The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-08-03

The United States army under General
Buell. arrived here on the 9th Of June,
1862, and remained in this place and the
Tennessee Valley until the sth OF Sep
tember, 1862. at which time they evacu-
ated, going 10 Iuka and Corinth, Miss.
The first division of the army arrived
here under General Wood. General Has
keirs brigade was the advanced guard
and first came into town, making its
headquarters at the fair grounds. Colo
mel Scott of Kentucky. was the Provost
Marshal. with the Bird Kentucky regiment
as provost guards. During their stay
with u.s. and while General Buell. was
here, we were very little moiested, not
more so than would be necessary in the
passage of an army through the Coun-
ty. But when General A. e. Paine took
command, by bringing In the other por-
ton of the army. there was wonderful
change in the order Of things Ladies
could not safely go out of their homes
citizens were arrested and held in con-
finement, or sent off to the North, In
many cases without any charges being
made against them. and the citizens were
not permitted to meet on the streets and
converse together. Persons nor property
we've safe from the license of the soldiers
They took from private citizens what
ever they wanted-hogs, sheep. cattle OF
every kind. vegetables, corn, potatoes,
fowls of every description, which they
scrupled not to shoot down in our yards.
They also took mules and horses in large
numbers They took from this County
alone about 5000 negroes, men, women
and children. and large lot OF cotton,
besides destroying great deal of prop
erty that they could not take away,
did not witness 1t personally, but was in
formed by reliable persons, that they en-
tered homes and robbed ladies of jewelry,
and broke open wardfobes and took Ia
dies dresses and other apparel and dec
Grated their horses and gave 1t to the
negroes. This was done by the 3rd Mich
igan Cavalry under Colonel Meisner
They perpetrated some of the most out
rageous acts OF any other portion of the
army. The 18th Missouri regiment las
they were called, but they told me they
were raised in Springfield, I'D destroyed
my fences, corn, fodder and potatoes, and
insulted my family and me in the gross
est manner. The 9Th Ohio, threatened to
burn my house and there were four sta
bles burned while they were here. Many
dwellings had the furniture broken up
and destroyed. When they evacuated the
town they set fire to 1t In four or Ave
different places, but we were fortunate
proper for me to say that General Fry
as learned. prevented my house from
being burned and returned a negro boy
to my mother-in-law, Mrs. Meredith.
They took twenty-seven negroes from
Mrs. Meredith, one from me, and one
from my sister-in-law, Mrs. Ragfand, and
thirteen from my brother-in-law. Thomas
E. Winston. Their conduct whilc here
was more like savages than civilized be-
ings. They arrested, while General Paine
was here, two citizens. Mr.. Burt and
Mr.. Wallace, because our cavalry, under
Roddy, attacked the railroad cars and
captured some prisoners and stores at
Trinity, In Morgan County, and sentenced
them, to be hanged. Roddy sent them
word IL they were injured in any way he
would hang the prisoners he had, and
that prevented them from hanging them.
They arrested the Rev. DR.. w. II.
Mitchell of Florence, in the pulpit on
Sabbath for praying for the Southern
Confederacy. They made him mount
horse and ride to Tuscumbia, through
the hot sun; then made him walk nearly
a mile to the fair grounds. kept him con-
fined In a room. without anything but the
dirty floor to sleep on and with the dirt
lest and lowest set Of men in the same
room-then sent him to Alton, ILL.,, where
he was confined for sometime in the pen-
itentiary.
/ could enumerate great many other
acts Of their vandalism but they did not
come under my personal observation.
though / have no doubt of their truth.
Suffice it to say there was scarcely any
thing too mean or low for them to do.
A large portion of the depredations
committed here, were by the 3rd Michi-
gan Cavalry. The officers in command
here, during the time the United States
army was here. were Generals Wood,
Fry, Stanly, McCook. Haskell. Thomas,
Morgan, Paine and Colonies Steadman.
Murphy and others whom I do not re-
member. L. B. Thornton.
January 26. 1868.
The State of Alabama,
Franklin County.
1. John Powers. an acting Justice of the
Peace, in and for said County and State,
hereby certify that L. B. Thornton, whose
name is signed to the foregoing state
ment, and who is known to me. upon
oath says the foregoing statement IS
true to the best of his knowledge and
belief.
Witness my hand and seal this 18th day
of January, 1853.