The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-08-23

loss of one man killed and two
wounded. He also issued a bombastic proca-
nation announcing that he had driven the in
solent invader" from their town, and that he
would hold it against all odds. he deemed IL
wIse however, not To await the coming of the
Thirty seventh and the two Illinois regiments,
but left the town early on the morning of the
I'd. l ought to say, perhaps. that the Indiana
regiment took part in the pillaging or rioting,
as 1t remained on the outside of the town. Gen.
Mitchell, on regaining the place caused to be
published an order condemni"~ inc outrages OF
| ,sS ~ "elorc, put. at the same time, warning
the citizens that if they expected to be protected
In their property they must cease taking part
with the enemies of the government. War, he
tolo thom, was serious business, and if they
sequences
The rebels who had lost their property at once
laid IN their complaints. General Mitchell
ordered search to be made for the missing
property, but not much of it was ever found.
The rebels carried their complaints to General
Buell. and through him to Washington A court
martial was ordered to try Colonel Turchin and
General Mitchell was called upon to explain the
matter. The committee on the conduct of the
war took the matter up and General Mitchell
was distinctly charged with failing to prevent
pillaging and plundering. In a letter to the
Secretary of War. General Mitchell spoke Of
the outrages anu his efforts to discover and pun
ish the offenders. In concluding his remarks
upon the subject he says that he did this, mot
that l had any special sympathy with the
citizens, for 1 believe they had led the
enemy to the attack upon Athens and when
my troops were driven from town they
were cursed, hooted, and spit upon Two OF
their comrades on the day before were burned
alive One of them, caught between the tender
and the engine. when the train was destroyed at
Limestone creek bridge was actually roasted
alive in the presence of barbarians, who swore
they would kill the negroes who offered to cut
away and rescue the unfortunate man"
Who can blame the boys for pillagng the town
under the circumstances Yet Turchin and his
brigade we've denounced on all hands, and given
the name of thieves, and for long time bore
this opprobrious designation. Colonel Turchin
always contended that the pillaging was not
done by his troops, but by hangers on and camp
followers. General Mitchell himself telegraphed
to Secretary Stanton that the most
terrible outrages robberfes. rapes, arsons
and plunderings were being committed by
''lawless brigands and vagabonds connected with
the army" and asked authority to punish such
offenders by hanging. There is no doubt that
great excess committed, but then there was
great provocaton. The government must have
deemed it so, for while the trial of Turchin was
gong on he was promoted to brigadier-
generaship. The trial resulted in his acquittal,
but the Eighth Brigade was, sometime after
ward broken up and the regiments assigned to
| various commanders. Forty-fve citizens Of
Athens fled bills against the general govern
ment for losses by the pillaging The combined
| that they received anything.
1t took long time for the Eighteenth Ohio to
recover it's credit in the army after
being frightened from Athens by mere
handful of rebel cavalry. 1t was not
the fault of the rank and file but the regiment
was poorly Differed With competent COM
manders the regiment would have fought we'll
enough. General Mitchell thought the attack
planters. who united together for t his raid and
then dsbanded to their plantations In this he
was mistaken, for it was detachment of the
First Louisiana Cavalry, under the command of
its colonel. 1t was the belief that they were
nothing but bushwhackers that made the
treat of the Ohio regiment so shameful in the
eyes of their companions. So keeniy did the
whole brigade feel the sting that if a chance had
offered anyways soon they would have made the
rebels paw dearly for the raid of the Louisia-
mans, but it some time before the opportunity
was given. In fact, it never was given as
brigade