The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1868-10-15
Startling Letter From Texas
REBELS IN OPEN WARFARE.
ASSAULT ON U. s. TROOPS.

H
Persecution Of Union Citizens
Northern UniOnists Fleeing
for Lffe---A Cimcimnatiam In
Jeopardy.
The following letter, addressed to a
well-known citizen Of this city, by his
grandson, who has for some time been
a resident of Austin, Texas, where he
has been compelled to fee for his life
gives a graphic, and unquestiOnably a
truthful account, Of the state Of things
in that unreconstructed State :-rCin.
Chronicle.
SHERMAN, GraysOn Co., Texas, J
September 8, 1863.
MY DEAR Al arrived here safe,
ly, after a very long ride through the
heart of this great State. 1 am very
much pleased with my trip. I have
seen a great deal that repays me for
the fatigue of the journey and have
found that horseback riding, while ii
may be slow, is conductive to good
health. I have a noble horse; he can
out-rUn or Out-travel almost any ami
NAL in the State, and as am armed
with a pair Of revOlvers, knife and
Spencer carbine, I can either fight OF
run, as the occasion may require.
1 expect to mount my horse next
Saturday morning, before sunrise, and
travel in the direction of the nearest
railway depot in Kansas. I will be
accompanied by three N embers of the
Texas Convention and several other
citizens, who, like myself, are leaving
rebel persecution for kind and loyal
friends North. The rebels are daily
becoming more belligerent. In this
section of the State they have several
organized bands, in all comprising sew
eral hundred men, now in active ser
vice, and a reserve comprising nearly
all the white citizens Of the country.
A party Of these rebel outlaws, un-
der the command of a desperate nam
ed Bickerstaf, have lately captured
several Government trains, giving the
WagOners receipts therefor, and paying
them for their services. These des-
peradOes have killed eight or nine SOL
diers, eleven white Unionists, and
freedmen without number.
The last outrage these murderers
committed occurred a few days ago, at
Sulphur Springs, in Hopkins County,
where they surrounded a company of
U. S. Troops, and compelled them to
fortify themselves in a brick store in
the centre of the town, two hundred
and fifty rebels being under arms,
endeavoring to starve out the garrison.
They were only prevented from ac-
lSgnsPHshing their hellish design by
the arrival of a company of cavalry
from Pilot Grove, in this county, who
dispersed the rebels, killing and
wOunding several, besides captu ring q
number Of horses, arms, etc.
The citizens with very few excep-
tiOns, sympathize with these outlaws,
and sustain and succor them by furn-
ishing them with horses, provisions,
&C.; and I take this occasion to further
state, that it is the settled policy of
the Democratic party to Overawe the
white Unionists of the South, by as
those who energetically
oppose them, and to run out Of the
country the more passive Republicans
by organized systems of persecution
and robbery; which policy is carried
to such an extent that loyalty is made
OdiOus and treason respectable.
Union men and their families are
discarded from society, members of
denominations who adhere to
the principles of Republicanism are
turned out of the churches. Children.
of Unionists have, in many instances,
been prevented from attending schools.
The merchant who is a Union man
cannot get any trade. The stock rails
er, who is a Union man, has his cat
tie driven off by the rebel "cow boys;"
and l know of instances within my
own personal observation, where
have had their crops destroy
ed by t1re, professional men could get
no practice, laborers no work, and
weary travellers no place to lay their
heads, simply because they boldly
maintained the justice of the Recon
structiOn acts of Congress. 1 intend
to assert these facts from Kansas to
and if men are capable
Of self government, and our citizens
not as depraved as the people destroy
ed by the food, I must believe that
every honest citizen who desires the
of his country, will support
the Republican party to the end that
those who live in the rebel States, and
have given up all for the Union, may
not be socially cstracised, religiOusly
Indignantly robbed, pO-
destroyed, and foully MUIR
dered.