Nevada County picayune., 1890-04-23
CATTERSON'S MILITIA.
How They Robbed and Abused the
 People of this Section.

paper of April ,, a piece written by J. w, Todd, headed ''scrop, v which is a history of Catterson $ militia.
 As he only traced them through Sevier and Little River, l will en-
 deavor to give you some of their out rageous doings in Columbia county, at that time. They entered the county at the northwest county, on the 22nd of December, 1868; com menced stealing and plandering as they went, stopping tt Falcon for the night, completely stripping the stores and citizens of everything they could find that they wanted. The next morning they started south, taking everything they could find Ill they way of horses, mules, saddles, brides, guns, pistols, ammunition, and such other things as they wanted -cursing and abusing the people as they went. Stopping at Dr. J. r
 Matthews store for the night, sent out scouts all over the county, pill fering houses and outraging the peo- pie. They took from the Doctor eight mules, besides robbing his store; arrested him, kept him under guard all night, plundered his resi- dence, and among other things they found barrel of peach brandy, which they converted to their use. The next morning they arrested old parson Sam Harris, 80 years old. He was very feeble and palsied; put him in a wagon, and hauled him to Magnolia, distance of 20 miles, and then liberated him. A better man never lived than he-never harmed anyone in hIs life. They carried the Doctor on with them, placing him on very poor horse, without saddle or briddle, only rope around the neck of the horse, ordering him to strike lope, which he promptly obeyed. They had scouts all over the country, on either side of the road, that were travelling, plundering and taking ev- erything they could find that suited them, from cake of hand soap, to a mule or horse. Reached Magnolia on the evening of the 24th. After marching around the public square, each company was told to hunt quar- ters to suit themselves, Catterson taking his quarters in the court house. In Magnolia, they plundered the stores of Democrats; also houses of private citizens. They then began to divide up into squads, for the pur- pose of securing the country, taking horses, mules, cattle, hogs, corn, fodder, bed quilts, blankets, and in fact everything in the way of house hold goods, cursing and abusing the people as the went, regardless of sex. About forty of them went to Dr. D. l.. Kilgore's at night, in his absence, asking for the Doctor $ whereabouts. On being told by his wife and also his old father that they knew nothing of him, they were an- swered in sharp tones, "you are dam | liars" Took his father and started out with him to hang him. The Doctor and myself had been to a neighbor's house to sec If we could learn anything. On Onr return we l discovered them at his house-went in just in time to save the old man from being hanged. They demanded the Doctors horse. He told them them he had no horse. You are dam liar, you have very fine rid ing horse and rig, and we are going to have them or we will break your neck" whereupon the Doctor told them that he would go to the swamp and get him, and in getting his they got a horse and mule of mine that was hid with his. The next morning the Doctor and 1 started to town to see if we could get our stock back, but were both arrested before we got there, and carried on and put in the lock-up, as they called it, together with several of the very best citizens, and they continued to bring them in until about two o'clock that night twenty-one in all. l will give you the names of those that remember, There was myself, Dr. D. l.. Xiii gore, J. F. Mathews, Hon. W. II. C. Reed, John Cook, William Frazier
 Rev. $. c. Edwards, Rev. J. Q, Burnett, Dr. Thompson, Judge Buf- fington, Millidge lIartsficld, aud oth' CTS. On the morning of tn 27th
 about ten o'clock, General Thomas F. Dockery and Federal officer from the post at Camden, his rank do not know, came in town and it was said told Catterson to stop his depredations upon the people and 1 leave the county. l do not know the truth of it. There is one thing l ] do know, that about two o'clock that evening the prisoners were released, eighteen of us being put under bond, 1 ranging from five to ten thousand | dollars. the other three being set at liberty without any bond. The scouts were called in and about ninl O clock on the morning of the 2Sth
 they took up their line of march for Brady county. They earned out of Columbia county, from best informa. tion could get, about 100 head of horses and mules, and every gun and pistol that they could get their hands