The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1864-10-27

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The nAiA EbrOsxA Dasss Go.
RE. Asuki. es.<d ssoe~aa1
On tie 18th inst. bsing the Grs day Of
our Coaaty Fair, . body Of suerill.s nam.
be=;ng thirteen entered oar eeurty at the
soutAest corner near Richard Grsss' farm.
plundering his house, captured Wm. Down.
ing neishbor; passed vest to Mr.. Powers,
taking Powers And his son, prisoner and
from his house passed Up the divide to der.
emiah Mller's stsie his horses. broke his
gan and passed on three ni,es JEest to Nor.
ris Mecrackens', who they robbed of about
loo dollars, stole 4 horse from james Paris
and at Frankiin French's house Tor money,
(Mr. French being. absent at the fair,) and
from McCrackens' thraqgt ths farm to the
residence Of Thomas Hardy, whose house
they rAmased for money but overlooked o,
in their hurry missed the money drawer;
leaving the house they found Mr.. Hardy
with his team and wagon and demanded the
horses which Ne refused to unharness when
they shot him through the head killing him
instantly.
From Mr. Hardy's they went to the house
of Mr.. Small, demanded Of Eleazer Small his
money and shot him through the head kill
ing him almost instantly, then passing
through the little village Of Springville they
took prisqners Capt Philip Bence Of the
3oth Iowa Infantry who was home on fur
lough. William Hin, Messrs. Sanderson,
Tanqehill and probably others whose names
ve do not remember and passed up the di.
vide crossing the State line within three
miles Of the southwest corner of the county,
sld when Just oyer the line they shot Capt.
Bence through the head apd discharged the
other prisoners. -.
They entered the county al the southeast
corner, about 10 O'Clock. a. m, and apassed
out at the southwest corner about sundown.
Word reached town, about 1,p. m, of
their deprsdations at Mr.. Miller's, and sew
eral companies we're Immediately forn,ed
and mounted company Started on the Ian.
oaster road. directly south, At aboat9 p. n,
but all attempts'to capture or overtake them
failed, though our cavalry pursued them ,n-
to Missouri whsre the gqerrillas scattered
and went into the brush, probably not less
than five miles ahead e our force. iesi sd
The three men were killed without s6y
proTocation, and were taken without arms.
Capt. Bence was in full uniform when "a
ken, 80 also was Mr.. Small who Was mem.
Der Of the, Sd Iowa cavalry. At home on fw-
Tough. Mr.. Hardey was quiet. peacaJe
citizen, farmer in good circumstances, and
had about his person probably one or two
hundred dollars which the rebels got. u He
was probably killed for fear he might be
able to identify some Of the men, as he was
q man of extensive acquaintance, and the
other two were no doubt murdered because
they were Union soldiers. gt,-.
These outrages ought never to have been
permitted with an organized militia in the
county but our citizens had been lulled in
to belief that there was no danger, and
bad become rsck'ess. from false alarms. for
their own safety, and we're found without
any Rlsn of defense Fay bas s7'2nss
The guerilias no doubt were men well
acquainted with the situation Of tbings 10
the county, knew the roads and byepaths,
knew where to find money and good horses.
and kaev that many of the citizens would
be absent y the Fair, and also knew how to
avoid po;ats where the Militia would rally,
and there is also no doubt bat they were
plundering and numbering for gain rs well
as from malice as they robbed murdered
men Of all political parties and we're not goH-
srned by any principle whatever. ,.u
This account is hastely sketched from ths
information received from all points and is
not full in details, nor perhaps perfect ip
any part, but As to the robbing, the muir
dsrs and stealing, al accounts agree, and
not only the citizers in Davis Go. but along
the entire be.der cf tho State should taks
propet and effective measures to patrol che
State line and prevent any recurrence Of
such oatrsges in he future. ideGFo Gosd
s;s.. hsTa
SrocKErr MATTHEWS. Maryland anti
slavery maa, spoke the following eloquens
words st the great saeeting in Boston,fsssW
sGent!eman, this world Is never the same
At set Of sun that It wss Il its rising (ap-
plause) and any man who supposes that
the vhiriwind Of civil revolution, ofstrife,
Of carnage. ofslsughter, Of sacridce.e of such
heroism as has been shown on the part Of
the North. ia sheddinq the best blood. of