Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1866-01-20
( CON NUM- ATED.
For the Register.
CoLLINsvlLLE, Illinois, Dec. IL, '65.


Friend Ziue.-Having many friends
and acquainlances In your town and vi
cinIiy. and having associated with many
Of your readers in years gone by. know
1t will be gratifying 10 some Of them TO
learn mere Of The situation in Missouri
than they can obtain from ordinary news.
paper geanings, and your evident desire
10 keep lhem "posted' in gensrsl news
has encouraged NE TO seek a small space
in your columns for few words on that
subject.
As Missouri was the only western
Stale in which the great evil. slavery. So
called by lhe abolition parry, existed
when the cruel war broke Out. and as
reside but a few miles from the border,
! in the "Succor STATE" kept well inform
ed Of HE 'doings" in Missouri!
Missouri. almost surrounded by an an
agonislc population, and her southern
sympaihies strongly suspected, was
thrown under military control III The very
beginning Of lhe late contest. The pres.
ence Of lhe military ard the eulrages com.
mltled. intensified their sympathy and
aroused many 10 arms, who desired The
more peaceful walks Of life. All organl-
cations had 10 be conducted secretly.
The presence of Federal soldiers embol.
dsned those OF abolition proclirlies TO en-
gage also in system suspected OF against
HON they had any old grudge. These
| cd lrss
bloody guerilla warfare, Of which other
Southern States have fortunately had but
lli,le or no experience. There young
men have fallen on the field OF bsllle; here
g:ey headed men, without oHense, have
been imprisoned, hung and shot. and
whole counies have been dePopuls.ed.
Houses, barns and fences reduced 10 ash.
es. Women and children have been
turned out 10 freeze or ,tsrve. That pOr-
ton Of tho State bordering on Kansas.
and South of the Missouri river. was III.
orally depopulaied, and almost every
house b1rned.
The whole country is now becoming
quiet. Cilizens are returning TO their
homss-many taking up lhelr abode III
their former smoke houses, cabins, or
whatever shelter may be left for them.
Some murders have occurred, snd there
seems 10 be a disposition 10 protect The
lives of returning citizens.
There is good deal Of opposition to
the "lest oath" Of the new Constitution.
A large majority of the ministers are re-
Ifusing to lake the oath imposed upon
.hem--many are preaching as usual and
many others desisling.
There is bul lire danger that negro
suffrage will be imposed on Missouri II
was rot done by the convention lately in
session. 1t is hardly to be expected that
another ssil like them will ever sit again
in convention in the Safe. They cannot
quite stand that.
The emigration 10 Missouri in the last
six months has been good. A great ma.
ny persons in the neighborhood in which
| reside have sold their farms and town
property and gone TO Missouri and have
purchased properly. Land is cheap there
and now is the time TO buy.
Now friend Zilus | have given you 3
small history OF Missouri, and have moi
said one word about II inois, the SIsIe in
which have lived during the pas ten
years. She is The fines, of all the ives.
tern States. She has more fine land +,
more good coal mines. and more good
railroads, than any other Slate. can
name one more thing she can boss, OF,
and that 10 the "wooden head dutch, :"
the meanesl set Of people that ever exist
ed. Blu, they are good for Sour Krou,
and Lager Beer, which is the chespes,
production OF our Stale. Corn is worth
in our town 35 cents per busbcl wheat
20 so /; oats 40 CTS. potatoes so coal Is
CTS. per bushel wood S3 10 SO so per
cord hay $50 per ion pork SIS; bes'
$40 -four Sl4. and all kinds Of merchan-
dSe are high. and greenbacks scarce.
Respectfully, yours, D. w. c.