The Columbia daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1865, 1865-05-16
Remonstranoe of W. Mazyck Poroher.
Wegive b@ow the cory of letter .ad
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dressed by Mr.. w. Mazyck Porcher. one OF
the most respectable planters of Piueville,
S. G.. 10 Gen. Gilmore, U. S. a., in COM
mand ut Charles IN. 1t records his expe-
rience of loss, ahA gives the details of the
wantonly cruel treatment to which he was
subjected by the hands Of military power
We have to add, however. that Mr.. Por-
cher's case is only that Of thousands be-
sides. The record of suffering through
the whole route pursue ed by the enemy is
one of'nlmost uniform Violence and out
rnee, not only extraordinary in the history
Of military progress in our era, but sin-
gularly in conflict with the openly ex-
pressed assurances of the Government at
Washington. Military men seem disposed
to give as little heed to the pledges of
Government as to the laws of humanity:
,CuARLEsroN. April @, 1865.
Gen. Gillihore-S1R: Learnin that yon
have the characteristics of the just, as we'll
as the skill of the officer, | write to you to
complain of the conduct of portion o f
the army of the United States in South
Carolina. l vii slate facts as they &C.
Cured, and leave Your honorable mind to-
determine AS 10 the propriety of the course
pursued towards me.
On the evening of the Sth Of April, the
army under the command Of Gen. A. s.
ll"tweil went to nv plantation. near
Pinevlle. An officer (Cnpt. Terreyf Fl rst
rode up to the house; act him on the
platform of my steps; he asked me if
was Mr. Mazyck Porsher. eyes, SIR" was
the reply. "WeH," said he, "vou are
prisoner" "a prisoner, si,a" said l: .'what
for!' He said Gen. hartwell would soou
come up, and tell Inc. if he pleased. Ina
few Minu.es, Cen II. did ride up, asked
my name, us his Adjulant had done, and
after saying l was u prisoner, rode off
hastily to- my negro quarters In the
course Of twenty or thirty minutes, he re.
turned, passed me. standing on the plat
form under guard put over me, took bis
seat on the piazza, called two of my con.
SINS. sick men, whom he had put there as
prisoners, talked to them tor few mo.
lnents, and then summoned me to his pre-
sence. I went to him immediately, and
was ordered to take seat He then said
81 mean and desire 10 have some talk with
YOU At that moment, his soldiers came
INTO my yard, passed the piazza upon
| which we were sitting, broke into q store.
room. sad began TO bring out some PLATED
ware and cut glass belonging to cousin
of mine. ! SAID, General, respect the
property which those men arc DESTROYING;
it is not mine. and belongs to a frien,i."
To which he replied, in a mosN imperious
manner. "Ask me no favors; noue shall be
!! granted TO you, Sir. rs l have informant on
| lodged against you of serious nature,
| and If You escape with your life, you will
have received much, and should be grate-
full" replied to this torrent of insinua-
ton, rudely uttered, "Why, sir. you sur
prise me; tell me what it is, that l may
answer it," He replied that it would be
laid before the provost marshal in Charles
| ton, before whom l would possibly have
TO appear, and said, "Now. sir, not word
more from YOU" He seemed to be in u
most iurious passion with ME, and talked
of my having harbored scouts This
denied. but said, when Confederate SOL
diers came to my house, they and their
horses We're fed, as they always demanded
| It, which | had no power to refuse, had |
had the desire: that the so.caed scouts
had eaten there. but always went off
mile or two to pass the night; that
Col Harrison, commanding McLaws' divi-
slor, had made my house his headquarters,
aud his soldiers camped half a mile off;
! that portion Of Gen. Ferguson's brigade
| haa also been to my house, and got food,
for which they issued reqvisition, &c,
&c. He said. Il do not alude to them as
much as to the scouts, who were murder
Gus outlaws" My reply was. None came
to my house but those who belong to the
Confederate army, sir; and ever under a
commissioned officer lie seemed not
| inclined TO believe this, aud talked nuca
about what they had done, and much tn at
was untrue about, them. lie then said l
was prisoner, and permitted me to leave
his presence and 90 into my dining room.
where dinner was being prepared for
him. but ordered me not to leave the house