Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1864-01-07
From the Daily State Journal.
~he Negro Troops at Elisabeth City


40 ASoSIO 1IuSpS S1t 4laiGaOo1A SAb y
8 We have authentic details Of tho con1ucr al
the negro troops and their commanders on the
occasion of their late trip to Elizabeth City
ard while the ratrent.
The expedition was commanded by Brig
Gen Wide, and consisted of two regiments "f
negroes one of lch waS manded ny Ex.
Gov Todd, of Ohm. They Landed at Eliza beth
City on Friday, 2Sth inst, and spent s"tJe
eight days before they returned, during which
they destroy ed ten buildsrgs III the counties OF
Pasqu.,tank, Camden aud Curritack, and out.
ragged and pundefed the people in the most
heartless manner w hiist in Elizabeth City
III. officers ali quarter-d on the most re
sp+c,able families, iudi>cri.ina,ely (fhe COM
mis-i"ned officer, being white, the h''n-c"'n'n's
si"nsd black, J and did not pay dollar tor any
shing they rec-Ived. In most cases they com :
pelled the white ladies to cook aud wash for
TEEN. Reporting at Wiid-'s headquarters 5
daily they were que-iluned TO know il the. bad
been treated as ':gentlemea," and part'culsrls
it any ut the male mem be' s of the families hey
were ouartered ON talked secession d"ctrine.
On the streets the ladies ct the place were
j"&tied by the negro Troops and had to permit
them t" walk by ,hsr SIDE aud converse with
them ..n pain of arrest and punishment for in
sultiug United States Troops!' Any 'nf"r-
Hl2tion laid by negro against man or woman
was received conclusive e"ideuc- and brought
swtt puuisamrn. upon the alleged "H'nd@r.-
The nesrns riot during the Yankee stay la
thr A Abermarl" countr..
The commands of Capt. j. T. Elliott Goth
~. G. Troops. and OF Capt. Saudiin, came up
with these Williams twice and succeeded in kill
ing some fort, to fifty Of them and wnunding
msny more. They fled like wild deer on he
ing fired upon aud wer- shot a< they ran.
bright muIattn was captured aud mistaken Tor
a white ,,sn and >es, as prisoner I" Rch
mend, b. Capt. Elliott. On ming this, G-p.
Wilde selz-d ,hre. ladies, "ne a relative ot
CAPT Esil,tt aid /, oned Them aLd took them "h,
n"t,fyins Capt. e. tia, II his nsgr" soldier WAS
hsng-d he w,.uld hang the LADIES'. Cap E. rs
piled tina, he woad d" his duty unawed b; the
G-urral'> threat.
With these helpless women a number "f men
were ais" captured All OF them were kept
c..nin-d in the earret story Of hsns- IN r. IA
beth City-ir .ue rt,em--the women tie NJ
made to cook for the men, and tins for several
DAYS.
Oae of Col. J. r. Griffiu's men. SD Georgia
cavalry WAS captured and en- the bare sts'e-
u-nt IT = negro was hanged by Gen. Wilde As
gusrilzo. This murder ordered and wit
messed by Wide. On the Yankee retreat he
vas taken, with the other prisoners, ~ Tar =,
H,nton's cross rnads. and there IN the presence
hanged from . cross bear, of old house
where his remains were found forty four hours
eftsrv ards by his Colonel aud buried with mil
itnr, hsnors. On the back Of the murdered
soldier was label with the following words.
"Hsrs hangs guerilla OF Pasqu",ank eoun-
~. Daniel Bright, by order Of Brig. General
Wilde. f" fs.. !, a.ss....e. f,r.@ al Iu. !.
The unfortunate mans name was Daniel
Bright, Co. L. 62i Georgia cavalry.
Cal. Griffin after overcoming many obstacles
travelled sixty miles to come upon these Mau.
derras aud thieves, but hearing at his approach
they fed. The Colonel had the melancholy sat
isfact,on OF recovering the body .: his mnrder-
ed fellow soldier whose death he will have the
qualification ct svereing by hanging the first
Yankee who falls into bis hands. 2Fgss .tH s -.
We have not space to narrate the many
heartlsss cases of cruelty perpetratsd by these
nsnds. One or two cases will suffice as exam
pies. They entered the house occupied by the
wife OF Capt Elfott's Quartermastss. As the
poor wsmen sat as the fire she saw them deiio
srateiy cut hole in the middle ct the Hoor and
build . fire therein to consume her house over
] her. She asked them if they could d" that
They replied they could and would. sssThen
burn" was the lady's patriotic response, 'and
Ill be strosgsr Confsdsrs.s than ever" a