The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1864-08-24

not avail them. Our soldiers are as well
informed as those attempting to deceive
them. They know that these very men
have denounced them rs Lincoln hire
lings," as'.hell hounds, hired to cut the
throats Of the Christian gentlemen OF the
South who are only indulging in the in
nocent amusement of destroying the
Government
They know that. in our State, when
a proposition was made in the LegIsla-
ture to secure the right of soldiers in
the field to vote it was opposed bv some
of these now pretended friends.
1t is true, As an electioneering trick,
the couSpirators on the State ticket, ua
derstanding that Governor Morton had
asked for the return of the soldiers SO as
to recruit and vote. very nagndn,moSty,
proposed to join him in doing that which
he had already done, The object is too
apparent to deceive
If this is an Internal war on the part
of the Union army, as they charge,
how can they expect the vote OF those
engaged in that war: The war cannot
be denounced without, at the same time,
denouncing those engaged in it. No
sophstrv, no defamation. no yelling
about aholtionism, can blind the eyes of
sensible men to any other conclusion.
From the commencement of the re
bellon to the present time the acts of
cruelty and barbarlty perpetrated by the
rebels are more horrible than have ever
occurred in any age of the world.
The barharity of Indian warfare hears
no comparison to it.
a rebel. Colonel Eastman, has writ
ten a book. entitled First year of the
War" In that book ne says
Like :hunderbolt Kirby Smith fell upon the foe ;
men fought desperate, and in moment the Feie-
raj troops who had felt certain OF victory, every
where driven back Scarcely had they commenced
retiring when it became impossible to restrain
troops. giant Texian throwing away his rifle. took
out his with one blow he split the skull of
wounded man who bad fallen to the ct. und. and this
began the signal tor general butchery. Like wild
beasts the ncensed soiery fell upon their victims he
ing stab1lng, slasiiiug like mad men !.
"A fearful panic seizes upon the Federal troops.
Even the travest iy before such an onslaught they
give way. and in rial fear officers an for
their lives like startled deer. The savage
spirit Of soldiers almost bordered on the hor-
rible. Eeauregard tock advantage OF this vengc!ul
mood; lie ordered his hole army forward, and With
wild eNultant cheers fell upon the broken enemy
Stuart had collected all lis cavalry together ami swept
across the plain like wLiriwind, clearing every thing
before Linn.
The enemy was now at full fight at every point
and 50 quick was our advance that all order in our
ranks was lost. rumCr suddenly spread that Kirby
Smith had fallen. y cry of ange. and horror passed.
through the ranks Of the whole army. Our troops
maddcned with rage, fell nerciiesSly upon their
opponents and fearful massacre commenced. Scenes
of horrible cruelty fearful for description ensued
Our men were no longer human beings covered with
blood, AMI dust, and gunpowder they fall upon their
flying opponents with ungovernabe fury
The butchery thus described ty a
rebel witness was followed by acts still
more tiendish, rivaline the Scandinavia
ans Of a barbarous age. who. it is said.
Il of hai
slaughtered foe. The skulls of many
patriot. who had given his life to his
country, were thus used by the rebels ut
their drunken carousal in commemora-
ton of their achievements at the first
Bull Run battle.
If their treatment of the dead he such
as to receive the eNecration of mankind.
what car he said of the horrible cruelty
inflicted upon the living when in their
power. The fortunes of war gave them
a number of prisoners at Fort Pillow.
Hundreds of these men, wounded and
helpless. were butchered in cold blood
many OF them on the day subsequent to
the fight.
ANY man in the rebel States daring TO
avow himself in favor of the Govern
ment of the United States is butchered
by the Peace Democrats of that re
gion.
In Randolph county, Alabama, recent
ly, & Union man was dragged from his
house hy the peace Democracy and
taken to a thicket:
After consultation it was determaine1 to put him
in the tory> yoke. but first Of ALL try make him
acknowledge having done and said certain things of
which he innocent.
Alter trring some time to accomplish their object
by questioning and threatening, they resrted Ia
severe measures. Untying him. they took of his
clothing laid him log. lashe him firmly il. and
with large hickory sticks commenced lacerljing him.
Four let in on him at once. and the number IN
creased to six. They continued beat him there for
long time, pausng occassionllv and asking him il
he would confess, and after his reusng would let it
him vigorously.
TIE blood trickeci from his blck in streams His
0iteouS appeals in behalf Of were tstllv disre-
garled. Nature finally yielded and the poor man
svooned and lostta consciousness fer several min
uteS- A. soon be revived these helish trnentors
resumed theIr tortGreS. They split the ends Of green
sticks ard twisted them in his hair and pulling violent
y, caused most e1cruciating PAIN This and other
nsniIsh operations were continued some time. They
then cut o his fingers at the second joint. also his
close up to hi> head
The stepwas 10 Gu; of As arms at the elbows
and the legs at the knees Alter this operation tie
wrelcbei victim tainted and falling 10 recover for sew
eral minutes the mur3errs pronounced him dead and
began t. prepare % leave but al t!.is their
victim showed signs Of life. Tdev now tied a rope
around his neck and hung him to a limb BY, ami
instantly decauiped-
Who that has read of the horrors of
the Spanish Inluisition-the rack. and
the other modes of punishment there
adopted-without a feeling of utter de
testation for its founders:
The crueltles inflicted on the soldiers
OF the Republic at Libby Prison and
Belle Island, are more horrible than
those perpetrated in the secret cells of
the great engine of hell. as the Inuuisi-
zion has been called
A history of those horrors would fill
volumes; but We can only now glance
ct them.
Andrew J. Mum, OF Company A, in
the leo Ohio Regi. thus speaks of facts
occurring under his own observation at
Belle Island
= ne next morning parcelied and sent 70
that he'll on earth, Belle Island where / witnessed
sights of suffering for months that were horrible
aWiuI-possItIvely Indescrbable, and chill the blood
and reno the heart with agony Of pity TO rerae-
ter Day after day have hern forced 70 witness
the SLOW fearful death OF starvation of scores of
noble fellows, and 70 hear their aSonizng means and
lncohereni ravlngs and pleadings for something
soothe the PAINS OF hunger. They would sometimes
when N this hafcrazed condition. ask for something