Year: 1863

LETTER FROM MISSOURI.


For the Gallipolis journal.


SPRISeFIELD, No..


May 93. 1863.


Mr.. HARPER: Southwest Missouri j
at this time overAowing with refugee
from Arkansas; the outrageous treat


meut to which they are subjected, is


driving them from their homes anC


property by thousands. II the shadow


Of a suspicion is entertained Of q mar


being Union man, he is stripped o


everything that rebel greed may sug


gest, and then il be escapes with hi


life he thinks himself highly favored


Sometimes they will ride up to house


call out the man of the house and de.


msnd his property or his life, and aftel


he gives up everything. they will very


deliberately blow out his brains, and


leave him for his frightened and grief


stricken family to bury. Last summer


they were enforcing the conscript act on
every man between the ages Of 19 and


35 with few, very few exceptions, and
the greater part of the men in our
neIghborhood secretly determined moi
to submit. but if they were conscripted,
they would all skedaddle out TO Uncle


Sam. Among the number were Chas


Preston, William Elliot, and Allison


Hern, Jr., from old Gallia. There were


about City Of these Government boys


that managed to make their way out,


the most OF them are in the army now


they were obliged to hide in caves and
tbickets from these contemplate rebels,
and then sneak out like horse thieves or
murderers.
I Such, Mr.. Harper, is the way the
Union men were treated who happened
to be living in the South when the re.
bellion broke out. If the hundred,
and hundreds OF Union men in the State
of Arkansas to-day, were permitted to
come out, there would be such an over
whelming shout 60 up as would almost
jar the foundation of the earth. But
there are men there who are too old for
the conscript, and also too old il they
should be entirely broken up, to ever
be able 10 get another start In the
world. Some OF these men are sus-
picioned, and others again they think to
be their frmest friends who are doing
everything in their power to aid the
Federal cause. These men are running
a great risk. for it is just as il they were
working over a powder mine, and they
do not entertain the least idea when it
will explode. But they are doing a
great deal of good there, and will con-
tiHue to do so until they are found out,
and their career stopped by the rotten
secesh; but il they kill them and burn
their property, they cannot kill their
influence. The Colonels of this dis
trict are covering themselves with the
gratitude Of the poor refugees, if no.
thing more; they are continually send
ing down Federal scouts to bring out
the families of the oppressed Union
men of Northern Arkansas. Allison
Hern, Of Gallipolis. brought the first
scout that came down for the purpose
Of bringing out the Union families, but
few of them had wagons in which to
move; he took out bis own family and
one or two others, and in a few weeks
the Federals came down with orders to
press secesh wagons for them. and there
were about seventy five families came
out in one train; they were guarded out
by about hundred and fifty Of Geiger's
men; they Just cleaned out every Sc
sesh wagon in reach. and then many Of
the families got out with nothing but
their clothing. They no doubt felt it
to be very hard that they should lose
their horses and wagons, but they did
not think Of that when they we're steal
ing them from the Union men. Capt.
J. W. Hern and family, and Jacob
Thomas and family, came out with that
scout; they were both Gallia men
Scouts are going down now continually,
sometimes they bring out one and two
hundred families at one time. 1t seems
as il the Union people of Northern
Arkansas are sieIed with q panic to get
away from the scene of so much horror,
and now while they have an oppor-
tunity, they are fast leaving everything |
they own rather than stay. think it
is burning shame that the Union men.
the bone and sinew of that country,
should leave all that they have toiled so
hard for, and the secesb, like exultant
devils as they seem. should flock In and
feast and glut themselves on what was
abandoned by their more noble. but
mora unfortunate neighbors. But
weary your patience, Mr. Harper, and
must close for this time. You who
have always enjoyed the liberty Of free
speech and free action when you felt
inclined to murmur at the expense and
weight Of the war. just think what the
loyal men of the South have had and
still have % suffer, and ask yourselves