The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1864-04-07
Atrocities OF the Enemy in North
Alabama

+Ais DstIlH.
The darkest chap;e. Ia The history Of this crue,
war, II not IN any other war, will record the afro
cities of the Yankee. wherever In The Confederate
states they have been permitted 10 march their
,bieving brutal hofdes. Their deeds, In Viola
tiop of All the rules Of civilized or humane war
fare, enitle them 10 place in history with the
Go.hs and Nantals who oyerrun and laid waste
Southern Europe. Intent upon their barbafous cr
rand, ihcy nave shown themselves entirely wanting
In the instincts Of common humanity, much less
possessing any Of the traits of civilized or bu-
name people. They have not been satisfied 10 take
possession Ct portion Of Confederate territory
they must needs make ii a waste bowling wilder
ness, by destroying The provisions, buildings
fences, agricultural, implements, stock, &C.. and
driving defehceless Old men, women end chidren
into the woods, In many instances setting fire to
their houses over their heads. We take from the
Montgomery Mail the following account of their
atrocities In North Alabama:
In no portion of the onfederate States have ,hey
acted more baTharcus and cruel than I'm the North
ern portion of Alabama. a journey through par,s
OF Jackson, Madison, Limestone and Laudef,,aIc
counties would recall 10 mind the descriptions of
Greece through WHICH the Turkish fi,e AMI. sword
had gnne or the u',ec destruction OF whole sections
"f Poland by the Russian hordes- We have lately
been put In possession at the facts In detail OF
certain Yankee atrocitics in Limestone and f.au-
deIdale counties, which il Is well 10 nut on record
for the information Of The wOr!5. N the former
county, the oatrages were committed by the g,b
Illinois Hc9in snt, commended by Lieut. tnI Jesse
J Philips, OF Briiviie, Illinois.
On January 25ih, Gen Roddy, with emaI! por
ton OF ms commasid, attackei tie forces Of Lieut.
Co billipS who were encamped near and in the
rove OF ,,ts Coiesnan, the widow Of Judge Daniel
Coe,naD. deceased. The enemy's piekets were
driven into the enc ampment, when they, with these
of the forces who were in CAMP took shelter he
hind the dwelling house of Mrs Coleman, They
fired few rounds and fled in perfect constefna-
ttOn.
One of our secret sconts who was in the enemy's
lines day or two after the raid, says that the
treatment of Col. ;'niip's men 10 Mrs Coleman
and family was unparalleled In the history of the
war. Cur men having accomplished their purpose.
were scarcely out Of sight, when the Yankees
rushed back to their encampnent perfectly intiir
atcd because of their defeat. TO avenae theK.-
selves, they rushed into the house Of &rs.~ Cote
man, with fire brands, and built up large fire In |
one OF the handsomest paflors. The mother and
daughter impl0red them not to burn the house, but
they needed moi their enireaties. They pushed |
them Violently out of the house, drawing pisS,s on
them both. In ii few hours TIA; portion of The |
command VIII eh was on scou; TIN time OF The
attack by Gen Roddy, which commanded by |
Major kubne, rettkned tu cuIips They rushed /
into the house Of Mrs Coleman. and comurnced |
pluBderiDg. 1ss. Coleman appealed to Major /
hnhne to control his men and TO give her his pro
lection as u deieneelrss female. ile ordered her |
from his presence, saying :-"Wnman, go away, |
have no protection for you. Men, pitch into her |
house, and sack il from bottom to top"
The vandals netued no announcement fr1m
their oiiicer but immediately obeyed his order To
do their work Of destruction Mrs. Coleman had |
with her two little boys, her only protection, she
having lost III th,s cruel war two as noble and
brave sous rs is now mother ever had aad her
Oldest son absent In the service of his county,
Her little boys were torn from her fa the night,
put under guard, and carried TO the ia,i. Their
mother plead with the Colonel for theif reie ase,
when he added to her already unutterable anguish
by saying that he would have 10 send the older
one oi the boys tn Northern Prisons. lie, hOwev-I
er, te!ehted IN few days, after t0rturing their
mother sufficiently IA hs thought, and released the
boys from their imprisonment. Mrs. Coleman and
daughter were driven hom their home in the nigh,
10 seek refuge IN the town OF Athens which was
about one mils distant. The furniture, which WIS
0f the rncSt rosewood, was split TN. The marble
slabs u the bureaus and Washstands Were broken
into pieces, mirrors Were shattered, hand some
Brussels carpets cut up into saddle blankets beds
dragged on, into camp with all the bed clothing,
moulding tie finest blankets and MaYseities quilts.
The portrait Of Judge Coleman, also that Of Ers. |
Coleman, were so pierced by their bayonets that /
they could not be recognized. All OF the table |
ware and several pieces Of silver were taken cut
into camp. Several handsome silk dresses and
other articles OF ciolhin. belonging the family
were taken little trunk which Mrs. Coleman
priced more than anything else, because IL con
.ained the memenIOes and letters vi her noble
sous, who had given their precious lives TO the .
country, was broken opea, and their precious con
tents destroyed by their Infamous hands. The
hooks OF large and select library were scattered
through the camp and destroyed All Of MISS
tOisman's music was ,aken. After the compile |
ton of their work OF destruction, the officers, Ma
ior KIhne and others, took possession OF the house,
and quartered i'll II. Mrs. Coleman. +
daughter, and two sons, were ordered out OF The
Yankee liues. Mrs. Coicman's health wou not
admit OF her coming out, hence her order was re
cinGcd. Miss Coleman and her two little brothers !
are exies In our lines. =
Col. Phillips took MIR. Crenshaw,H respectable
citizen Of Limestone, into his tent and demanded
bis money. Crenshaw handed his pocket book
and some loose change he had In his vest pocket.
Col. Phillips asked If that was oil. Mr.. CfeDshaw
replied no, aud Phillips demanded the balance and
took from his person fve thousand dollars eeited
ar0unt his person. This man is trying 10 equal
Butler the Beast, and is the representative OF the
Lincoln Gnvernment
In LauderdaIe county the conduct OF the enemy
has been bad as In Limestone. This county Is
continually ravagedsby hands Of tories, VINO have
been armed by the enemy. They are steal ng ali
the horses, mules and cotton.
On the ID February, John Wesson, q tory shot
aad killed Lewis e. Moore, an aged and higniy re.
spectabie cilizen,a member Of the Commissioners
Court. Wesson Is Il young man, a,ld had been
reared In MoOrc's neighborboOd, and Moore was In
the act of gllakin: hands with him when "esson
shot him