Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1864-07-08
A daAPrER OF YANKEE OUrRAGEs.
SAMUEL MILLER, ESQ,

The outrsVes upon our czsns, and thefts, robberes
aud deDrsdaons committed in the counties of Bedford
and Campbell by General Hunters forces in their recent
I'D raid upon Lyrchburg, would occupy volume,
and truly narrated shcck the sensbiises OF oil good
men In the Valley of Virginia they were even greater
amounting lover aud above the personal suernGs IN
aeted in the opinion of one of eminent cit sens, to
over $40 600 600 They will never in all probability
be correctly recorded for they had to ba seen and JET
10 be rightly understood but their 'Ius character is
stamped indslOly upon the memories of our people,
Some idea of it my be formed By the treatment OF the
aged ctz,n whose name heads It Il article.
A retired msschsnt, living alone with none but bis
family slaves around him Mr.. Miller was rstding, and
sad been ior many years. on his farm near tue CITY Of
Lynchburg For forty years that city had been the
theatre OF bis mercantile enterprise and his nome. de
had entered il an unFended ard portionlsss boy-And,
having on stripped all his conem oraTies in the race for
commercial mastery left it TO exchange more active
pursuits the quiet and repose OF rural ne sue
cess Ike his often breeds the suspicion ana scm .tlms
charge OF undue meaus-but not 90 with htn. His ca
reer had been one of industry, patience economy and
nonor-his whole business lite marked by truth ana
srashtforwardness and he left IL with the unanimous
verdict of his compeer that his vast estate was The sp
proprae reward Of these manly qualities guided by an
intellect Of the highest order IL Is TO DO regIestt that
.ueh man should not have spent the evening OF life
in large communion with his fellows but his health, al
Eays delicate perhaps more than inclination or Juog-
uent led him prefer retirement and the simple FlS-
sures of reposs. He had engaged in politics rr
mngled with the troVersia gu s1ons OF his day. In
bis iu gment Of men, cautious out air-in his vsWs OF
Government conservative, he bad never been the adVo-
cats of extreme measures. Loyal to his pa'iVe ate.
and willing TO abide her fortunes whatever hey may be,
his age excluded him from participation in the Wsr and
all bis tastes aud hAbiudSs were those Of prVat' fs-
Here he spent his time in reading, reflection and cot
| res DO, dencs; and with the habits Of hermit, va
eV 10 ba found one of the best informed m9n Of the
day. To the numerous calls upon his charity he habitp'
sy espOr dsd with kindness and TO the poor around
Elm was ever frend-ooupling his bounty With admo
aiSons to prudence and economy daily pracis;d by
himsslO as necessary not OILY to thrt but Virtuo-
Whatever may be the violence which state oil war
iusihes az between belgeren's actually engaged, all
the good and candid OF earth will say, such man as
/ this o Kht at least to Be let alone
Ba. be seems evidently 70 have been singled out In
advance for speCisl outrage and punder On the 18th
| aud is b June, 1854, lAlge band Of Gen. Hunters
mn surrounded bis house. AID ouncpg at their
no I've and purpose in the declaration that "they had
learned be was the richest mar in Virginia. demanded
in true bandit STYLE practical surrender ct his effects
He vas alone and beside bearing on his head the fIOst
eff seVenty-two winters, in feeble heal ard yet the
cd uan showed no sgn Of fear He saw it was vain to
to their generusy for obviously they had none,
and worse thaa idle TO make representations OF his
dton for they would have been treated with rticult
a 4 - d
rous impulse would have protected such man +; but,
with the instinct Of robbers they rushed into his house
and breaking open Doors proceeded to ride the rooms
one by one, Hoping, as they faid, to find concealed
they broke up the furniture, Wrenched open
bureaux presses and drawers; scattered the bedding
and bedclothss spreading them in the yard TO feed
their horses on, tore down EAnscottng ard ceiling and
ransacked the establishment from top 70 bottom. They
took from it every Htcs Of food, sugar, coffee tea,
brandy Wine moasses, four lard 6c., &s leaving for
the owner not much ono meal-scatered his care
uy preserved files Of papers and the correspondence
of years, much waste paper-sezed every dollar
be had in money about $500 600 Of domestic debt in
dy iuA and corporate aud OF Foreign stocks, funded
debt coupon and registered, mucn larger sum, "a,
openly aVoWirg theiF OF ect and policy to be to de-
stroy the Of wealth Of the country, aud thus dis
able them TO aid the rebel ion" They stole his
wearing apparel and some articles mot again to be sup
p!edl Indispensable TO his personal comfort, and Of no
possible value any other, except for the small por
ZION Of gold used in their construction. They proceed
Cd rife his crib aud meat house, and taking
their entire contents with all his proVsnder horses
cattle, IA Except few m Ion coEs) and carried them
of-dragged his carriage to bridge near by, aud,
lroNiDg it over, rIko it to pieces; and YET
than all these profeSSsd phiAnthropss and friends rob
bed his slGveS all their iood and such Of their octh
z IS vas OF aRy value TGey remained on the pre-
mlses for "a hours in the perpetration Of these
uIases su5jsesins him 70 every species Of ndgnity,
end denying him the Use Of hs food except when,
ons occasion, they required him 10 taste before they
patOok Of it, to give that il had been
dFugged Aad whom be don urrcd, in'imating II a
suspicion should RTiss this head that his doom
sealed To the slaves they were ahade ks complai
iant han usual expressing de ire t. take III The men
81. no deposition 70 bs oumbsEed With women and
caIden. But wiki one voice they spuroed their ceJ
remaining tue and loyal 20 taeir gsster Tnus we're
tie person aud home OF We cradle Yilguian dssp3l
ed, and fasIant highway robbery cOmmteiI
Tn account OF It, correct but not FIJI, is given
rot SIMPLY because OF its enormy, the jury b
Inflicted on Nr hiler-for similar and even greater in
jures, though less IN amount have been dose to thou
sands OF QUE pe0pe-bu5 far as il may be o.
hone and aboad that tAe Woili may comprehendffom
s and them s0mecd. Of the character wnich this dis
gustng coutss is last assuming Grant ng that the IN
sane 1ea Of restoring the Federal Union BY force may in
the onset, by some have been honestly aimed Oy
universal assent it has long ceased 80 exist and suu
CATION by hruts force become the aNoWed object of hs
var u ID in the Wanted idea that nat OF tsen-
ty millions mus. necessarily subdue one Of sx-leeDg
the nothinguess CT hereft derived from sycophancy
European powers and yet more degraded (eyenn their
syes) ty the necessity to call forth the impoeIt
aid OF the blacks the enemy has grOan desperate and
tee contest changed form. Ths war, which, treated
War has aston sled the Wo IL and BY tle vastResS
OF is proportions commanded iis respect has at
last taken the form of murder, rapne robbery
aad ll1nder com nitted by Wholesale and the end and
only end now seeming 70 be aimed at or hoped for is
simple desretioR Of people Of she South 90 enable
hsr dsstroysrJ to seize their effects aud occupy thar
koHassl lie. no man despair OF doub for dark AZ
this picture is 1t foreshAdOHs light Let it but teach
Us to do duty, and individuals and people, 10
put our ut in Him, and righteous God will ere long
send Us deiverance, apd, recognised by the Nations,
our beloved and suffering land stand forth Of the
fAirest ssotions of earth -"
sPorsYLYAMA O. h, July Sd, 1864.
Editors of tie Rhig:
L