Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1866-11-01
From the Georgia Citizen.
A Precious Document.

The following letter was found in the
streets of Camden Immediately after the
army of GeLeral Sherman had left. The
original is still preserved and can be shown
and substantiated, if anybody desires, We
can add nothing in the way of com.
ment on such a document 1t speaks for
itself:
CAMP NEAR CAMDEN, s. G., |
FEBRUARY 26, 1865
My Dear Wife: l have no time for par
ticulars We have had glorious time in
this State. Unrestricted license to burn
and plunder was the order of the day.
The chivalry have been stript of most of
THEN valuables. Gold watches, silver pitch
ers, cups, spoons, forks, etc., are as common
in camp as blackberries. The terms of
plunder are as follows: The valuables pro-
cured are estimated by companies. Each
company is required to exhibit the result
of its operations at any given place-oue-
fifth and first choice falls to the share of
the commander-in Chief and staff, one-6fth
to the corps commander and staff, one-ffth
to field officers of regiments and two ffths
to the company.
Officers are not allowed to join in these
expeditions without Disgusting themselves
as priVates One of our corps commanders
borrowed suit of rough clothes from one
of my men and was successful in this place.
He got large quantity of silver (amoug
other things an old time silver milk pitch
er) and very fine gold watch from Mr..
DeSaussure at this place. DeSaussure is
one of the F F. VS. of s. G., and was
made to fork out literally. Officers over
the rank of captain are not made to put
their plunder in the estimate for distribu,
ton. This is very unfair and for that reas.
on, in order to protect themselves, subordi-
nate officers and privates keep back every
thing that they can carry about their
persons-such as rings, ear rings, breast
pins, etc., etc., of which, if ever live to
get home, | have about quart l am not
joking-I have at least quart of jewelry
for you and all the girIs-and some No l
diamond rings and pins among them. Gen.
ersl Sherman has silver and gold enough
to start bank. His share in gold watches
and chains alone, at Columbia, was two hun
dred and seventy-fve (275).
But l said 1 could not 60 into particu-
lars. All the general officers and many
besides, have valuables of every description
down to embroidered ladies' pocket handker-
chiefs Il have my share of them too
We took gold and silver enough from the
ID rebels to have redeemed their internal
currency twice over This (the currency
when ever We came across it, We burned as
We considered it utterly worthless
wish all the jewelry this army has could
be carried to the "Old Bay State" 1t
would deck her out in glorious style /; but
alas !! it will be scattered all over the North
and Middle States The damned niggers,
as general rule, preferred to stay at home
particularly after they found out that we
only wanted the able bodied men, (and, to
tell the truth, the youngest and best looking
women). Sometimes We took off whole
families and plantations of niggers, by way
of repaying the secessionists. But the
useless part of these We soon manage to lose
sometimes in crossing rivers sometimes
by other ways.
shall write to you again from Whining
toU, Goldsboro,' or some place in North
Carolina The order to march has arrived, :,
and I must close hurriedly. Love to grand.
mother and aunt Charlotte. Take care of
yourself and the children. Don't show
this letter out of the family.
Your affectionate husband,
THos j. MYERS, Lieut.. etc.
PSI will send this by the first flag
of truce to be mailed, unless have an op.
portunity of sending it to Hilton Head.
Tell Sallie am saving pearl bracelet and
earring for her. But Lambert got the
necklace and breast pin of the same set. |
am trying to trade him out of them. These
were taken from the Misses Jamison, daugh
ters of the President of the South Carolina
Secession Convention. We found these on
our trip through Georgia"
This letter was addressed to "Mrs, Thos.
S. Myers, Boston, Mass"
A great maDy anecdotes are related of
personal bravery. We would like to see
that man who would deliberately allow a
woman to catch him making mouths at her
babe.
WRECKING IN THE MISSISSIPPI The
Hairn (IlEnnisl Democrat relates that near.