Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-02-26
PlLLAGISG PROpgNsIr1Es.

PILLACING PROPENSITIES.
The Respective characteristic of
UHi.B and confederate BummeEs
Redfeld in Philadelphia Times
The remarkable difference in the
pillaging propensities of the two
armies may be accounted for on the
ground, first, that the Federal army
was in an enemy's country, and all
things were considered legitimate
game and little inquiry Dlade
whether or not the owners were
Union people; second, the foreign
element in the Federal army was
very large, and with them was the
riff-raff from the large cities, who
entered the army more from mo-
tiyes of pillage than patriotism.
Regiments raised in cities were al
ways more troublesome as pillagers
than those from the rural districts.
In the Southern army these cendi-
tions did not exist. There were no
enlistmentS in that army prompted
by motives of invasion and pillage.
And there were few large cities to
send out "wharf rats" roughs and
pick-pockets into the army. Be
sides the foreign element in the
Southern army was very small.
And for this reason | doubt il the
whole Southern army had been
poured into the North that the
robbery and pillage would have
been just as great as that which
marked the course of the Federal
army in the South. The personnel
Of the two armies differed widely in
the points above mentioned. The
pillagers and robbers in the Federal
army did not spare the Union peo-
pie. The first who came to our
neighborhcol committed several
outrageous rohberies, and it hap
pened that the victims in every in-
stance were Union menl This hal
an unhappy effect, one of the vic
tins at least thereafter transferring
his sympathies from the Union side
to the Uonfedrate OH account Of his
ill-treatment. The outrages, rob-
berry aud pillage which took place
wherever the Union army moved is
traceable to a small minority of the
soldiers, and almost invariably ia
the foreign element among them
enlisted in the large cities. The
officers used to say in explanation
that every flock had black sheep,
and that a thousand men, picked
\ up promiscuouSly, would always
contain o few desperate characters
who went IN flem motives of plum
der. This is no doubt true, but
the hummer element ia the Union
army was certainly larger than in
the other. | have known regiments
OF Southern troops to encamp
around premises for weeks and not
even rob q hon.roost, but when the
other side came then chickens and
all other movable property, animate
and inanimate, had to be under the
eye Of its owner and often this did
not protect it.
The Confederates usually paid fol
what they took for the use of the
army in Confederate money. In
deed, payment was the rule seldom
violated. The Federals, when upon
organized foraging expeditions
usually gave receipts for what they
took, which were payable upon
proof of loyalty on the part Of th(
claimant. But it was from tht
foraging of irresponsible soldiers
without an officer, that the people
mostly suffered. Often in oui
neighborhood would they kill a fine
COW for instance, cake . ouartar, OF
what they could conveniently carry
and leave the rest to waste. In fact
every living animal fit for food was
in constant danger from irresponsi.
BILE Federal foragers and strsgglers
When men are hungry they must
eat, aud eat they would, when they
could get anything, whether Union
or secession; but the Union soldiers
were by far the most inyeteratc,
wastelul and reckless foragers. The
farmers and country people who
traded in the camps Of both armiet
had to skin their eyes when in The
camp Of the Yankees" as they
! | / al