North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1864-08-10
Horrors Of the War,

We have before us O history, sad and
heart-rending, which We are sure will serve
TO convince any humane spitit that the 1850
citation caused by the war should not be per-
mitted by an enlightened and Christian peo-
pie longer to 60 on with all its destructive
ness and injustice, The facts before US are
these, rs recited in the statement accompa-
nyiug the letter which follows it:
The annexed letter was written by the
youngest daughter of the Hon. Alexander r.
BOteler of Jefferson County, Virginia, de
failing TO her sister the burning Of their
home by order Of General Hunter, aud also
the residence Of Edmund J. Lee, whose place
adjoins Mr.. Boteers. Fountain Rock. allud.
ed to below, belonged to Mrs. Boteer, who,
with her daughters and grandchildren, has
been thus ruthlessly deprived of their only
home. Mr.. A. r. Botoler will be remember
ed as o. member of the Federal House of
Representatives in 1860 81, and was actively
engaged with Mr.. Crittenden and others in
resisting secession but, after the call for
seventy five thousand men by the President
of the United States, acted with his State.
Captain Martindale was informed by one
Of Mr.. Boteler's daughters that the property
was not her fathers but that of her mother
--having been conveyed to her many years
since She afterwards sent word to General
Hunter, that he had not succeeded in de.
stroying one dollars worth. All he de.
stroysd belonged to Mrs. Boteler, who was
absent from home at the time. No one was
there excep,i Mr.. Boteler's TWO daughters
and three little grand children. This 10 the
letter of Miss Boteler:
SHEPHARDsTowN, JEFFERSON Co, VA. id
ly 20, 1864-W Wednesday night. My DEAR
EST SIsTERs suppose you will have heard
before this reaches you that our dear, beauti-
ful home is in ashes. Yesterday just
after dinner, Lizzie, her three little chill
dren and being at home, fifteen Federal
soldiers OF the first First New York Cavalry
under Captain Martindale, came with orders
from Gen Hunter to burn everything under
roof on the places of A r. Boteler and Ed
mund j. Lee. They came to as first and in
twenty minutes after their arrival it would
have been dangerous to enter the house. OF
the furniture, we saved two little rocking
chairs and three other chairs from the porch
This is literally all. The barn in which was
stored all the hay just cut-the servants
house and library with the books, cabinet
OF minerals, valuable historical papers and
docum ents-all are gone. The meat house
and dairy are still standng,as the wind blew
from them, writing this is harder work than
thought 1t would be after all nave gone
through with.
They piled up the furniture. and with
camphene, etc, built the fire that has burned
deep into our hearts. Meta and | are a.,
aunt Nannie's to night LzEie and the chill
drcn at the Grove, Mrs. Lee has Joined her
husband, and Fountain Rock and Bedford
are b)th desolated My heart aches to have
such terrible tidngs of the dearest spot in all
the world to You, l fear loved it to much,
but my greatest grief is for our darling par
ents We are young and can bear such
changes better, but their life ties were form
cd and riYited there. I'll write more in the
morning, when filter for it. How many will
be sorry to hear this !! | read Hunters or
der myself-had it in my hands and tried to
| keep it TO send papa, but it was taken out of
my hands.
Your devoted sister