Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1865-05-18
Sflis1ellane
Cotton Robbers i'm south Caro-
lima.

In noticing the rascally transactions of
official spectators, and vagabonds, who, in
violation of the rules of honorable warfare,
have plundered private individuals of cot
ton and other property for the purpose of
enriching themselves, we shall not render
ourselves obnoxious to the charge of being
unduly influenced by our political convic-
tions. For none are so ignorant as not to
know, that the government itself has had
abundant reasons for complaining of the
scoundrelism Of some of its employees, and
not few of its loyal friends, for stealing
altogether beyond the bounds of discretion
and deccncy. The suboined article from
the N. Y. Worlds eminently suggestive:
In what we have, with much regret, been
constrained to say of army officers in the
Department of South Carolina, we do not
wish to be understood as embracing all who
are serving there. Exceptions to the gen
eral rule exists, and among them is Colonel
Gurney, of the l27th regiment Of New y York
volunteers. His conduct and bearing, and
that of all his officers, we hear, on every
hand have been that of brave and honorable
gentlemen, who realize what is due, not only
to the honor of the flag, but to fallen,
Inundated, and powerless foe.
The facts before us do not permit such
praise to be awarded to General Hatch, the
superior of Colonel Gurney; and we forbear
to give expression to the dishonoring epi
thets, in respect to cotton and furniture pill
laying, which our correspondents apply to
Captain Gardner, Of his staff We prefer to
first give him an opportunity of offering any
exculpatory proofs he can furnish.
| 1t is important that the public remember
that cotton-s stealing is not the recognized
and accepted policy of the late, or the pres
ent President of the United States. 1t is
only an affair Of certain army and treasury
officers The navy INDUCES in no acts OF
spoliatiou, plunder, and robbery as have
disgraced the army Admiral Dahgren
could, if he had seen fit, have seized large
quantities of cotton, after the armies Of the
rebels were driven from South Carolina; but
that was not his mission, nor such the in
structions of fSecretary Welles.
Collector Draper has just returned from
an expedition to Charleston, rumor has i
in respect to the five or six thousand bale
of cotton in Charleston, now in government
hands, seized from individuals by the arm.
and treasury officers, after the city was sur
rendered The large amount OF cottol
owned by the rebel government was burne'
in Charleston by General Hardee befor
evacuation, but he carefully spared what ou
own government has seized. Perhaps Mr.
Draper can explain how it happened tina
the treasury agents, in riolotion Of the la,o
refused to give receipts to people tromwhon
this cotton was taken. Will Mr. Snrte
want, the agent of the treasury in Charles
ton, tell the public under whose orders h,
refused poor loyal white men any writer
evidence that the government had appro
priated the cotton which represented all th'
property they had on earth? Messrs. Brow
and Pillsbury, who are special agents of tn
treasury, as we'll as Sturtevant, have fear
full account to settle, one Of these days, un
less Andrew johnson be different perso
from what we take him to be. No man
with an honest and brave heart can read tn
accounts of the heartless rapacity with whic
these army and treasury officers snatche
single bales of cotton from the poor laborin
men of Charleston, who had recently IT
ceiyed it from the railroad company O
wages, and from under thevery beds of poe
, washerwomen, without praying that thes
official wretches may belashed naked throug
the streets. Will Collector Draper tell u
/. why the treasury officers have not, in re
spect to the Charleston cotton, compile
with the laws, ane the regulations Of tn
President, concerning abandoned or car
tured property