizens were forcibly en-
tered-doors and windows broken, and all the
furniture destroyed; bedding was carried into
the streets and burned; women were insulted
by your soldiers and robbed of all the money
and valuables on their persons, and all their
clothing and that of their children, except
what they had on, was cast into the fire or
torn to pieces In general terms, your SOL
dierS committed many robberies and practiced
a wanton and malicious destruction Of private
property.
Having been over a portion of your line
Of march and examined these evidences of de-
structlon, reported them to my government,
and | am instructed to address you, and IN
form you that such out'ageS are considered as
fo1Jeiting the right Of yourself and officers
TO be treated as prisoners Of acar, and to in
quire of you whether these outrages were
committed with your knowledge and sane
tion?'
Not frightened at the threat implied in the
passage printed in italics, Gen Foster cour-
teously replied, under date of Newbern, De-
cember a.
IN "Not a negro, to the best of my be-
lief, was forcibly abducted from his master,
and, indeed, | only suffered those to follow
who insisted upon so doing. There were fif-
teen houses (says Gen. MARTINI burned at
Hamilton-the fact deplere. At Williams.
ton two were burned, from defect in the tlue
of the chimney, as shown by investigation, and
one small house pushed down to prevent the
spread of the fire. Members of my staff were
in each house, and none of them saw horses
in parlors. though, in one or two instances, on
piazzas. Family carriages (not over three)
may have been taken to transport sick men,
not to destroy or abandon.
That houses of peaceful citizens with the
family in occupancy were entered, women and
children insulted and robbed, | do not be-
lieve, as the provost marshal heard nothing of
the kind so gross as you report. In respect
to that part Of the your letter, as to the treat
ment OF our officers, not as prisoners of war,
| would say, that If, after my letter, your qoc-
eTnnaent proposes to act on that principle, |
beg that yOu cW hare me Informed, for the
regulation Of my o1cn course. Very respect
fully, your obedient servant
j. G. FOSTER, Maj. Gen. CONG"
To which French replied, December 10 =
''War, even when conducted by the acknowl-
edged rules OF christian nations; intlicts so
many evils on society, that it should not be
increased by the lawless acts of soldiers. 1t
affords me much qualification to learn that
the acts of depreciation referred to in my let
ter, were not only not done by your orders,
but against your strongest effort to prevent
them, and it is to be hoped no future cause
for complaints will be given by your forces"
On the 9th of December, General Foster
closed the correspondence by administering
dose of French's own medicine, thus -
81 most fully agree with you that war is
most horrible in the misery and ruin it must
cause, even when carried on according to the
acknowledged rules of Christian nations, and
therefore beg to call your attention to, and
ask if it was by your approval, that in the re-
cent attack on Plymouth many houses and
other buildings were fired, and to that extent
families were ruined and rendered homeless,
that only want of time prevented other dam
age being done. | Mould also call your at
tention to the case Of Mrs. Phelps, lcto was
shot dead By q confederate soldier.
"On occupying the town of Kinston, re-
Gently, the streets were found in many cases
full Of burning cotton, naral stores, DC,
destruction Of pi operty lchich / do not know
your approval or disapproUaI of-the effect
was that one house was set on fire-and that
it was only by the greatest effort of our off
GERS and soldiers that large portion of the
town was saved from destruction. Trusting
that by our united efforts the war within our
department may be robbed Of some of its
horrors,
81 am, general, your obedient servant,
81. G. FOSTER,
''MaJor-General Commanding"