Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1866-02-06
THE SACK OF BAGDAD.
Demolition, PilIage aud ou,Iawry.

The Matamorls RaacherO, of the 9th, thus fastcn9
the responsibility of war between Macmillan
and the United States on the latter country:
The Federal commandcr, upon being apprized
of the unholy and hclsh page of Baglad by
his own soldiers lett Brownsville for that place
Two days after the paging commenced, he crossed
into Bagdad a force of three hundred men, with
the object we are told Of protecting the lives oI
the none ombatant population But, remarkable
to relate did not restore Imperial authority but
instead recognizes the authority of pack of high
way robbers, who received the place from his sol
crs, and who went into it from the Texas side.
Thus he recognizes the right of his soldiers 10 take
and sack Il town of the Mexican Empil1 and after
they had enjoyed two days pillagc he sends into
it force and commands the peace, but instead OF
putting the place in the hands of those from whom
his soldiers took it, he virtually turns it over L"
Liberal robbers and makes himself and government
responsible for the whole affair.
flis soldiers attack and take n city from the hands
Of the Imperial Government of Mexico; his soldiers
capture the Imperial garrison; asSassinate I'm
peral citizens; shoot Imperial soldiers sack The
city, and turn all over TO illibusicrs and sO-rIllcd
Liberals who enter the place from the soil of the
United States. Such, even, is the picture we are
called upon to contemplate; and such is not only
declaration OF war the part OF the United states
but the commencement of actual hostiltics by the
government
Whether the Federal authorities have committed
this awful crime wfully on whether they are guilty
of the higher crime, inertia stupidity, Ignorance
we leave it for the public 10 determine One thing
however, is certain, the course which the Federal
commander has taken, faStens, irrcvQcably iastens
the entire responsibility OF the gnoblc affair upon
his government.
The Ranchcro of the 10th gives further particu
lars of the sacking of Bagdad from viii h we take
some extracts:
The pillagc of Baglad continues, but on small
scale in COMPARISON To the first few DAYS pru,ecd
ingS.
The negroes eros boxes of champagne and other
wines and liquors, besides packages of merchandise
without mOleStatien from Federal officials, but when
the whites attempt ia cary on the same work they
are picked up by the Federal custom house officials
aud made to pay dut.e'.
All the principal hou.e5 OF Eaglad have heen gut
ted competely Some firms ia this city inform us
of then receiving house ana branches have been
robbed of every article worth rarlNin" oil including
their safes which had been taken 10 the Texas side
and blown open.
The Federal commander has been at CIarksville
and has sent force over to this side 10 Keep order
and was holding the place in conjunction with out
laws and bustcrs. lie had done nothing toward
restoring the place to those from whom his soldiers
took il. lie left yesterday morning Tor r"%hsHillr,
having been, and saw, aud done nothing.
The Federal commander arrived up yesterday
from below, and has asccrtained that very few of
his soldiers had a hand in the taking and SIcking Z"
Bagdad Those few he is going to have arrested
We do not understand that he computes the num-
her of his soldiers who took part i'll that heli Ii
affair. Lest he should arrest too many Of them Ne
would inform him that not more than from five hum
dred to eight hundred took hand IN the work of r
lage. Only ew-vcry few.
We are told that goods taken at BagdAl continue
to arrive in Brownsville, and are already affecting
that market
The number killed ana wounded at Baglal j. -
variOusly estimated, that without sometime mole
reliable it would not he worth while to make an
estimate.