Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1872-09-27
Onnression of the South.

son. the Radical candidate for the Vice
Presidency, stands up and asserts that the
Federal Government had been kind and
merciful in its treatment of the South; that
in fact there had been no despotism on the
part of that Government towards our pe0-
pie. In doing this he only obeys his ma
tr1ral instinct for falsehood. No man, in
deed, has right to be surprised at any
thing that Wilson may say or swear to.
His disregard of truth is so wanton and so
well-knOwn, that his name has become a
bv-Word and a reproach from Maine to
California. We confess, however, to some
feeling akin to surprise at seeing the New
York Evening Post, journal that affects
to be respectable and to have some regard
for the usages common among honorable
men, coming to the support Of Mr.. Wilson
and seeking to create the impression that
we have nothing to complain of at the
hands of the Federal Government.
The fact, however, that the organs Of the
Radical Party feel obliged to deny the
truth of the charges Of cruelty and Oppres-
sion toward the South, is not without sig
nificance. Hitherto the surcst way TO win
the Northern heart was to tell them about
the harsh measures that had been taken
to break the pride Of the Southern chigalry.
All that is now changed, and both Repub-
licaus and Democrats have combined to
hllrl tie party Of oppression and proscrip-
ton from power.
In view of the assertions of pious Bull
Run Wilson and others, it may be well,
from time to time, to recall events, that
possibly have passed from cur minds, to
illustrate the Radical idea Of Federal len
iency in the administration of law. We
venture to say that the annals of no civil
lied country viii afford proof Of such bar
barOus acts as have been committed by
the Federal Government, through its re-
coguized officers i'll the Southern States,
out rebuke.
1t is not ouI purpose to stir up bad blood,
nor to revive the sleeping passions of former
years, but it is due to truth, and to our
:
that the South has been kindly treated, to
show in what that kindness consisted.
The only friendship the South has ever
asked from the Federal Government has
been that its officers might execute the
laws Of the land honestly, fairly and in
accordance with the known usages that
have prevailed from generation to genera
ton. How far this request has been com
piled with, the following well authenticated
case, the facts of which were widely pub
iished at the time, will attest. If any pun
ishment was inflicted upon Major Lyman
and his negro troops, or if any inquiry
ever was instituted into their conduct, it
was never made pubic:
"Brevet Major Wyllys Lyman, 4Oth
United States Infantry, was, by Special
Order No. y, Headquarters Military Post
Goldsboro', dated 10th April, 1868, ordered
to take twenty men and go to Greenyile,
Pitt county, and 'take quarters at the
court house until Friday, April 2 18th, 1868,
when he was to return to Post Head
quarters"
Instead OF returning to Post Headquar-
ters, On Saturday night, 10Th April, Major
Lyman, with fourteen men, left Greenviile,
crossed Tar river, and went some eight or
ten miles up the williamson road to the
house of Mr.. Riddick Carney, an old man
some sixty-fve years old, for The purpose
of arresting hin. Mr.. Carney lived at
home, made 10 pretense OF colcealment,
went about the county on public occasions
aud to public places, the court house inclu-
ded, just as any other citizen, and was
liable to arrest at any time.
Major Lyman surrounded Carney's
house about daylight on Sunday morning,
and demanded surrender. There were
present in the house Mr.. Riddiclz Carney
and wife, Mr.. Whitehurst and wife,
(Carney's daughter) who were there on
visit, George Carney, and an unmarried
daughter. Mr.. Whtchurst, the son-in-
law, surrendered, saying he had nothing
to do with it. GIr. Riddick Carney and
his son George refused to surrender
They were up stairs. The women were
allowed to leave the house, but came off
in their night clothes. The attack COM
menced, the Carneys and the soldiers both
firing. Two soldiers were killed, where
upon Whitehurst, who was sitting on the
porch, was fired into and wounded i'll
three places, once in the bowels, MORALLY,
ic cnl1iar II iC Coi6
also dubbed his musket to knock his
brains out, but desisted, Whitehurst beg
ging for his life, saying he was
prisoner in their hands, that he had moth
ing to do with the matter, had surran-
dercd, sc. The house down stairs was
plundeTed and pillaged and set on fire.
During the melee, Major Lyman, who was
covered by a tree, received slight wound
in the arm. Meanwhile the fire spread
and the flames increased. AS the house
was about to fall in young Carney came
down stairs to the front door, firing as he
came, when he was shot and killed, falling
ont Of the door, where he was allowed to
remain until his body was SO burned and
charred that no one could have recognized
him. The old man stayed up stairs, def
ant to the last and persisted in the flames
of his own roof-tree. After the place was
cool enough to be examined the bones of
human frame could be identified.
The Major then went back to Green
vile with his dead and living soldiers and
on Monday returned to Post Headquarters"
This may, indeed, be the only instance
in which men were actually burned alive
in the South by Federal officers, but there