Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1864-10-21
Office Recorder Virginia Forces, J
RICHMOND july IS, 1864. {
The W0rshipfa1 Justices cfsfhe County


Court Of AUGUSTA.
| GENTLEMEN The ACCOMMODATING circular.
will explain the prominent object for Which this
office was established Another duty has been com
mitted to it. and to that ask your attention
/ For some time past .he newspapers Of the county
have been filled with accounts from every part OF
| the Confederacy penetrated by the invader, and
especially from the different sections of the State
of Virginia charging that the enemy's soldiery
and particularly their rsiding par ties are making
war upon the unarmed and defenceless of this COM
munity, ravaging the country, and Inhicting upon
the people every species OF insult ard INJURY
Among the offences thus charged are, 50 devasts-
ting the country as to render it unfit for the habi-
tation or sustenance OF its resident population
abducting negro slaves, and armng them
against u.s. burning dwellings, mills, factories,f
records, semnaries printing offices, Libraries and
works of art; breaking up fences, roads and brdg-
es Decorating churches; taking such private prop
erty as can be carried of and destroy wing what
cannot be- stripping families of the necessares of
| life; imprsonng and infcting personal injury
| upon unarmed citizens-and worse than all, offer
ing insult, outrage and violence to defenceess
men.
/ These accounts have recently become so numer-
Gus come from sosmany different quarters and the
J offences charged so fragrant that the Governor
of Virginia, considering it necessary to have thea
fully inyest ated, has instructed this office earn
FULLY ascertain what wrongs and injuries contrare-
to the rules of war; have been committed upon thy
| people of Virginia. prepare q properly verfede
narrative thereof, and preserve 1T among the rec
ords of this office.
/ This is work which can be properly performed
! only BY the people who are injured; and each coun-
! ty should make up and send to this Office record
of the wrongs committed within its limits, prepary
ing its narrative carefully, sustaining each item
| by proper and sufficient evidence. and putting II
into such shafe thatt be readily referred to.
The county authorities should that this record
is promptly and properly made, and the people
generally should ascertain all the facts and obtain
! all the evidence within their reach
The county court is the Gust odlan OF the business
interest and welfare of the e0unty-the assertor OF
its rights and the vindicator OF the wrongs done
to it's people. Its members usually the best bust
ness men Of the county, Come from It's every sec
tion-are Familiarity acquainted with all the peo
ple are the friends and advisers of most OF there
in matters Of business and periods of trouble ana
distress, and aggregate greater influence and
| more general knowledge OF all, whether OF good
evil which concerns the county people, than any
other equal number OF its citizens. The county
court then, is clearly the source from which tins
action should spring.
These views and the plan herein after set out,
are approved by Ills Exeeency Gov. SMITH, and
under his instructions lay them before you with
the request that you will make such orders and
take such action as will instruct the prompt p. epar-
alton of such record in your county.
Should no better plan occur TO you permit me
10 suggest the following = 81 the proper order of
court assign to the magistrates Of each district the
duty OF preparing the record, ana taking the evil
d ence OF ali outrag6s committed by the enemy
wj.hia that district. Let them not fy the i9epIes
ftle dis trict when and Where to come before them
what is TO be perpetuated an by what testimony,
so that before the time appointed facts may be
collected citizens write out what they know
nd en- prove, and what is known to and can be-
proved by their neighbours At each term of the
court let eech district send in what mas been pre-
pared and dreStlv atter each term let all so sent
in be so copied as to admit 9t beng MADE INTO a
book here be certified by the clerk under the seal
| of the court, aud forwarded to this oihct II You
will pursue this course. the work can be RAPIDLY
and surely done with httleiabor to any one persol,
and all that relates to your county viii be MADE
into separate book and preserved here, while the
ORIGINALS will remain aiming Your county records.
Within Your limits many r~fugees from coun-
ties now in possession Of the enemy and likely to
remain so for cons derabie time. Many Ct these
are said be the victims OF wrong, aud to know o.
: many other cases. Let request that these mar
raiFes and their evidence be also taken and ceiti-
: fed BY you, and The orig ilais forwarded to tbs
Office.
As reclamation NAV Hereafter be made for rrop-
erty taken destrQtst by the enemy, it VIII be
for the interest," Of he owner that the tax dt9-
truction shou!1t, When possible, be aisc proven by
other persons than the owner.
la taking up these statements, wherever it eau
be done, please state the company, regiment e.
I force by which these wrongs have been committee,
and the officer Commanding the force. so that they
may be fixed upon their imt"edia e perpetrators
In some cases the enemy has been guided, aided
OF enC0ura2 ed by persons who then previously
resided iii the state. In such cases please set OUT
all the facts distinctly. with such descriptiO ofte
! person as viii thoroughly identify hiln.
In meeting tlesr acts of the tneIoy many ev3-
e4Abited, especially by disabled soldiers, clergy
( men, cid men, women and children-and many
sueh have in varions ways, durng this war, often
1T great personal hardship aud peril, rendered sig
u service to their country, and entitled them
seve to high niche in the temple Of fame. Ihese
ale Jewels in the ei.al o! Airginia's honor TOO
Il b light to be lost and beg that YOU will carefully
3 ascertain and faithfully record all the details of
these noble acts. Please send them ia me separate
= from the history before desired, for such bright
Vt recJ, should net be bound in The book with
j, any films disgraceu or unworthy,
q i shall be pleased to hear Irom vow that .his
e work has been commenced, and will be harry to
see any one interested in the subject at the Record
Office and furnish all the aid in the matter which
y it can render
Very respectfully,
. Your most ob'dt serv't.
3t JOS. JACKSON in. 2
Recorder Va. Forces.
VERGTNIA:-Ata court held fer the county oE
ID Augusta, at the Courthouse on Monday, the
I, 25tl day Of July 1864.
l. I 10 =