The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1869-11-20

| MEMPHIS, Tenn, Oct I7-As fair play
| is or of the jewels of American character,
/ and as it is considered right and proper to
| give the "devil his due, l hope you will not
refuse 10 give to the public, through your
widely read paper, Sam Hilderbrand's o nm
statement of his history since the beginning
of the late terrible war; to the end that
fair-rninded men may judge whether there
was not some good reasons and prOvOcatiCn
for the desperate deeds charged against me-
When, the war began, | was leading a
quiet, peaceable life, trying to provide for
my family in a honest though humble
sphere Of life. In the condition Of affairs
in my part Of Missouri 1 had made up my
mind to keep out of the troubles and take
no part in the war. In 1862 my brother,
Frank Hlderbrand, went into the State
Guards, under JEFF Thompson On Frank
return to see our mother and family, he
was captured 10y 4 mob headed by young
NcElyane BY McElvane's order, Frank
was killed after his capture; his head was
mashed in such Il shocking manner that the
most barbarious savage would have blushed
to have been guilty of the deed. His body
was then thrown into 4 mineral hole so feet
deep and left to rot.
The next outrage committed on my kin
dred and family was the murder of my
brother, George Washington, and Canadi-
an named Eustache Landusky, who was en-
gagged to be married to my sister Mary.
These last murders were perpetrated by men
in Union uniform, and who were soldiers Cf
the Federal army Two weeks after these
tragedies my sister Mary died Of trouble
and q broken heart
Two weeks later these men came to my
mothers house and loaded several wagons
with her property, drove off all our cattle
and fro Il hnr hDpca hn
dwelling in the settlement Sly poor, dear,
broken hearted mother seeing the house
burning, sent my little brother Henry to
those heartess wretches and asked for the
family Bible as a relic to he kept when all
else was gone. Not dreaming of harm to
the little tender boy, what can express her
horror and agony when these demons shot
my little brother, y gears old, through the
bowels, and Il tend then put his foot on his
head and cut his throat. Thus were these
astrociUus deeds Of blood and cruty and
robbery committed on my kindred and
family. Let any man put the question to
his soul, whether such Dutrage5 would not
have aroused him to desperate retaliation at
a time when the law no longer had power to
avenge man : wrongs lUr hiII aud for the
sake Of justice ! bore the accumulated
outrages without lifting Il hand to ayenEe
my brothers and sisters blood. Loving my
darling wife and little children better than
| did anything on earth, | forced my heart
to bear on in sileRce. Though crushed like
worm, | refused to sting the foot that
crushed me.
During all these Outrages l had resolved
to not 70 IN the Southern army, nor to med
die in the troubles in any way | removed
from Big River to Flat Woods, distant %
miles, hoping that no harm would befall me
or my vile and children, if would get OCT
of the Immediate neighborhoOd of those who
bad murdered and outraged my family.
But, to my surprise, about the middle of
May, Just when my crop WAS looking well,
and hope was strong that l would be left in
peace, about sunrise one morning nv house
was surrounded by McElvane and his crew
of 30 or 10 men, all well armed
l remembered the fate of ny brothers
and friends, slaughtered in cold blood ike
sheep alter their capture, and | knew there
was no hope Of mercy or justice from such
demons; no help except IN the courage and
strength that God has given me.
The die with me was cast / had sought
peace and quiet, but tile blood hounds had
traied me, I was at bay. The conflict that
| had Hed from was forced upon me. The
alternative was life or death.
/ met my pursUers at the door. | shot
down Two of them ia their tracks, made Il
rush for the woods and escaped Finding
it impossible to live at or near home, went
to Arkansas, and afterward got my wife and
four children. The two men killed in my
door the first blood ever shed by me
Then, when IL price was set on my head,
determined to revenge the death of my
brothers. l rode seven times from ArEan-
sas before l could get to shoot McElvane,
the Infamous butcher, who had murdered
my brothers and sought my life. Then l
meant to harm no one else if they would
leave me undisturbed, but some of the sol
diers, piloted by Jim Craig very meddle-
some spy, undertook to have killed.
In selfdefense l turned loose on them
and made many Of those who sought my life
bite the dust L often met then. In the
woods They ali knew me, and would offer
to assist me. They would make an appoint
ment to bring me provisions to my hiding
places, and then would pilot soldiers there
to try to have me captured ] always killed
that kind of men. l have captured many
Union soldiers but never hurt or treated
them unkindly unless it was one who had
brutally treated Southern prisoners and
knew it.
/ have had hundreds of hair-breadth es
capes for my life; but l know there is a
merciful God that knows, and does all things
right-an all powerful Hand has protected
AHS. "N ~ "C4NJ ''AA CS ON0tA ~
walked and fed from my bed, when show
er of Yankee balls would riddle the bed |
had sprang out Of | have had my clothes
torn from my body with Yankee bullets, but
two only ever drew blood from me.
| wish to say that l saw Republican of
June last, which contains some charges
against me that are not true 1t speaks of
many cruelties committed by Hilberbrand
in Galloway county, which are utterly IN
true. / never was in Galloway county IN my
life. 1t also charges me with cruelty to u
little boy That Is also false. never
harmed a woman or child in my life. l war
red only with men who had made war on
me. ] was also accused of taking stock Of