New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-03-29

Correspondence of The N. Y. Tribune.
LAMBYRTyIIIF N Y March 90 Ie6


LAMBERrvILLE, N. Y. March 60 1865.
About the time that renegade gentleman from
Massachusetts. Mr.. Hammond, made his notorious
speech in Congress (Which has given him all the fas
he ever earned) that speech about the Northern ad
sis" happened to be travelling in Southern illinois
and spent the night with Mrs. M, a widow, who
had been born and raised in the neghb'rhood of the
estate OF Mr.. Hampton. the fathern.i.w OF Hammond
and father of the present Wade Harpton. Mr.. M
her husband had left the South because of their hatred
70 the Peculiar Institution phd removed TO Illinois to
lid themselves of its evil Influence
During the evening che lady spoke freely of their old
neighbors Of the multitude of their slaves and the
cruelty Of their treatment. She knew Of no estate
where such fearful cruelty practiced. Described
the dungeons the racks the pories and the stretch
ing boards and detailed tragedy after tragedy, as
known and sometimes witnessed by herself of the saw
age bsrbarity inflicted upon these victims Of the over
seers wrath.
One is fresh in my memory Of fine negro girl. who.
Cor trfing ofense. so whipped that her back
was of cudgeed flesh. 1t was hot weather, and
10 save her from the ies she was immersed in cask
Of rain water up TO her chin, aud to keep herself from
drowning was obliged to maintain her upright position
sitting her feet with her mouth just above water
For hours the poor girl maintained her place bowling in
her sgonies and begging be released But there was
no yielding on the part Of her tormentors. But the
time of release came Size tainted and her head went
down and before they could reach her. her suerings
were over.
81 saw this myself" said the narrator. "or saw the
girl in the barrel heard her screams and knew she was
buried that night"
"They were so awful. them people, that my husband
and could not stand it, and after that We sold out and
came away"
Gen. Wade Hampton's letter to Gen. Sherman
reminded me Of this tcle of the host. This
man trained in the art OF cruelty, Will doubtless
"ki his two for one" if be gets chance, while be
shudders at the brutality Of the Union armies Can
any thing else be expected of the true disciple OF this
Aabolical sysems Are we shocked at the details OF
Che suferngs of our prisoners at AndersonvDef Why
should we BET 1t is only carrying on. Of the teaching
Of q lifetime.
The slave not often perhaps tortured TO death
selfinterest prevented that But TO all that flesh and
blood could bear and live. these victims OF mans
malice and greed daily exposed.
And Wade Hampton. the gentleman and scholar the
member of Congress, of these and now talks Of
.'murderers and brutes as if the thing was new to
him. If Slavery had other evil tendency than its
brutalizing influence on tie whites. he would say,
ssDestroy IL forever from the face Of the earth
Young friend writes us from Wilmington. s c. of
Che hesrtrendng condition of the exchanged Union
prisoners and of the feeling of the soldiers as they
passed by. 81 have our Union boys Che said>,
nrop upon their knees and swear never to cease the
aght until the last Rebel had laid down his arms"
This incident of the Hampton discipline may seem
trivial IN these days Of horror bat it will serve to show
how the pompous General lea rned TO be humane 1t
will help to swell the lightly tide Of evidence against
She pet institution, for mighty as that tide is 1t has
mot yet swept away all the cnging love even OF the
North for patriarcbal system that gave TO the world
such chivalric Generals Wade Hampton. +. D. @.