Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1872-07-04

1917.
said this, he drew a pistol. Perceiv-
ing which, Mrs. Avery remarked,
pointing to the weapon, THAT is
| THE AUTHORITY YOU GENERALITY ACT
UNDER. lam a defenceless woman.
YJu can cbme in"
The Sergeant, making apologies for
having to perform 50 unpleasant a
duty then entered the house, accom-
panied by private soldier. They
proceeded to search the house. Pre-
ceded by little Edward, who carried
the, lamp, these midnight intruders
marched up stairs, and searched the
garret /; then every other room, and
every closet, nook and corner in the
dwelling, underwent their scrutiny:
When they reached Mrs. Avery's bed
chamber.these men in the United
States uniform-Mrs. Avery said to
them:
"My little children are all asleep:
Please do not wake them They will
be frightened half to death if they
see you"
They kindly promised to be as aui-
Eet,as possible, and filed in. There
layithe little children, wrapped in
s#eetslumbers, all unconscious of the
close proximity Of armed intruders,
and doubtless wandering in their
dreams in some better and more peace
ful land than these United States.
The search Of this private. cham
ber, wkioh in all other countriesiis
held 80 sacred and which the Law
guards so jealously from all intrusion,
was. thoroughly searched by these
United States Soldiers, whose cheeks
Redeemed with shame as they stopped
to look. under the beds, or peep in
closets and behind bureausand clothes
presses!-O that the old farmer of
Chappaqua could have been present!
With what delight he would have
whacAed these boys in blue with his
umbrella as they bent down to peep
under the bed
Not finding the object of their
search the soldiers made for the out
houses. The kitchen, the meat-house,
the store-room, the servants rooms,
the barn, the stables, the shuck pens,
pig-styes, and every other place they
couldestick their noses into, success
lively fell underth their lynx-eyed scru-
tiny.
: After the search was ended the
squad remained in the yard, with
well--established sentry--lines, and
ready to fall into order of battle at a
moments notice-until an hour or
more after sunrise, when the Captain
reioined the command, and they ef-
fected a mastery retreat from the
bloodless field, taking up the line of
march for Yorkville, to report per-.
haps to the Deputy County Mar
SHALL" by whose orders they SAID
they made the raid.
Thus ended this grand military ex-
pedition, the purpose of which was to
effect the capture of one. poor one
handed man. It was suspected that
he was home on a visit to his wife
and children. The report, it seems,
originated with an old colored man
who, wandering in the woods some
where near DR.. Avery's place, came
upon small pile Of ashes and a few
half-burnt chunks. Contemplating
these ashes the bright idea flashed
UPON him that DR.. Avery had camped
here the night before. The more the
old darkey studied over these ashes
the more convinced he was that his
first impression. was correct. He
spread the report. 1t reached the
ears Of some malicious person, it is
supposed; and thence it flew to head
quarters. And the result-a mid
night military raid, wholly frnltless
except, perhaps, in adding one
more bright deed to the brilliant re-
cord of Grants Administration.
This incident occurred during the
affair After the soldiers had de-
ployed about the yard, the order was
passed around, "Shoot him down, if
lie runs out''-Another Minor Paris
order, showing how reckless these
soldiers Of Grant are Of human life
In Justice to the soldiers we are
glad to state that they behaved in "a
most civil and courteous manner TO- !
wards Mrs. Avery and her children,
making no impertinent remarks, OF,
fering her no wanton indignities, and
conducting the search in as quiet and
peaceable a. manner as possible. They |
performed the 6dious duty with evi-
dent reluctance. No doubt thei
cheeks burned with shame and no
doubt in their hearts they cursed a
government that forced its soldiers to !
do such unsoldierly, such ignominious
work. Rock HUI, (& C). Lantern,
22d.