Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1865-04-15
Mr.. Coleman's Statement

Mr.. Coleman's Statement,
l am sixty eight years Of age was
born in Northampton county and have re-
sided in Columbia county forty years. |
own a farm Of ninoty-six acres whereon |
reside, in Fishingcreek township.
served for three months as a Volun
teer, in the service Of the United States,
near the close of the war of 1912
l was unlawfully arrested at my home
on the morning of 3lst. Of August 1864
by order of Col Stewart iu command OF
troops then occupying this county, and
whose own subsequent mil tary arrest for
swindling is notroious. i've soldiers came
10 my house in the night, at two or three
o'clock, remained around or near it for
same time and were admitted near day
light on pretence Of looking for deserter>.
| gave my assent that the house should
be searched alter daylight should come
When that came they asked for breakfast
and while it was preparing Col Stewart
came along with a dozen or fifteen soldiers
and several citizen prisoners. | was or
dered by him to come into the ranks and
50 along up to Benton Church ,as was also
my boy, Isaac E. Roat He refused to
wait for us TO eat breakfast, saying that
we could be back home again in an hour
or an hour and half. was taken with
the other arrested men 10 Benton Church
and kept there until eleven o'clock. The
boy Roat was then discharged. We (the
prisohers) we're then marched to Blooms
burg and taken by way of Northumber-
land and Harrisburg to Philadelphia where
we arrived next day. Had nothing to
eat during all this time except some eata-
bles at Benton Church brought in by the
neghbors. We were not allowed to get
food op the way.
Col Stewart promised me at the church
that I might stop at home on the way
| uoWu Ii luI ooulS clotheej uut WIS uo1 pei
mitted to stop by my guards, although We
passed the door of my house. was il
differently clothed at the time and had nc
change Of clothes with me.
We were taken to Fort Miflln in the
afternoon of Sept. LIST, and there place.
in confinement in Bomb.pro No three
Nearly seven weeks afterwards | was re
leased along with John Yorks and Ella
MeHenry,o ,on parol TO appear when called
for by the military authorities, and al
oath of allegiance was exacted. No. charg
es against me were ever announced
nor auy trial or hearing given ma; no
formation US to the causes of arrest or tn
E reasons for my discharge. | was driver
from home as il had been beast; thru:
into an unhealthy and detestable priso
. and kept there nearly two months as if
, had been one Of the vilest OF criminal;
, aud then turned loose without expIanatio
o. redress. And as the conditions upo
, which | was toIs ain the enjoyment Of m
freedom-of which | had been deprive
, without law and against justice-l was sui
-. jected to the indignity oil an extra'j 'judicii
and unauthorized oath, and to parol O
engagement to hold myself ready to respon
o to ally call, lawful or not, made upon II
4 by military power.
f Meantime during my Imprisonment
D military camp was established upon m
G farm and depredations committed upO
my property, for which no compensate
has been made, and my house was turne
into officers quarters, free of charge, an
my family subjected to official dominatio
II returned home just seven weeks after Il
j. date OF my arrest to fnd my fences sweI
IT off, crops destroyed, trees cut down, bar
cleaned out, meadows converted into pt
- rade grounds, and various articles of pc
sonal property appropriated or deslroye
The main particulars Of injury are STATE
in my correspondence with Gen. Couch 9,
A short time after my second letter
d General Couch, dated November 26th,
N received verbal notice from Assista
|. Quartermaster Wood by my son Samut
ct that | should meet him at Orangeville
As choose men to appraise my damages; tn
'e he would choose man and | choose on
ct and the two choose a third, Afterward
,g I received a written notice from him
be the same subject.
or suppose these notices aud the projc
RS of selecting new appraisers, were in pI
suancs of some order or direction fr,
to General Couch consequent upon my lett