Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1864-07-21

Rebel Depredntions ON the Mails
( [ TTue Route AGENTS, l0Hzcaal
Report sY She rcsf once ne-
partment.
From the Washington Chronicle, July isj
Marcus r. Hook and William T.
Howell, route agents on the through, line
between WASHINGTON City andf New York.
furnish the following particnIars Of the loss
OF their train by the Rebels. =
Their train left Washington on Monday
st 7:sO a. m. The agents had IN chsrss
ffoin the Washington Office mails for Phils.
delphis, Albany, Boston, New York, New
ark, n: y, and Springfield, Mass. s0A
At Baltimore they. teceiyud the follow
ing: Bnfalo,'N Y, Nashville, Tenn,
Cairo, lll Meadeville, Penn, fouf for Oum.
berand, Md. (both the other roads to this
point being cutl Clevelaiii, Ohio, chicago,
ILL.,, Columbus, Ohio, Cincihtlsti, Gettys.
burg, Harriihurg, indianapolis, Lexington,
Louisville, Pittsburgh, Springfield, ILL.,,
Steubepville; ohio, St., Joscphy Mo-, St.
Louis Mo- Wheeling, Va, and GAINESVILLE,
The train proceeded on quietly rs usual,
until. while crossing Guppewder bridge,
Mr.. Hook remarked to Mr.. Howell that
there was dense smoke perceItible, some
distance ahead. and they would probably
now meet the Rebels.
=, Passing over safely, about mile towsrds
Magnolia the train was fred into by party
which proved to bo q band Of auerrillas un-
der Qilmor. The train was stopped i'm
nediatsly, but the engineer quickly revsfs.
ed the engine, loaped off, and, took to the
woods. The fireman soon followed, the
Rebels firing at theth as they ran. The
brakeman then made his way over the top
OF the baggage cars and on tho ehginc, when
as he states, he found one hundred and
twenty-five. sounds of steam on He stop
ped the train at that point Here q Rebel
entered the mail-car and demanded money
from the agents and others who had, under
the excitement, assembled in that car
From the agents no money could be obtain.
ed; but the through baggage-masters az
ceded to their demand, to what extent is
not known.
Here another Rebel entered and an
, nounced to his companion that Gilmor had
issued ordersthat all private property should
be respected. The two fellows then passed
out Of the car IA passenger, now used for
the conveyance Of the mails). and proceed.
, ed into the passenger cars. The passengers
. slghted, their baggage was taken out. and
! hero It was surprising to see those Rebel
depredators in friendly. intercourse with tho
|
to recognize old friends and aequanta noes
Indeed, the way-side presented the appear.
ance Of a grand picnic, for the ladies and!
gentlemen opened up their supplies, and
had the whole affair been previously pre-
!. grammed, better effect could not have been
given III. EhL2'-E : 3it1. Il N7lE
But, to the mails. Two Rebel eficsrs,
I supposed to be captain and adjutant, en-
= tered the mai car They first inquired tor
a safes !; learned there was 'nsne Then for
: mail bags. Asked for money or public doc
! uments.. The agents replied that mo mon.
|, ey would be sent by mail in these critical
d times,' &c Then the mail keys were de.
n mauded: The agents replied TINT they had
:. not the keys, when one Of the officers took
u out his knife, and remarked 1--WE have q
II key to the bags" They then selected the
Harrisburg pouch which they cut, and
/, opened dozen or two letters, but their gain:
from this source were only about $40, which
a they atoe from one letter. ~ycg
l. Remarking that this business was toe
2 slow wor k for them" they lighted a match
d and st FIRE to the mail - -g,.ysi~y
'e Query. We're the $40 stolen from tina,
letter, the hard earned wages of some day
70 labOrer or mechanic to some INDECENT family
!. We hope the miserable del redators will ap
N prise the Post Office Department at Wash
1t ington, SO that, when the poor family, or
n perchanc,, the sorrow stricken widow, ,shoulc
re apply ter her letter the Department may b.
" able, with certainty. to inform hers where
her money has gone.
These masnanimous officers, however
a allowed the route agents to take with then
Al their valises. Then asked the baggage
- master Of the train If he could run an en-
s. gine. He replied in tho negat We. tn,
ut brakesman who went over and stopped the
engine was ordered by the Rebels to act q.
r, engine or, and, under their direction, he Vi
! steam on the engine The trainwas tber
IA fred and forced back on the Gunpowdel
N Bridge. be '''.e-t
10 The baggage cars, rnail-car and five othel
ic cars were thus destroyed No part of th,
al mail was saved from the flames. :, - -
T. Our two informan's passed ovsr the rivel
OF m a boat, using every exertioII to ascertait
le whether any portion of the mail could b.
$, saved, but without success.
10 They then walked to Stemmer's Run anc
I. telegraphed' to Mn. Crawford. agent in Bal
~ imore, with view, to obtain::a hand car t,
re bring them to Bnltihaors, but the -bunglns
operator at that point SO transmitted theil
dspatch that Mr. Crawford could not un
N derstand it. tl t,,.t
q, The agents, after their long walk; stop
~ ped ut the Run all night, and next morning
y lTuesdhy) were conveyed in hand-oar II
ie Baltimore. From the ''city Of monuncnts,'
~ they reached here in charge Of the mailS
as by the steamer Star. o.ei
az az We have shown shove thst the Rebel
"a ~ destroyed slltAe mail mattsr--tlibusand
"a of letters-addressed't to twenty.eight differ
of ent but important points, How many in
SC SC nocent families have thus been distressed
'h by the non-receipt of their lstters--hov
in much money in small sums is destroyed
W. W. what delay in the arrival Of friends sum
az moned to attend some wounded or siukf sol
no dier, has been occasoned, we will not ven
40 ture to state. The wantonness, the mis-
% chief, the sorrows entailed by mail dopre
g . dater--the creature who would apply tn
to torch to the social correspondence, to y,
ID sacred chain Of intercourse which can onl,
IN IN exist between husband and wife, parent
:" and chiidren--are all beyond the compre
6t hepsion Of human beings. Weleome. /