Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1864-12-13
From the Progress
To Governor Vance.

De- SIR:-I observe in the Conservative Of the
9th letter from the town Of Wilkesboro, address
ed to you, aboundng in such glaring falsehoods in
regard TO the situation in this county that feel it
incumbent myself, a citizen of the county, to
expose them. You publish letter that was prob
aOly intended for your own eye and that of the Ad-
jutant General alone
The writer asserts that rape, murder and rob-
berry the order of the day." Let us examine
this assertion this grave cha-gn. And first as to
rape Not single instance Of it has occurred in
the county since the war began the statement in
the Conservative Of the 9th inst to the contrary not
withStanding There is a depraved appetite IN the
country for such Stories and deserters cannot steal
mans leather or cotton yarn, but that it must be
added by the third person who tells it that they
have violated his daughters ShockngI The
injury from the deserters may have been hundred
or thousand dollars but how insignificant in com
pariSon is the loss of character which the mans
daughters sustain? Away with such sympathy
And now as to murder. While we read of mur.
der IN many other sections Of the State it is notice
able that not single cold blcoded murder has been
committed in this county for three years. Many
violent deaths have occurred but most of them have
been amongst deserters. In a few instances worthy
persons have been wounded, and three killed by
buShwhackers and deSerters. What county in the
mountainous region can show fairer record than
this? Yet rape, murder and robbery the or
der of the day." according to your correspondent.
Now as to robbery. The deserters have been
carrying pretty high hand at this business on the
north side of the river for month past They have
robbed some half dozen persons since your cores
pondent wrote you, but our Homie Guard are after
them, and have captured II. Church and others,
who were perhaps the most active in these depreda
tlons; and they feel sanguine that they can drive
cut or capture the others. They go IN gangs of
about dozen and intimidate by their numbers, but
seldom show fight The gangs are composed of the
worst Of our citizens and deserters from other
parts but they not armed only as they seize the
weapons of citizens, and cannot cope with the Home
tiuard regiment of regulars would fail to find
them. 1t is only by "stl hunting" that they can
be taken.
Your correspondent says "the tories of this
county have formed themselves into about four
squads" How nicely he fixes it. He quarters the
county, and gives each section band of robbers /;
but unfortunately for the truth of his assertion the
Brushy Mountain. region, where he places the
Youngers, is as quiet and orderly and free from
theft, as any portion of Wake or Buncombe In
f1ct all the robbery complained of in this county
has occurred upon the north side of the river; but
the county being large must be quartered by your
correspondent, and big booted robber put in each
division to excite your sympathies and get you to
send troops here. This is thp agony.
But, Governor, here come wbopper" without
any sort of foundation. "a great many of our
hest citizens have beeN driven from their homes,
and have moved their property; and some of them
have been killed in the attempt to move" Not
btof truth in that assertion. No such state of af
fairs in this county. Nobody is moving OF trying
to move nor being.killed, in the attempt One fam
lily here became alarmed and have moved some
property since the date of your Informants letter
but as to the moving, it is no such thing. AS far
as can inform myself, not single instance of mo-
wing irom the county has occurred amongst our