The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1864-07-16
What One Woman has Suffered.

Wndt One WOMuu mas SuHChSWs
Last year the world was horrified al the murder
OF q whole family nj Becthams Landing, In ObioH
county, Tennessee, By Yaakee negro troops IN
Europe II was made a theme Of commeneby the
ptess-of civilized nations. The partic MARS have
never bern fully given until within few days
past, when Mrs Mary Beckhan. the widow OF
Beckham, one of the victims, pubiishra letter
giving the details of the horrible act Az u mai
ter Of history we put IL upon record
On Tuesday moraing about 9o'etock, August
4Iii, 1863 twelve armed negro soldiers came 10
tie house, there beiag no one there except my
husband, taIher In law, benjamin. L Beckham,
aud four OF my children, and some If our family
negtors. They rushed or my husband and tied
him. touk tf his watch aud pta, and rthed his
pockets TheyF then tied my father In law, snd
dragged them 10 the river, 1t beias about thitiy
yards. They killed my husband on top OF the
bank by shooting him la the head. They then
cut off his shoulder blade and rolled his body
into tho river; his clothes looked as II there had
been great struggle.
They then took The old gentleman, stabbed him
three tunes, once In the heart, and cut one 0i MS
ears off. After throwing his body Into the river,
they proceeded back 10 the house, where Two ot
them had been gtiaIding my dear lit children -
They spoke TO my eldest daughter, Laura, aged
fourteen years telling her TO get up aud follow her
damned old daddy, at the SANE Time presenting u
pistol to her temple. ! he chilireu weIs driven
10 The waters edge, where their father and grand
father had been murdered, and then they wtse
put To death in the mOst cruel mauneT.
+ The youngest, Richard, aged two and halt
years, was thrown into the water alive. Laura
jumped In and attempted Ia rescua him, and whist
In the water, waist dep, begging fJr mercy, she
was knocked on the head With the hutt end OF
gun, aatireiy separating her forehead, and Then
stabbed 10 The side Kate Ida, eleven Jeirs OF age,
was then disposed Of She was beaten with guns
until her head and shoulders were perfectly soft,
her body was bruised all over Caroline. seven
nl ana lAhn ne m a
dishgured that she did not look like human Al
ter they had murdered them all and thrown their
bodies into the tiver, they returned TO the house,
taxing everything valuable and III the cOtfug
they could carry.
Then they started for Island No TO- thinking or
knowing they would be Protected II they reached
there in safety While they were killing the chill
dren, man b Y the name of Everett came up, he
asked them what they meant, when they com
menced firing on him and he narrowly escaped
with his life; he started immediately to alarm the
nei .hboIhood. There happened to be a Federal
cavalry force trom Columbus, Kentucky, con-
serlpting the negroes In The cavalry, aud their
being Informed, they immediately started In par-
suit and overlook them near the island and arrest
ed all except those who escaped, but they were
afterwards captured. Ten OF them were taken
10 Columbus where they werB tried and SIX sen
fenced, and IL is said, even hung, the othets
with the exception OF oae sentenced TO the pen
itentiary fir life One was left unpunished.--
The cause The fedeas Had for showing So much
ieu,ency To that one wds, he acknowledged he
threw the youngest child In the iiver but said he
did not want 10 kill any ot them, but he was
threatened by Others, that u he did not obey Guy n
hes aud Captain Thumass orders, be would meet
with The same tate those children. know
there Is Just Cod above, and tn al they will have
Justice meIed them in his own good time In
The next world Ii not Is If,is have three chill
dren left and now living At home. Vaiious threats
were made against my liie Ii came home but 1
came, and could not tell the number of times the
Federals have searched my house b0tn night ahd
day.
/ reported 10 the authorities at No 10, but IL did
no good. was told that the Lieutenant VINO Z
rested the negroes was wearing my husband 3
watch have been robbed nve times sihce the
murder of my family; and II this war cohtin
ues much longer | do not know how VIII
| live. The negroes that murdered my family art
strange negroes trained by UniOu soldiers 10 COM
NIT such deeds. The New albany Ledger gave an
ac count OF the Eufd.r, and said IL as moe than
| likely IL was al hoax, and II IL was 81 The re
| bellioa was the cause vi H. My iethcr In law :
brother was The lifst murdered at the tiRie OF
| Juan Brown insuIIecton ~ Hatpers Ferry.
| wonder what was the cause OF that
| One OF the negroes concerned i'll the murder OF
| my iamiiy was IA noted corporal. In November
| was al my brothers, when Three wbite Union soi
| tiers, from the island, came 10 search. They
cursed me-, aud said WAS damned old fool, anu
other words too rough 10 niehtion. one ur w hi'
| gun On me, and threatened tu shoot me. wen
i.nme tiatey to The island, and told Capt Beuisai
one OF his Hien threatened my hte. He said h
| would punlsh him Two weeks later The SAM
| mancame back, and told me that told The black
est lie won+an ever tod
| / received Il note tiOm headquarters 10 pay
woman 8 AZ Immediately, o. W"hd be sesereI
punished. The womaa had no claims On IN
| whatever. | refused tn pay the sum, ana In
commander then on The island being ordered ava
| prevented me flom paying IL OF teeeivi-g tn
| punishment
| Under sueh circumstances have lived alone
with The exception of three sHa children.
have resolved 10 have a monument placed owe
L hvs ba.tts - 4yt 4 W. shaw
went; then, il The threats that made asains
| me a.e executed, aud an not spared, call upo
the Masons 10 see that /; is done. Enough Is lei
| that an ainiy can't destroy ID have II doHe.