Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1865-03-29
From siie soasnc cs,eilalsn
From charaM

CberaR was evacuated; BY Gen, Hardes
on. the adsinst, opr troops having crossed
the Pee Dee, burning the bridge, hshind
them. There was skirmishiug for several
miles before reaching the town sand.eyen
in the Streets, the enemy firing down them
shot and shell. Sherman, With the 18th,
18th, and 10th corps of his, army, occupied
the towns filling the dwellings, Of our wives
and children With his insolent miniona, and
even With the degraded followers Of his
camp; tearing down fences, searching every
nook and corner over and over again for
hidden treasure; robbipg women, children
and negroes Of clothing and every other ar
tiele, they fapcied; destroying cattle, spoul-
try wagons, carriages, buggiss, &o-, &c.,
desecfating churches and abusing and NAL.
treating aged and nnarmsd Gitizsas. His
march through Chesterfield District was lit
By blazing reofs and marked BY dead horses
aud cattle. I have seen but four dwellings
that were burned doRn, Those were the
dwellings Of Capt, Joseph z. Buroh, Gen.
WI, =. Prince, Chancellor Inglis! and
one owned, but not occupied, by Maj. a.
McQnesn. TWenty.aix store houaes we're
burned ip Cheraw and three or fonr destroy
ed BY the explosion of powder, Among the
storehouses, I have included the railroad
depot Every Office, or other place Of bus
mess, was broken open and riHed, The
bank was converted into q hospital, and the
Presbyterian Church. into. . BALLROOM on
Sunday night. Several, Of our oldest and
most respectable citizens had pistols presen-
ted at their. breasts while. the barbarians
demanded their money and watches or their
lives: Diligent search was made through
out the whole District, for several Of 9ur
citizens, who had effected their escape, and
threats we're made against their ligas y; ;ta-
ken, In the coantry, some Of. the: older
men, and women too, it's. said, had: ropes
put around their necks, with which they
were jerked about in order to compel them
to disclose the hiding place Of their valua.
bles. ,....,.. ...-. ~,
A great many negroes we're enticed away
from their owners (many women and chill
dren among tbem,) some have returned,
satisfied With the experiment Of freedom. :
= For miles the stenoh of dead animals is
horrible: while very. few Of our planters
have o horse,or COW left them, Many
were stripped of all their, provisions and
none have any to spare. e reallYseems to
have been best that the negroes should 60
With their deeeitfnl friends, for it haslsft q
smaller number to be fed. 1t cannot be
possible that We shall all escape starvation,
unless speedy relief is had fsomssome quar-
ter. The whole country is desolstion and
yet, thank God, our people are. not snbju-.
gated Aerustof bread and Independence,
are preferable to- Union and .luxurysA ~
! have heard Of no outrage ofa grosseri
kind upon our defenceless women, than in
science of language and mannsr, besides
that already stated. .. :
The courthouse and jail were both burnt
down at Chesterfield village, and Sherman,.
who has a habit Of coming up in time TO-
commiserate the people, and declare that
the destruction Of our houses is accidental,
this time he informed the ladies that every
house in the village Of Chesterfield ought to
have been destroyed. " -. -. :, =.