The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-07-02

Vance asked that the Sixteenth North
Carolina regiment be sent from Lees
army to come to this state to gather up
deserters and recreant conscripts. Cen
eral Lee in reply aid "Details Of Of
ficers and men have been made from
all North Carolina regiments to visit
the state to obtain recruits and absen-
tees. Two North Carolina b~rigades,
Ramseur's and Cookies, have recently
been detailed from this army to North
Carolina, with the hope that their
ranks may be filled. At this time I do
not think it e~xpedient 10 make further
detailments."
February 10th the secretary Of war
said General Lees army was depend
ent on the means of getting forage
from North Carolina. Colonel Wadly
brought his letter here, and he wrote
the secretary of war: Everything is
in the intensest confusion on the North
Carolina railway and / a get no sat
isfactory answer from the Wilmington
and Weldon about transportation of
corn. The state holds a controlling in
terest in both roads" Wadly wanted
the government to assume absolute
control over both these roads. The
secretary of var wanted the governor
to take control of them.
The governor urged the president to
be extremely liberal in the matter of
exemptions under the conscript law in
the Tenth Congressional district. The
president said he recognized the
strength of the appeal.
Colonel D. X. MacRae wrote January
28th from Nassau, saying that rifles
| could be bought in England for $14 to
81; that freight from England to Mas
sau was $50 per ton by steamer n
from Nassau to Wilmington $500 per
ton, adding So to the cost of each rifle.
He added: There is an all-pervading
impression of an early peace. This is
the opinion Of Europeans and of north
ern men who are here"
February 18th General Whiting wrote
| that there was a d~eplorable condition
of affairs in Robson county; that de-
s~erters were plundering and burning
mo that he had sent Captain Moor
! nough's company Of the Fifty-first
North Carolina "to capture or destroy
these freebooters."
r. T. Armfield, February 10th, wrote
the governor of a startling occurrence
which had greatly exasperated the peo-
! pie of Yadkin county, this being the
murder of two magistrates by a band
of deserterS and fugitive cOnScripts.
He vent on to say that there was a
powerful opposition to the cOnscript law
among the union friends and that
many of that class sWOre they would
die at home before they would be forced
off, and when the time came for them
to go about 100 took to the woods. They
made threats against the militia which
sought to capture them. Finally twelve
of the militia found sixteen of them in
a school house. There was a fight. The
men finally fled out of the house cav
ing two dead and carrying off two
wounded. Two of the militia were
killed. -Four of the cOnScriptS after
wards surrendered voluntarily. Arm
field said the leaders We're in a part of
the county SO disloyal that it would be
difficult to find them. He wanted to
know what was to be done with the
four who were prisoners and said sup
pose We try them for murder, do you
not believe that our supreme court will
declare the cOnScript law uncOnstitu-
tional and thus leave these men justi-
fled in resisting it's execution l be-
lieve it will and tremble to think of the
consequences of such a blur upon the
cause of our independence. I think
that | know Judge PearsOn's opinion on
the conscript act and 1 believe that he
is just itching to pronounce it uncon-
stitutiOnal. 1t would demoralize our
army in the field and bring first the
horrors of civil war to our own doors.
Gould these men. and ought they if
they could, be turned over to the con
federate courts. to be tried for trea-
son? I hope you know 1 am conserva-
tive and for the rights of the citizens
and the states, but for my country al
ways and for independence at all haz-
ards"
Governor Vance had a meeting of the
directors of the North Carolina rail-
way called for the purpose Of seeing
what could be done to relieve the great
strain Of transportation upon that road.
He urged hat the part of the rOad
from GOldsbOrO to Raleigh be turned
over to the Atlantic and North Caro-
lima railway for operation, as the lat
ter had plenty of rolling stock, etc.
February 18th A. S. Merrimon re-
ported hat thirteen of the Madison
county prisoners Geferred to above)
had been killed; that some of them
were not taken with arms in their
hands, but at their homes; that all of
hem were prisoners when they were
shot; that they were taken off to a
secluded gorge or cave in the FOL
tains and made to kneel dow and were
lnen SnOl, CndC one was mOTlally
wounded in the bowels and while he
was writhing in agony and praying to
God for mercy, a soldier mercilessly
M brutality shot him in the head
with his pistol; that some men were
whipped, and that all this was don
by order of Lieutenant Colonel James
A. Keith" Merrimon added: Il do not
n what you intend to do with the
guilty persons, but I suggest they are
all guilty of murder. / do not suppose
they had any order to do so barbarous
a deed, but If they had the order was
absolutely void, no matter by whom is
sued. Such savage and barbarous
cruelty is without a parallel in this
state and I hope in every other"
February 9th Governor Vance wrote
the secretary of war: II learn that the
war department has refused to accept
the resignation of Colonel w. P. By
num-. Second North Carolina troops,
who was elected by the legislature
of North Carolina solicitor of the