Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-12-08
Capture of seven Hundred OF sber.
mans Troops while foraging-Ac-
count OF the March OF our Forces
scene of Dcsoiatfon IN Their

count OF the March OF our Forces-
4 Scene of Dcsoiatfon In Their
wake.
From the RIehmosd Dis9aieh. Dee. e.
The Georgia papers OF the 9th contain some
facts about the raid through that State. Seven
hundred prisoners have been received at Au-
gusia who wefe captured while foraging for Sher
mans army
The following extract from a letter in the
Augusta Chronicle. from writer who fed with
The Legislature from Milledgeyiile. shows how
the country is being devastated along the route
Of the invading army.
Leaving our baggage. we took a hasty dinner.
determined TO keep the road 70 Madison until
our pickets should notify Us OF the approach OF
the Yankees. About o'clock. a scout came
dashing down the road. at Gilpin speed. crying.
ITO the woods. 10 The woods and we wooded
Waiting several hours in the rain, under a rail
pen improyised fog the occasion we determined
- 20 out on the road and see what vss going on
We gathered from their actions that they were
the advance guard of the force a, Madison. and
were expecting 10 meet another force from Mon
iicellO at the fork near BY Late on Sunday
their main column commenced passing. and We
found il very difficult to avoid them They
secured through the fields, shooting cattle and
plunderng indscriminately until late in the
night. We were in more dread of being shot As
bushwhackers than OF being plundered, and prob
ably should have kept the road; but we now bad
no choice but TO avoid them il possible.
Their wagons were rumbling along the Mont
cello road on our left, aud on the Madison road
on our right. while they swarmed in the country
between. We could hear them talk and heai
their caps explode as they passed within few
feet of Us. The night was intensely cold. We
and dark save when the distant CLEAN Of a burn
ing house lighted up the horizon. Their main
columns were passing from about two O'Clock
Sunday afternoon until about nine o'clock n
night. Going 10 Credes place, We found hi:
fine house in ashes, and his gin-house burned
and every horse and mule gone. On his lo
about one hundred horses were lying dead; they
looked like good stock, and were evidently killeC
to deprive the planters OF them. A number o
Mr.. McCrede's negroes were gone. PrOceediD!
on we found every plantation on the road simi
lsrly devastated, except that no other dwelling
houses were burned, until we reached the fin,
farm of Hon Joshua Hill This is perfec
wreck. A large gin house full of cotton, corn
cribs, dwellings, were oil smOulieriBg ruins
His loss was greater than that OF any planter il
/ this section. Beside cotton, several Thousand
bushels Of corn aud potatoes. several hundre'
Of wheat, and much other valuable property
with every horse ard mule, and many negroe
have gone.
No farm on the road TO THE place, and as ia
as we can hear, towards Atlanta escaped thei
brutal ravages They ravsged the country be
low here to Oconee river. The roads wer
strewn with debris of their progress Dea'
| horses, cows sheep. hogs and chickens corr
wheat, cotton, books paper. broken vessels
coffee mills, and fragments OF nearly ever
! species of property that adorned the Household
| farms Of this country strew the wayside. as mon
uments of the meanness, rspacity, and hypocris
of the people who boast that they are not robbers
and do no, interfere with private property 1
Madison they burned the depot and one or tw
old warehouses with the Jail and market HOUSE
They Quilted every store, and plundered more G
less on every lot They fred drug store an
several other houses, and their officers. with
show OF magnsnimity aided TO put out IN
flames
Many families have not pound of meat, or
peck Of meal or -four. MANY negroes we're CT
tced away from their homes OF comfort TO shar
J the uncertain fortunes of a winter march to III
coast and then freedom 20 siarye. Families {
! wealth have not house servant left, and tEos
who were most trusted we're often the first
leave The Yankees entered the house Of m
next door neighbor, old man Of over tire
score years, and tore up his wile's clothes an
bedding. trsmplng her bonnet on the floor an
robbpg the house and pantry OF nearly eyerythin
Of value
i There was no provocation for any of the>
acts, for everybody treated them ciyilly an
offered them all they wanted TO eat. Their ey
cuse il they cannot control their men; many
them including their officers, behave civilly, All
my humble domicil escaped any serious depreds
tons Those citizens who remained az HON
and watched their premises lost little save horse
food and stock. Those who from any caus
CHANGED to be away lost all a lady on tn
Eat0nton road whose father Is in the army fee
ing afraid to stay at her house went to the hous
i OF neighbOr, aud on returning found ever
plate broken. every kntc and fork and spoo
gone. and her own clothes stripped 20 sheets an
scattered about the lot
Another letter says:
From Mlledgevillc 40 learn that the govern
ment has been removed The Governor hs
pardoned all the convicts in the psnitentiary; pit
i arms in their hands, and sent them 10 the from
except those put in FOR life. whom he could nj
reprieve according TO law