The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1869-12-20
Efrom til. ST. l.vui, Timts. ]
IiIl.DERBRaSD.
An Authentic Letter from Him-IIis
own Statement 0f, Affairs from the.
beginning OF the War 10 the Pres
MEMPHIS, Tess Oct. II, 1860,

Amrrican character, and as it ID cunsid-
/, ered right and proper to give even the
devil his due" hope you will not re-
lase To give to he public, through your
widely read paper, Sam, llildelbrards
ssh statement OF his history since the be-
cunning of the late terrible war, to the
sud that flir.mindcd mcn may judge
whether there was not some good reasons
sui strong pro,ocatiun for the desperate
deeds charged against me
When the war begun, | was leading \
quiet. pcaccabls life, trying to provide for
Wy family in au houcs, though humble
sphere Of, life. ln,the condition Of affairs
~ my part Of Missouri, had made up my
mind to keep out Of the Troubles and tuke
", part in the war. In lsG2 my brother,
Frank Ilildcrbraud, went into the State
Guards under JEFF. Thompson On
Franks return to see our mother aud fam
ily, lie was captured BY mob. headed
by young McElvane. BY McElysue's
of,lrr, Frank was killrd after his capture;
his head was mashed, his body manglcd
and cut to pieces in such shocking man-
her that the most barbarous savage wouli
have bluslled to have been guilty of the
deed His body was then thrown into
mineral hole fifty fecs deep, and left TO rot.
The next outrage committed on my
Kindred and family was the murder Of my
brother, George Washington, ulG a Ca
madam named Eustachc Landusky. who
was engaged to be married to my sister
Mary. These last murders were perpc-
tra.ed by lnen in Union uniform, and who
, were soldiers Of tic federal army. Two
wceSs after these tragedies, my sister
Mary died Of trouble and broken heart.
Two weeks later these men came to my
mothers house and loaded several wagons
with her property, drove of all our cattle,
aud set fire to her house, the best stone
dwelling in the settlement. Ny poor.
dear, sbIokcn-L hearted mother, seeing the
4 House burning, sent my little brother
Henry to those .Lenrtlcss wrctclics and
asked for the family Bible rs a relic 10 be
KEEP. when all else was gone. Not
dreaming ofharin to the little tcnderboy,
.wbat,can, express her horror and agony
when these demons shot my little brother,
rot twelve yearssold, through the bowels.
and ATTEND then put his foot GU his head
an,l cut, his throat. Thus were these at
rociohs deeds Of blood and cruelty aud
robbery committed on my kindred and
family. Let any man pnt the question to
his soul, whether such outrages would not
have aroused him to desperate retaliation,
at time when, the law no longer had
power to avcnge a,nan's wrongs for him
and for the sake Of justice? And yet,
even. then, I bore these accumulated out
ragesiwithout lifting hand to avcngc my
brothers. and sisters blood. Loving my
darling wife and little children better than
] did anything on earth, forced my heart
to bear Oh in silence Though crushed
like worm, ,l'refuscd to sting the foot
that crushed mo.
Turing all these outroges / had resolved
to not 60 in the Southern army, nor to
NEEDLE in the troubles in any way. Ire
moved from Big. River to Flat Woods,
distant twenty-five miles, hoping tl.at no
harm would befall me or my wife and
children, II / would get out Of the immc-
liate neighbofhood Of those who had mur-
lescd and outraged my family.
But, to my surprise, about the middle
Of May, just. when the crop was'looking
veil, md hope was strong that would be
left in;peace, about sunrise one morning
my house was surrounded BY McElvanc
and his GREW Of some thirty or forty men,
all well armed.
I. remembered the fate Of my brothers
and friends, slaughtered in cold blood like
shsep after their capture, and knew
there was no hope ofinercy or justice from
such demons; no help except in the
= courage and strength that God had given
ME. dllE
Tho die with me vas cast 1 had
sought peace rnl quiet, but the blood
hounds had trailed me. l was at bay.
The conflict that l fed from was forced
upon me. The alternative vas lfc or
death. ~
met my pursucrs at The door. l shot
down two Of them in their trucks, made
rush for the woods and escaped. Finding
it impossible to live at or near home, |
went to Arkansas. and aftefward got my
wife mud four children The two men |
killed in MY door was the first blood ever
shed by me. Then, when price was set
on my head, determined to revenge the
death of brothers. l rode seven times
from Arkansas before could get to shoot
McElsane; the infamous butcher, who had
inurdcredmy brothers and sought my life.
',fLcn I meant to harm no Que iel.cif they
xsull leave me undisturbed, but same Of
the soldiers, plotted by Jim Craig. very
inrddlesone SPY, undertook to have me
lilied. go. ~. 4
In sclf-defcnsc, I turned loose on them
and made many of those who sought my
life bite. the dust. ! often met them III
j lie woods. They all knew me, and would
Soffer to assist me. They would make an
appointment 10 bring me provisions to my
hiding places. and then would pilot soldiers
A A.. 49,. A Il =