Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-08-18
From The Richmond Dispatch. August lo.l
THE r.sr ArIpDFR BY HUNTER.

The murder OF DAVID .. CreiRn, VI Vreeh
brier county, Virginia, by the order OF
Major General Hunter, United STATES Ar
my, has been noticed. The Central fresDy-
terian gives us the particulars OF this cold
b,ooded deed. Mr.. Creigh was a very
nrominent citizen of Greenbrier county,
and An elder In the Presbyterian church.
While Crooks command was near Lewis
burg last year, Mr.. Creigh, upon returning
home one day from the field, found Federal
soldier there insulting the ladies OF the
family, and breaking open trunks, drawers,
&c., in the house. Upon demonstrating
with him the Yankee insolently told him to
bring him the keys TO the trunks, ana tnen
fired upon him. After short struggle Mr..
Creigh killed him with an ak. AS Fed
eral army was in the neighborhOod, the
deed was not made public, but an lrishman
working on the farm betrayed it. and when
the Federal army under Averill returned
to Greenbrier in June, negro gave them
information Of the deed. The Presbyter1dn
gives the further history of the affair;
Search was made and the remains found.
Mr.. Creigh made candid statement OF the
whole occurrence to the military authorl-
ties, declaring that he considered himself
Justified In what he had done, and that he
would do the same thing to any OF them, or
to any soldier, Federal or Confederate, under
the same circumstances. After ms arrest
they took his wife and two daughters, about
10 o'clock at night-very dark-comPelied
them to ride on horseback four miles to
headquarters. They did not, however, ask
them a question, nor were they permitted
even to see Mr.. Creigh. He requested that
his excellent friend and neighbor, Mr.. John
w. Dunn, should appear as witness. They
sent for him but would not permit him to
answer single question.
They departed from the neighborhood of
Lewisburg the next day, leaving Mrs.
Creigh and her two daughters to go on foot
to that place, four miles distant. Mr.. Creigh
they marched on foot to Staunton, dis
tance of one hundred miles, and where the
forces under Averell were Joined by the
army under Hunter. He wrote a short let
ter to his wife, in which he speaks Of his
entire ignorance of his destination, suppos-
ing, however, thatit was probably Staunton.
He exhorts her to bear up under her trial,
hoping to meet his family soon again on
earth-at all events, In better world. This
is about all the information his friends have
concerning him till the time of his end.
The few facts known concerning his MUIR
der we now proceed to relate:
The army of Gen. Hunter left Staunton
on Friday, June TO- proceeding up the val
ley toward Lexington by various roads,
On Sunday evening. the 18th, Gen. Averill
encamped on Hays Creek, about two miles
below Brownsburg. The spot selected was
the home of our childhood, the farm owned
by our father, and ever since his death, by
his son-in-law and successor as pastor of
New Providence Church, the Rev. James
Morrison. The tent of Gen. Averill was
pitched in his yard. About dark q rather
elderly looking person knocked at the door,
announcing himself as the Rev.. Mr.. Os.
born, from Uniontown, Pennsylvania, a
Chaplain of the Federal army. He reques-
ted to see Mr.. Morrison, stating that they
had with the army citizen of Greenbrier
county, whose name was Creigh; that he
was under sentence of death, and was
about to be executed. (His doom had Just
been announced to him. He also said Mr..
Creigh had mentioned that he was well ac-
quainted with Mr.. Morrison; had often
heard him preach, and that, in the immedi-
ate prospect of death, he had sent to ask an
interest in his prayers. He stated further,
in answer to Inquiries on that point, that no
communication with the prisoner would be
permitted. He was kept under strict guard
in negro cabin close by, and though re-
peated efforts were made that night to vis-
1t him, they were in vain. 1t was at this
awful hour, and Immediately after knowing
his fate, that Mr.. Creigh wrote his beloved
wife the following letter, from which we
omit only few matters relating to his
private affairs:
JUNE IS, 1864.
"DEAR EMILY: arrived this evening at
the Rev. James Morrison's in Rockbridge
county. After eating my supper, / was
taken into house, and the sentence pro-
nounced that was to be hung. was not
permitted any counsel in my case.
81 wish you, my dear, beloved wife, to
bear up under this dreadful bereavement;
you and all the children bear up under this
rs well as they can, and all try to meet me
in heaven. am meeting death with calm
ness, believing and trusting in the Lord
Jesus Christ, the Saviour Of sinners. My
sincere wish is, that all my brothers and
sisters may meet me in heaven.
sin my sentence it was read that the
house was to be burned to the ground; but
the gentleman that brought me this paper
said that part of the sentence would not be
carried out. / hoped that | would once
more see you all on earth, but it is decreed
otherwise, and / have TO submit. wish
my remains to be removed and laid by the
side of our fathers as soon as convenient.
"The execution will take place In few
minutes. The Rev. A. G. Osborn has prayed
for me before l commenced writing.
a.
81 sent for him this minute, and he and
the Provost Marshal came in together; and
the Provost Marshal was authorized to say
the execution, If wished, should not take
place until daylight, which accepted; that
much more time to offer up prayers to God
for myself and dearly beloved wife and
to meet In heaven.
"My dear brother Lewis, i know how this
will affect you. You know all about my
business. . wish my beloved son,
Cyrus, If he is spared through this dreadful
war, to manage my business, with your as
,istance--as dutiful son as ever lived, and
must say so for all my sons and daughters.
now leave you, Cyrus, Thomas, Charles,
Rufus. David, Christopher, Lockhart. Egg
bert, Margaret, Mary and Elizabeth; leave
You with your Christian mother. God be
Tour stay and support trusting in God and
to meet me in heaven.
'DAvID s. CREIGH."
The next morning, little after sunrise,
ne was brought out under guard, put into |
/ wagon, and conveyed up a little vale to a
spot about a quarter Of mile north Of the
house, and In full view of 1t. There, upon
big spring." was this most infamous deed
,f demons in the shape Of man perpetrated
and their malice gratified.
About o'clock that day, as the army be-
gan to move, the chaplain again knocked at |
5he door to inquire whether the family were |
aware of the solemn event which had taken |
place. He expressed the strong impressions |
he had received of Mr.. Creigh being good |
man, and bore testimony to the perfect COM