The Van Buren press., 1867-05-31

The following letter, says the Colum-
bus (Ga. } Sun and Times, was found IN
the streets ofColumbia Immediately after
the army Of Gen. Sherman had left. The
original is preserved, and can be shown
and subs,antiated, if any body desires;
CAnr NEAR CAMDEN, S. c.,
February 26, 1865.
My DEAR WIZ: have no time for
particulars We have had glorious
time In this State Unrestricted license
to burn and slander was the order of the
day. The chivalry have been stripped of
most of their valuables, Gold watches,
silver pitchers, cups, spoons, forks, &c,
arc as common in camp as blackbcrries.
The terms of plumber are as follows: !:
=" Each company is required to exhibit
the results OF its operations at any given
place--onc.ffth and first choice falls to
the share Of the commander in chief and
stat, one-lifth to the field officers of reg
imcnts, and two fifths to the company.
Officers are not allowed to join these
expeditions without Disgusting themselves
as priyates. One of our corpse com
mandcrs borrowed a suit Of clothes from
one Of my men, and was successful in
this place lie got a large quantity Of
silver (among other things an old time
milk pitcher and n very fine gold watch
from a Mrs. DeSanssure, at this place. -
DcSanssurc was one of the +. f. VS. of
South Carolina, and was made to fork
over literally. Officers over the rank of
captain are not made to pu; their plundcr
in the estimate for general distriS2tion.
This is very unfair, and for that reason,
in order to protect themselves, subordi.
nate officers and privates kecpback every
thing that they can carry about their per
sons, such as rrings, rings, breast pins,
&c, of which, if ever get home, | have
about quart am not josing-I have
at least quart Of jewelry and trinkets for
you and all the girls, and some No. /
diamond rings and pins among them
General Sherman has silver and gold
enough to start bank His share in
gold watches alone at Columbia was two
hundred and seventy five But | said
could not 90 into particulars. All the
general officers and many besides had
valuables OF every description, down to
ladies' embroidered pocket handkerchiefs.
l have my share of them, too. We took
gold and silver enough from the id
rebels to have redeemed their internal cur.
rency twice over. This, 1.-THE currency, }
whenever We came across it, we burned.
WISH iGliHSI'f'9ric' ar etwwcry' wei 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 id Mig
gers, as general rule, prefer to stay at
home, particularly after they found out
that we only wanted the able bodied men,
and Ito tell the truth, the youngest and
best looking women. Sometimes we
took off whole families and plantations of
niggers, by way of rcpaying secessionists
But the useless part Of them we soon
managed to loose sometimes in crossing
rivers, sometimes in other ways.
! shall write to you again from Viii
mington, Goldsboro or some other place
in North Carolina The order to march
has arrived, and | must close hurriedly.
Love to grandmother and aunt Charlotte
Take care ofyourself and children. Don't
show this letter out of the family Your
affectionate husband, ...
THos. J. MAYERs, Lieut., &c.
p. 81 will send this by the first flag
Of truce to be mailed, unless l have an
opportunity of sending it to Hilton Head.
Tell Sallie am saving pearl bracelet
and earrings for her; but Lambert got
the necklace and breastpin Of the same
SET | am trying to trade him out of
them. These were taken from the Misses
Jamison, daughters of the President of
the South Carolina Secession Convention
We found these on our trip through
Georgia"
This letter was addressed to Mrs. Thos
}. Mayors, Boston, Mass.