The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1864-10-25

lot of Cards il not intended for the benefit "f sol
diers' families. A lot is being prepared for soldiers
families which will be sold at much less price,
See advertisement.
! YANKEE DEPREDATIoNs.--Gen. Sheridan. the
commander of the yankee troops in the Virginia
Valley in official report of his operations, thus
boasts of his barbarous and uncivilized conduct:
Il have DESTROYED over two thousand barns filled
with wheat and hay. and farming implements; over
seventy mills filled with -four and wheat; have driven
in front of the army over four herd of stock, and
have killed and issued to the troops not less than
three thousand sheep. This destruction embraces
the Luray Valley and Little Ford Valley. as well as
the main Valley
| In addition to this, the brute boasts that he burnt
many houses.
And this is the way the yankees trying to
force Us into Union of love and fellowship with
! themselves. The people who numbering our
young men and old men, and trying to perish out
the women and children of our country by burning
barns food, mills and agricultural implements, are
the people that w W. Boyce Of South Carolina
says we must cultivate friendly feelings with
THE WEAKNESS OF OUR ARMIES EXPLAINED.
The Hon. b. II. Hill. one of the Georgia Senators,
has written letter to of the Enrolling Officers
in Georgia. in which lie states facts which'fully
plain how the service is defrauded out of men and
Why armies not strong they might be.
If the conscription laws were impartalty executed
there would be no danger of the country being sub
jjugated to yankee rule. We make the following
extracts from Mr. Hills letter.
But the plain fact is ascertained to be that not
more than third of the men fit for duty be-
tween the ages of eighteen and forty fve actual
y present with the armies in the field. Where
the two thrdsl What excuse have they for being
away? By whose permission and for what reason
are they permitted to be away! To get these men
to the field and to ascertain and expose and remedy
the various frauds by which they have thus far been
allowed to roman away from duty, form the purpose
of the order which you called on to execute. If
this order shall be faithfully executed, our armies
will be replenished the enemy will be defeated and
our country recovered from their possession. If
this order shall not be- faithfully executed then the
whole machinery of what is called the CONSUMPTION
Bureau is shown to be failure and those engaged
in administering it ought themselves to be ordered
at once to the field.
Gen. Grant writes home that our material for the
army is exhausted; that only reliance is chill
dren aud old men. and for this reason he begs the
people of the North to submit to the draft and press
little longer and we cannot but fail His state
meEt Is not true. We do have the men between the
ages of eighteen and forty five to whip this fight.
and that speedily. if they can be brought to duty.
But two-trds of these absent! This start
ling fact is enough to make every old man and wo-
man in the land turn voluntarily enrolling officer.
There many absent from all our armies, who
have turoughs or leaves of absence which are not
legal or proper Many granted by subordinate
officers, especially to their relations and favOrtes.
who have no authority to grant them. Many
granted by the proper authority, upon untrue repre-
sentations for that have ceased to exist
and many are forged.
Many have been detailed for some light duty
while sick slightly wounded who still remain
away under of such details long after health
has been restored or the wounds have healed In
all details and exemptions end when the rea-
sons for granting them Never cease your in
quiries, where is shown paper granting detail or
exemption. but know whether tue reason for grant
ing it was true and continues to exist.
Many have applied for exemptions and details.
and received furloughs, which are renewed from
time to time, until the applications shall be finally de-
termined. Some of these employ LAWYERS falsely
called who. if they do not get the final order
desired, at least. delay final acon-the fee Of
ten being measured by the length of the delay.
Thus an ungratcul application is made practically
to operate as discharge from service
Some persons still carrying old commissions
where their Offices have ceased. but the commissions
have not been surrendered or cancelled.
Many are showing contracts in every conceivable
shape-many of them spurious-and upon them
claiming exemptions details. NJ contract what
ever with the Government entities man per Sc, to
an exemption detail. The contractor must show
the order from the War Office for his detail
empion. and that the Secretary of War himself
cannot grant except upon the certificate of the chief
of the bureau that the personal attention of the
tractor is Indispensable to the proper execution Of
the contract.
Many have certificates from some bureau
der officer OF bureau, stating that the bearer is APP
pointed to do some duty or make some indefinite i'll
vestigation L saw one, some time since stating
that the bearer appointed to examine for iron
and copper deposits in certain counties where such
deposits were never suspected to exist and where if
eAhaustess quantities did exist, the bearer would
never find them All such appointments are with
out authority.
Many clerks, agents and employees of Quar-
termasterS, COmmi:saries and other officers. No
such officers have the right to appoint any his
agent, clerk or employee, in any capacity, who is
between the ages of eighteen and forty five. unless
such a man be disabled from service i'll the field.
Mark the word-nut sick wounded-but disabled.
Many acting provost marshals and guards.
agents and employees of provost marshals in our
interior towns No such officer is authorized by law
and no power, not the President, Secretary of
War, or Commanding General of army. has the
right to appoint such officer outside the lines of
the army. and all such. with their numerous retinue
are illegally away from their commands. The same
remarks apply to military commandments away from
the army.
The number who have surgeons certificates of ill
health in their packets and natures certificate of
good health in their persons-the truth of the latter
certificate being confirmed by the patients daily
hahits-are beyond estimation. When you find
such think you ought. in charity, to assume that