Year: 1869

HILDERBRANB,


In 14utheatic Letter from H5DI-H5s


O,rn Statement Of Affairs from the Be-
ginning fthe Far to the Present Tine.


MEMPHIS, Tenn, Oct. II, 1s69.-As
"fair play" is one Of the jewels ofAmer- (
lean character, and as it is considered
right and proper to give even the "devil
his DUE" hope you will not refuse to
give to the public, through your widely
read paper, Sam Hilderbrand's own
statement of his history since the begin
ming of the late terrible war to the end
that fair minded men may judge wheth-
er there was not some good reasons and
strong prOvocatiOn for the desperate
deeds charged against me.


When the war begun was leading a
quiet, peaceful life, trying to provide for
my family in an honest though hum
bic sphere of life. In the condition Of
affairs in my part of Missouri I had
made up my mind to keep out Of the
troubles and take no part in the war.
In 1862 my brother, Frank HiIderbrand,
went into the State Guards under Jeff.
Thompson. On Franks return to see
our mother and family, he was captured
by mob headed by young MeElvane.
BY McElvane's order, Frank was kill
ed after his capture; his head was mash
ed, his body mangled and cut to pieces
in such a shocking manner that the
most barbarous savage would have
blushed to have been guilty of the deed.
His body was then thrown into a miner
al hole fifty feet deep, and left torot.
The next outrage committed on my
kindred and family was the murder Of
my brother, George Washington, and
Canadian named Eustache Landusky,
who was engaged to be married to my
sister Mary. These last murders were
perpetrated by men in Union uniform,
and who were soldiers of the Federal ar
my. Two weeks after these tragedies
my sister Mary died of trouble and a
/ broken heart.


Two weeks later these men came to
my mothers house and loaded several
wagons with her property, drove off all
our cattle and set fire to her house, the
/ best stone dwelling in the settlement.
My poor, dear, broken hearted mother,
seeing the house burning, sent my little
| brother Henry to those heartless wretch
es and asked for the family Bible as
relic to be kept when all else was gone.
| Not dreaming Of harm to the little ten
der boy, what can express her horror
and agony when these demons shot my
| little brother, not twelve years old,
through the bowels, and fiend then
put his foot on his head and cut his
throat. Thus were these atrociOus deeds
Of blood and cruelty and robbery COM
mitted on my kindred and family. Let
any man put the question to his soul,
whether such outrages would not have
aroused him to desperate retaliation, at
/ q time when the law no longer had pow
er to avenge q mans wrongs for him
and for the sake Of justice. And yet,
even then, I bore these accumulated
outrages without lifting a hand to aveH-
ge my brothers and sisters blood. Low
ing my darling wife and little children
better than I did anything on earth, I
( forced my heart to bear on i'll silence.
Though crushed like worm, refused
to sting the foot that crushed me.


During all these outrages I had resOlv-
ed not to go in the Southern army, nor
to meddle in the troubles in any way.
I Iremoved from Big River to Flat Woods,
distant twenty five miles, hoping that
no harm would befaIl me or my wife
and children, if I would get out of the
/ immediate neighbOrhood Of those who
had murdered and outraged my family.


But to my surprise, about the middle
of May, just when my crop was looking
well, and hope was strong that 1 would
| be left IN peace, about sunrise one morn
! ing my house was surrounded by McEl-
vane and his,crew of some thirty OF for
ty men, all we'll armed.


L remembered the fate Of my brothers
and friends, slaughtered in cold blood
like sheep after their capture, and 1
knew there was no hope Ofmercy or jus
tice from such demons; no help except
. in the courage and strength that God


had given me.


The die with me was cast. ] had
/ sought peace and quiet, but the blood
/ hounds had trailed me. l was at bay.
The conflict that had fed from was
forced upon me. The alternative was
life or death.


( Imet my pmsuers at the door. 1 shot
down two of them in their tracks, made


a rush for the woods and escaped. Find
inq it impossible to live at or near home
I went to Arkansas, and afterward got
my wife and four children. The two
men I killed in my door was the first


blood ever shed by me. Then, when a
price was set on my head, determined


to revenge the death Of my brothers. l


rode seven times from Arkansas before


7 could get to shoot NIcElvane, the infa-


NOUS butcher, who had murdered my
brothers and sought my life. Then I


meant to harm no one else If they


would leave me undistuTbed, but some
Of the soldiers, piloted by Jim Craig, a
very meddlesOme spy, undertook to
have me killed.


, In self-defense I turned loose on them


and made many Of those who sought


my life bite the dust. often met them
in the woods. They all knew me, and
. would offer to assist me. They would
make an appointment to bring me pro
? Visions to nv hiding PlsCeg, aud thsT