The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-11-03

Army-M ana III Ii c-A wv
Bushels of Radical Bullets Wasted.
The st. Louis Times, of the 26th ultimo,
publishes the following evidently authentic COM
munication from Hilderbrand, the daredevil out
law OF Missouri:
MEMPHIS, Tenn, October II, 1869.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE ST. LOUIS TINES.
SIR-As "far playn is one Of the jewels OF
American character, and as 1t is considered right
and proper to give even the 'devil his DUE" l
TPs tSrouSh ypu YOUR VIII Widely read paper, sam Hder
brands own statement of his history since the
beginning Of the late terrible war; to the end tlat
fairminded men may Judge whether there were
not some good reasons and strong provocatlon
for the desperate deeds charged against me-
BARBARous MURDER OF HIS BROTHER FRANK.
When the war began, was leading quiet,
peaceabe life trying to provide Tor my family IN
an honest though humble sphere Of life In the
condition OF affairs in my part OF Missouri, had
made up my mind to keep out OF the troubles and
take no part in the war. In 1852, my brother,
Frank Hlderbrand, went into the State Guards
our mother and family he was captured by
mob headed by young McElvane BY McElvane's
order Frank was killed after his capture-his
head was mashed, his body mangled and cut to
pieces in such shocking manner that the most
barbarous savage would have blushed to have
been guilty OF the deed. His body was then
tnrOWu lulO lSCI uCCp iSie
| to rot.
A SISTER DIES OF BROKEN HEART.
The next outrage committed on my kindred
and family was the murder OF my brother, george
| Washington, and 4 Canadian named Eustache
| Landusky who was engaged to be married 10 my
sister Mary These last murders were perpetrat-
ed by men in Union uniform, and who were SOL
diers in the Federal army. TWO weeks after these
tragedies my sister Mary died OF trouble and
broken heart.
A LITTLE BROTHER MURDERED.
| Two weeks later these men came TO my mothers
house and loaded several wagons with her prop
erty drove OF all our cattle and set fire to her
house, the best stone dwelling In the settlement.
| Ny poor, DEAR .bro6en-hearted mother seeing the
house burning, sent my little brother henry 10
those heartless wretches and asked for the family
Bible as q relic to be kept when all else was gone.
Not dreaming Of harm 10 the little tender boy,
what can express her horror and agony when
| these demons shot my little brother, not twelve
| years old, through the bowels. and nend then
| put his foot on his head and cut his throat. Thus
were these atrocious deeds OF blood and cruelty
and robbery committed on my kindred and fam
| lily. Let any man put the question TO his soul,
| whether such outragcs would not have aroused
| him TO desperate retaliation, at time when the
| law no longer had power TO avenge mans
wrongs for him and for the sake OF justice And
| vet, even then, bore these accumulated outrages
without lifting hand to avenge my brothers. and
sisters blood.
TuG DIE cAsT-LIFE OR DEATH
During all these outrages had resolved not 10
| 20 III the SOulEeTu dTlll, HUI W luCuulS III Vic
troubles in any way. l removed from Big River
| to Flat Woods distant twenty-five miles, hoping
that no harm would befall me or my wife and
children, If ! would get out OF the lmmedlate
| neighborhood Of those who had murdered ana
outraged my family.
But to my surprise, about the middle OF May,
| Just when my crop was looking well, and hope
was strong that would be left In peace about
| sunrise one morning my house was surrounded
by McElvane and his crew OF some thirty or forty
| men, all well armed.
friends slaughtered in cold blood like sheep after
| their capture. and | knew there was no hope OF
mercy or justice from such demons; no help ex.
cept in the courage and strength that God had
| given me.
The die with me was cast. Ihad sought peace and
| quiet, but the boodhounds had trailed me. was
| at bay. The conflict that l had fed from was
forced upon me. The alternative was LIE or
| death.
