Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1864-09-09
Office Recorder Virginia Forces, !
RICHMOND July Is. 1864. {

Court Of augusta.
GENTLEMEN The ACCOMPANYING circular
VIII explain the prominent object for which this
ofice was established. Another duty has been COM
mltted to 1t, and to that ask YOUR attention
FOR some time past The newspapers of the county
nave oeeh hiieo with accounts from every part OF
the ConiedsI acy penetrated by the invader and
especially from the different sections of the State
OF pirglnia, charging that the enemy's soldiery
and particularly their raiding parties are making
war upon the unarmed and defenceless of This com
munlty, ravaging tae country, and lnfictinp upon
the people every species of insult ard ;ni,ry
Among the offences thus charged are so dsvssts
ting the country to render it unfit for the baI;
tatlon or sustenance of its resident population
abductng our negro slaves, and arming them
against us; burning dwellings, mills, factories
records, seminaries, printing Offices libraries and
works OF art; breaking up fences roads and brdr-
es; desecrating churches taking such private prop
erty as can be carried off and destIcyipo what
cannot be; stripping families of the necessaries of
/ life; imprisoning and infiicting personal injury
upon unarmed citzeus-and worse than all, offer
ing insult outrage and violence to defenceless wo-
men.
These accounts have recently become go nurer
Gus, come from 0.many different quarters and the
offences charged so fragrant, that the Governor
OF virginia, considering it necessary to have them
fully investigated, has instructed this Office to care
fully ascertain what wrongs and injuries contrary
to the rules of war, have been committed upon the
people of Virginia, prepare a properly verified
narrative thereof, and preserve it among the reg
Ords of this office.
This is work which can be properly performed
only by the people who are injured; and each coun-
ty should make up and send to this office record
of the wrongs committed within its limits prepar-
ing its narrative carefully, sustaining each item
by proper and sufficient evidence, and putting s
into such shate thatit be readily referred to.
The county authorities should see that this record
is promptly aud properly made, end the people
generally should ascertain all the facts and obtain
all the evidence within their reach.
The county court is the custodian of the business
interest aud welfare of the eountythe assertor of
its rights, ana the vindicator of the wrongs done
to its people. Its members, usually the best bust
ness men of the county, come from its every
tion-aro familiarity acquainted with all the peo-
PIE are the friends and advisers Of most of them
in matters OF business and periods of trouble and
| distress, and aggregate greater influence and
more general knowledge of all, whether Of good or
| evil, which concerns the county people, than any
other equal number OF it's citizens. The county
court, then, is clearly the source from which this
action should spring.
These views and the plan herein after set OUT
are approved by His Excenency Gov SMITH. ard
under his Instructions lay them before you wi h
the request that you win make such orders and
take such aeton as viii instruct the prompt prepar-
alton ofsueh record IN your county.
Should no better plan occur to you, permit me
to suggest the following II By the proper order OF
court assign to the magistrates of each district the
duty Of preparing the record, ana taking the evil
ence of all outrages committed by the enemy
within that district. Let them notify the psople
OF the district Wen and here TO come before thaiu
what is TO be perpetuated and by what testim0uv
so that before Tie time appoirted facts NAV be
collected. citizens can write ont hat thew know
and can nrove and what il known To ana can bs
nroyed hv their ne;ghbors At each term of The
court let each district send in what has been pre-
pared and directly after each term let oil SO sent
in he so copied as to admit Of being made into
book here be certified by the clerk under the seal
If he court and forwarded to this otics lf1on
| viii nprzue This course the work can be RAPIDLY
and surely done with little labor to any one person.
and ali hat relates to your county viii be made
into . separate book md preserved here while th.
orr;n ais will remain ao,ony vo,r couutv r.c.tds
Wt+in >,,.,r limits arc many r ruoees iron, conn .
,es nav, in y,ossession Of tho enemy snd Ekelv To
rsnsin So fer y considerable time MANY Of thee
are said to be the victims of wrong and to know Of
nav o,I,ar cesas Ta+ mo raornst that those mar
49, ord ,Liy aviI,nea he 1iso AK ,r9 cart,
81 -. - ,,,1 ~, ~. mol r,,,.,ar,id ., II .
- o4@ ~ '''' CO..
ec,s,oot;,, ,,,ov bAraaFfar no mad Gov nror,.
erty taken or DESTROYED by the enemy it viii be
for the interest of the owner that the taking les
tr,ction should when possible be also prevca b =
other persons than the owacr.
In taaking up these statements wherever II est
be dome :lcssa state the company, regiment ar
force by which these wrongs have been committed
er9 tho officer COMMANDING tho force so that Lv
fsqs ia ed apon their Immediate perpetrators,
III SOM, cases the enemy has been a-,d. e,3
9r eqea-r. ed Or persons who then or pravi3usjv
rfei.5 ri 81 state III such eases please set cut