Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1865-04-12
The Occupation Of Camden by the En-.

II L =
i emy.
The storm has at length burst upon US; the
anticipated blow has fallen, and Camden has
/ been made to undergo, in her turn, all the
! horrors of a Yankee invasion: Ths Taidj
though expected, was so sudden, and itsSdu
ration so brief that we feel stunned, as il
were, and hardly able to realize tkat Yam
kee force has actually been. IN our midst
! plundering and destroyingS asis their wont,
although the blackened apd smouidering
ruins around us toopainfslly attest the TACT
!. God grant that it may be1ong ere such; scenes
of horror are again re- seaactedino ourpeace'
lful, quiet town.
Most of our citizens having sought refuge
in, the neighborine :swamps from which they
are only now ventnring to return, and small
bodies of the Yankees being still reported
:hovering at, no great distance from the town,
. Eendsrit somewhat ensafe to STIR abroad,
hence we have MT been able up sthe datelot
| this writing, to gather full particulars OF the
! invasion and capture of Camden Snch items
as we have been able to CLEAN, weethroW
hastily together ff5s f5s The benefito our readers.
:. The.enemy made their first appearance in
our midst on Tharsday evening, the l9th.l IN
stant, having crossed the w Wateree, at Psay:s
and Jones' ferries, about twenty, miles above
Camden. They w.eroin smallnumber-some
Ethirty-and formeda line near Major John
Whitakerss residence, where the militia, un-
der the command of Col. Jones, confronted
them, but after a, few shots were exchanged,
'fthe enemy withdrew, wounding and acaptur-
lug Mr.. r. G. Drakeford, Of Flat Rock.'2fhey
returnedeon the day following tFriday) and
reached Camden about 2, p. M, entering the
town. froni the north, with,a force consisting
of two detacaments of cayalryaand one OF IN
fantry, numbering in al, perhaps, two hun
dred and fifty men. A portion of the.oayal-
ry and5the bulk, Of the infantry proceeded di,
rectly down Main street.-The the heart OF the
town. The remainder stopped, by the way,
| to plunder. All the houseseon the road were
entered and pillaged more or less Thorough ghlyy,
according to the caprice Of the robbers. But
of this hereafter. Soon after the maiGbody
reached Jungblath;s hotel, which was, we be-
lieye, their headquarters, the work ofdestroy-
ing the government stores and public build
ings was begun. The first building fired was
The. passenger depot, next the freight depot
iat.tEe railroad; then the Cornwalli. houses;
aud the building occupied as a com-nlssary
store house and office, on the corner OF De-
Kalb and Main streets were next fired. From
this latter, tLe flames communicated to tie
adjoining buildings, and all the houses front
ing on Main street Gn that square were to-
tally destroyed. They aisoburnt Mr.. George
Douglas store, the cotton sheds in the rear
of Mr.. Gerald's and Dell's stores, and the
bridge oyer the Wateree. The Masonic Hall,
the three story brick dwelling adjoining, &c
cupied as the enrolling office of Capt. Col.
clough aud residence Of Mrs.. 0ppenheim,
McKain's drug stcra and thezthree wooden
buildings to the SOUTH were also burned-but
there is reason to believe that the Yankees
were not the incendiaries in, fhis case. All
the stores were broken open and .pillaged.
'fhe Yankees took what they wanted; and
threw the balance of the. goods in the street.
whence they were carried offby the negroes,
whow We're encouraged and urged systhe \ an.
kees to appropriate whatever they fancied:
After the cotton, government stores. &c,
had dsheen=bi,rned-tla jo,'t
dispersed in small squads over the town to
rob on private account. Nearly every mouse
in Camden and Kirkwood was visited. In
fact we have heard o; but two that escaped,
besides those in the immediate vicinity oi
Bishop Davis residence, before which aguard
we understand, WAS placed. The conduct OF
these invaders varied, in different localities
according to the dominant instincts cf the in
divduals who imposed tho squad. In soinc
instances. rare ones, they are reported 10
have be haved with courtesy and gentleness,
neither plundering nor insulting the inmates,
and limiting their demands. to4a dinner or
bed. In others. and thesesby far the larger
number, they seem TO have run through the
ga.nu., from simple imperinence to gross out
rasc, and from petty pilfrriag to wholesale
spolntior and. robbery. Many families have
b=en stripped OF everything they had-.ln the
world, and for these vsp.cially We Would be
speak the sympathy and aid of those who
suffered here. in one neighborhocd, whfre
several barrels Of liquor had been buried hy
their owners, and Gns up by the 9anIeesy
drunkenness CAME 10 stimulate outrage, ana
intensity the horrors OF the scene. They seem
ed to take special delight in frightening wo:
men aud children, and We have heard OF PR.
vate dwellings being set on fire under circum
stances of thamost; ;wantonsand heartiesS cru
city. The loss OF property and the pollution
of their presence is all we have been csIed On
TO endure. But that isquite enough TO saiis-
fy us for loug while TO come.
True to their instincts they sought alhlia-
tion with our slaves and devoted q portion OF
theirti.ne to persuading them to desert their
owners and try the blessings of Yankee free.
dom. About two hundred and fifty, we hear,
from the town and plantations inthe vicinity,
have been leluded into going of, but the large
majority Of the slaves have proved faithful to
their mas ers.4 Indeed great praise is due
tbeui, especially the house servants, who as o
Whole, stood faithfully by their mistrcsses,
and, by their earnest and active efforts. aided
greatly in preventing outrage and saving
property.-Camden Journal and Confederate.
= Charleston.
"Tne Charleston Of old time has ceased to
be, ".as the Sumter Watcltmaa remarks. Ma
ny inquiries have reached US concerning Ger,
tain persons, and reports have been spread
oae,1,,, ~