Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-06-16

QD9io: Statesman, ii, !; 'lill t.
Ta PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY ne.
The Ohio Statesman Company,
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THU URSDAY MORNING, :. JUNE l6.
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THE RED RIVER EXPEDITION.
Reported Outrageous Features Of the Campaign.
THEBURNING OF ALEXANDRIA
White Unionists Refused Transportation and Con-
trabands Given Room. %
t. 20 lyJ N..TufIrtlJHU
THURSDAY MORNING, JUNE le.
rHE RED RIVER EXPEDITION.
reported Outrageous Features Of the Campaign.
THEBURNING OF ALEXANDRIA
White UniOnists Refused Transportation and Con-
I1 trabands Given Room. 4. n
indignation Against Gen. Ranks.
Correspondence Missouri Republican,

From federal officer who was up Red
river at the time of the evacuation of Alex
andria by our forces, gather some interest
ing facts. From the time of the retreat of
the army from Pleasant Hill, the feeling
against General Banks had been continually
increasing. Every day added new and
more aggravating causes for distrust and
dissatisfaction in reference to the manage
ment of affairs. While waiting at Alex
andria to get the gunboats over the falls,
there were the most serious apprehensions
in reference to the sufficiency of supplies
both for the men and animals. To make
the matter worse General Banks issued an
order giving to General McClernand's COM
mand, which was camped north of Bayou
Rapides, as the outer guard, all the oats and
hay, or nearly all there was on hand, leav-
ing other commands entirely destitute of
forage. This caused no little dissatisfaction
among the men. And to aggravate the
matter still more just as McClernand got
his forage out to his camps the rebels made
a dash on him, compelling him to make a
precipitate retreat across the bayou, and to
destroy or leave in the hands of the enemy.
all the forage, camp equippage, etc. A part
was destroyed but it is sasd Dick Taylor
got the larger portion. The Indignation
and dissatisfaction of the soldiers were now
beyond all bounds. Complete demoraliza-
ton seemed almost inevitable. Other Or
ders of General Banks were frequently
treated with contempt by subordinates, and
men openly declared their intention to pay
no attention to any orders emanating from
the commanding General.
When the gunboats were all over the falls
and the order for evacuation was promul-
gated, and the army nearly all on the march,
some of our soldiers, both white and black,
as if by general understanding, set fire to
the city In nearly every part almost stimuli
taneOusly. The flames spread rapidly, in
creased by heavy wind. Most of the
houses were of wooden structure, and were
soon devoured by the flames. Alexandria
was town of between four and five thou
sand inhabitants. All that part of the city
north of the railroad was swept from the
face of the earth in a few hours, not build
ing being left. About nineteenth. of the
town was consumed, comprising all the
business part and all the fine residences, the
'Ice House" hotel, the court house, all the
livery stables, and the entire front row OF
large and splendid business houses. The
"Ice House" was large brick hotel which
must have cost one hundred thousand dol
lars, and was owned by Judge Ariail, a
member of the late constitutional conven-
ton, who voted for immediate and
unconditional emancipation in Louisiana;
which convention also sent delegates to the
Baltimore Convention. While Judge A.
was thus serving the administration, the
Federal torch was applied to his houses, his
law office, his private and law library, and
all his household goods and effects. All this
property, be it remembered, had been pro-
tected for three years by the Confederates,
who all the time knew the Judges Union
proclivities. Hundreds of other instances
might be cited of Union men who suffered
in like manner. Et t,no judice omne. erar
The scenes attending the burning of the
city are appalling. Women gathering their
helpless babes in their arms, rushing fran
tically through the streets with screams
and cries that would have melted the hard
est hearts to tears. Little boys and girls
were running hither and thither crying for
their mothers and fathers; old men leaning
on staff for support to their trembling
limbs, were hurrying away from the suffo-
eating heat of their burning and
homes. The fair and beautiful daughters
of the South, whose fathers or brothers
were In one army or the other; the frail
and helpless wives and children of absent
husbands and fathers were, almost In the
twinkling of an eye, driven from their
burning homes into the streets, leaving ev-
erything behind but the clothes they then
wore. Owing to the simultaneous burning
in every part of the city. the people found
no security in the streets, where the heat
was intense as almost to create suffocation.
Everybody rushed to the rivers edge, being
protected there from the heat by the high
bank of the river. The steamboats, lyingat
the landing were subjected to great annoy
ance, the heat being SO great that the decks
had to be flooded with water to prevent the
boats from taking fire. Among those who
thus crowded the river bank were the wives,
daughters and children, helpless and now
all homeless of the Union men who had
ioined the Federal army since the occupa-
ton of Alexandria,. Their husbands had
already been marched of in the front to-
ward Simmesport, leaving their families In
their old homes, but to the tender merciesl
of the Confederates. The Federal torch
had now destroyed their dwellings,, their
household goods and their apparel, the last
morseI of provisions, and left them starving
and destitute. AS might be expected, they
desired to go along with the Federal army,
where their husbands had gone. They ap-
piled TO Gen. Banks with tears and entreat-
ie8 to be allowed to go aboard the trans
ports. They were refusedl They became
IrduJlC WIFI CAClbculOub duu IuScs Iucit
screams and piteous cries were heart-rend-
ing. With tears streaming down their
cheeks women ana children begged and im-
plored the boats to take them on board
The officers of the boats were desirous of
doing so, but there was q peremptory or
der from Gen. Banks not to allow any white
citizens to go aboard. A rush would have
been made upon the boats, but there stood
the guard with fixed bayonets, and none
could mount the stage plank except they
bore the special permit Of the commanding
general. Could anything be more inhu-
man or cruel? But this Is not all. Gen.
Banks found room on histransports for sic
Or seuen thousand negroes that had been gath
cred IN from the surrounding countryi Cot-t
ton that had been loaded on transports to
be shipped through the aquartermaster to
New 90fleans under Banks order, was
thrown 0yerbo BOARD to maleroom fornegroes.
But no room could De- found Joi' aoiite ioou,en
and hildfea, ,ohose ha5bptds aud broshe1swere