MURDERS WITHOUT NUMBER.
| / me: my pursuers at the door. shot down
| two OF them in their tracks. made rush Tor the
| woods, and escaped Finding it itimpossble TO live
at or near home, went to Arkansas, and after
| ward got my wife and four children. The TWO
men Killed In my door was the first blood ever
shed by me. Then, when price was set SCI, on my
| head I determined to revenge the death OF my
| brothers. / rode several times from Arkansas
before could get to shoot McElvane, the infa-
nous butcher who had murdered my Jrothers
and sought my life. Then meant to harm no
one else If they would leave me undlsturbed; but
some OF the soldiers piloted by Jim Craig, very
meddlesome spy, undertook to have me Killed.
In self-defence turned loose on them and
made many OF those who sought my life bite the
dust. often met them In the woods. They all
knew me, and would offer to assist me. They
would make an appointment to bring me provi-
| slons to my hiding places, and then would pilot
| soldiers there to try to have me captured. al
| ways killed that kind OF men. i have captured
many Union soldiers, but | never treated them
unkindly unless 1t was one who had brutally
treated Southern prisoners, and knew II.
CLOTHES TORN FROM HIS BODY BY BULLETS.
have had hundreds OF hair-breadth escapes
| for my life; but know there Is mercliul Coo
| that knows and does all things right-an all
powerful hand has protected me. have twenty
| times been suddenly walked, and fed from my bed,
when shower Of Yankee balls would riddle the
bed had sprang out of. | have Mad my clothes
torn from my body with Yankee bullets, but TWO
only ever drew blood from me.
wish to say that saw Republican of June
last, which contains some charges against me
that are not true. II speaks OF many crueltles
committed by lldcrbrand In Galloway County,
which are utterly untrue. | never was III GAIA
way County in my life. 1t also charges me with
cruelty to a little boy. That is also false. never
harmed n woman or child in my lile warred
only with men who had made war on me. was
also accused OF taking stock OF Jim McLain to
the amount OF 5000. The nelghbors all Know
that Jim McLain always lived from hand to
mouth, and never hau anything 10 De stolen OF
taken from him.
SAM, CONE HONE.
After the excitement about the war, and its
troubles seemed TO die out, and men seemed TO
heal over past sores, In the spring OF 1865, came
back to st. Francois County and talked TO many
of the good people Of the county concerning the
prOprlety of returning to my old home. All |
spoke to OF all parties said, sam, come home"
| came back in good faith moved to my mo-
theirs old place and lived there SIX months.
then moved to HillsborO' and stayed there until
last fall Finding 1t hard to make living there,I
moved on the Mississippi River, near Rush Tower |
and chopped wood all last winter. then moved
back to Tie Three Rivers, on the Sam Herd place. |
to raise Il crop There lived and worked until
the 4th OF June last, when was waylad and shot |
by Jim Mclanc. or Walter Evans, and two Others |
that or my friends may yet call 10 account.
Jim McI.ane, McQunn and others waylaid my |
house TO murder me, in April last, for several |
days. On the 4th Of June was shot through the
thigh at my house.
SHOOTING JIA M'LASE, AND COOKING SUPER.
| went to my uncle Williams where they at |
tackled me six days after. They SHOT all day at
NE there. lseicc.ed Jim McLane, whom knew
only by description, anu shot him from the house. |
Sheriff Brcckinridgc and the balance Of his party |
took good care OF their scaips alter | killed Nc |
Lane. 1t was then O'Clock, and as had eaten |
no breakfast or dinner, cooked my own supper. |
AMI ate it while they kept firing ut me- was |
often amused TO see my old aunt Williams dOdging |
tho i..lls as they came in through the cracks. |
They fired the house, and as ! had finished my |
supper, | abandoned my burning fortlficatOn. |
As went out counted thirty-ilve men guarding |
Jackson 10. McGahan AMI Hills hoy. When the |
house got too hot for comfort, left it, and walk
ell within six feet of some OF the guard. They |
Spcmnd h1ind Or nj they iiu not Offrr IN |