Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1864-03-04
Raids-HOw Should They be Metz

IL Is next 70 an tmpO5Sohly 10 BuAru aSAuSs Ia"s'
They are usually aimed at points least prepared to re-
Sist them, and whese they kaa expected The pan
Of a raid is generally to descend upon points far
removed from the main army of defence, where the
raiders can pursue their work Of devastation in the con
adeuce of immunity from capture serious di a1ter-
Raids are, nevsrlhslesl recognized modesot warfare,
80 long a. thei operations confined to legitimate
objsets Bu when they go beyond the bounds OF civ
zsd war aud descend into forays for Pulder, incen'
darsm and devastation they Ocght to be met by other
than the means provided By the cOio of civilized war
Toe parties who engage in Yankee raids consist OF the
worst class OF men-adVenturers who are ever ready
to engage in such enterprises for the sake of puude
seeing that the most that could bsa them outside the
casualties Of regular encounters would be capture aud
iuprisOnmeat Ia this event, they have but to abide
the regular rules of exchange, which equally apPl-
cable to them as to the prisoners captured in lawful
VAT
The amount Of injury within rtaoh OF the raiders y
ircalcuAble As said hs very absence of formidS-
be means Of fence, which es ia large comI ar
mics necessarily unable compass thsbrtai extent Of
whole country, leaves private property wholly at the
mercy Of these bandi.i. The extent of irjuy inflicted
mutt b measure solely by the scrupes of the rAders
and IS TO these may regard them as nOnsntes, so
FAR az the Yankees are concerned. Thers i, in fact
little or no safeguard against the bAbarOus and nhu
man practices Of the enemy in his raidug operations
within the scope of legitimate Wa.fare.
What then is to be done in order to arrest this in
famous practice Our soldiers should In every instance
Ehe they capture officers engaged In raids character
IL ID BY such s of ncendiarsm ard Wanton devAstA
ton and plumber as this last raid has betn hang them
instantly If they are handed prisoners of war
they a. Gree under the laws Of regular Warfars
AID a,e subject to exchange. Our government would
have no possibility in the matter. Questions, no
doubt would arise tut they might well bs met BY re-
ourrercs 70 the causes which lead the sclion of
soldiers The punishment meted out would certainly
comfort as strictly with the rules Of warfare a. the
acts which provoked it. II the former was Legitimate
% vas the latter, and in respect 10 10th, bet r
understanding in future Wouli, in all probability,
be the result At all events, one good ed, ct
of the prompt application of Lynch law to vsgabond
robbers aud eutthroa,s would be - this system
of outrases We would be relieved from this pest OF
raidiug so far es it is bGtSrOus and inhumSn. SIpt
Of tina. feature, it could easily be rendered nnOcuous
BY VigAnt exercise Of the means for home dsferce
which are within our reach. With his feature egi.i7
matiSed a. it will be, persist in extending to
these eeboosrs the rights due to regular prisoners Of
var We shall have to endure periodical out ages OF the
character lately inflicted upon US.
Let cur soldiers therefore, take the la" in their own
hands, and hang upon capture the officers OF every
rAdng party found TO be engaged in acts Of itc india
rism devastation and robbery such as characterized the
late raid around Richmond. This viii sectualy check
the prsctc,, ard give some feeurity against the IL
vaslOns of Yankee highWsymen. Nothing else will