Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1879-11-22
RarbarIsm o. the war.

AOt Will L1iC NACW Vi ECHGWAuk tIt
exasperated passions of the war
but simply as a specimen of female
eloquence. Hunter and MartindalC
were not favorable specimens of the
Federal army; but some brutes
held commissions in the Confeder-
ate army too. We remember re-
buking an assistant surgeon under
our own orders for brutal insults to
wounded prisoners; let us forget
the outrages and only remember the
heroic fortitude with which they
were sustained. The letter is pub
lishe1 IN new book entitled "The
Annals of the War, written by lead
ing participants North and South, I"
printed by the Times Publishing
/ Company, Philadelphia
GENERAL HUNTER: Yesterday,
your underling, captain Martin
dale, of the First New York Caval-
~, executed yOursinfamOus order
and burned my house. You have
I
from him the information that your
orders were fulfilled to the letter
the dwelling and every out-build-
ing, seven in number, with their
contents, being burned. l, there
| fore, a helpless woman whom you
have cruelty wronged, address you,
Major General of the United States
army, and demand why this was
done? What was my offense? My
husband was ahsent-an exile. He
had never been politician, nor in
any way engaged in the struggle
now going on, his age preventing.
This fact your chiel-of-staff, David
StrOther, could have told you. The
house was built by my father, a
Revolutionary soldier, who served
the whole seven years for your indie
pendence. There was born; there
the sacred dead repose. 1t was my
house and my home, and there has
your niece (Miss Griffith), who has
tarried among us all this hoFrid war
up to the present moment, met
with all kindness and hospitality at
my hands. Was it for this that you
turned me, my young daughter and
little son out upon the world with
out shelter? Or was it because
my husband is the grandson of the
Revolutionary patriot and "rebel," F."
Richard Henry Lee, and the near
kinsman of the noblest of Christian
warriors, the greatest of generals,
Robert +. Lee? Heavens blessing
be upon his head forever You
and your government have failed to
conquer, subdue or match him; and
disappointed, rage and malice find
vent on the helpless and inof-
fensive.
Hyena-like, you have torn my
heart TO pieces for all haAlowed
memories clustered around that
homestead; and, demon-like, you
have done it without even the pre- |
text of revenge, for l never saw or
harmed YOU. Your Office is not to |
lead, like brave man and soldier, |
your men to fight in the ranks of |
war, bnt your work has been to sep
arate yourself from all danger, and |
with your incendiary band steal un-
aware upon helpless women and |
children, to insult and destroy. Two |
fair homes did you yesterday ruth |
lessly lay in ashes, giving not a mo-
ment's warning to the startled in
mates of your wicked purpose; turn
ing mothers and children out of |
doors, your very name execrated /
by your own men for the cruel
work you gave them to do. 1a
In the case of Colonel A. II. Bote-
Ter, both father and mother were
far away. Any heart but that of /
Captain Martindale (and yours
would have been touched by that
little circle, comprising a widowed
daughter just risen from her bed of |
illness, her three little fatherless
babes the Oldest not five years old
and her heroic sister. l repeat,
any man would have been touched
at that sight. But, Captain Martin
dale one might as well hope to tind
mercy and feeling in the heart Of a
wolf bent on his prey Of young
lambs, as to search for such qualities
in his bosom. You have chosen
well your agent for such deeds, and
will promote him!
A colonel of The Federal army has
state that you deprived forty of
your officers of their commands be-
cause they refused to carry out your
mischief, All honor to
their names for this, at least They
are DleIa-they have human hearts
and blush for such commander
| ask who, that does not wish in
fanny and disgrace attached to him
forever, would serve under yOn
Your name will stand on history's
page as the Hunter of weak women
and innocent children the Hunter
to destroy defenseless villages and
refined and beautiful homes-to tor
ture afresh the agOnized hearts OF
the widows; the Hunter of Africa's
poor sons and daughters, to lure
them on to ruin and death of soul
and body; the Hunter with the re-
lentless heart of a wild beast, the
face of a fiend and the form of a
man. Oh, Earth, behold the mon
ster! Can say, "God forgive you?
No prayer can be offered for you
Were it possible for human lips To
raise YOUR name heavenward, am
gels would thrust the foul thing
back again, and demons claim their
own. The curses of thousands, the
scorn Of the manly and upright, and
the hatred of the true and honora-
BILE, will follow you and yours
through all time, and brand your
name infdDly, intdmy!
Again, demand why have you
burned my house? Answer as you
must answer before the Searcher of
all hearts; why have you added
this cruel, wicked deed TO your
many crimes?
HENRIETTA +. LEE.
Shepherdstown, Va,
July 2Oth, 1864.