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PoP's<br><b> War Crimes Against Southern Soldiers & Civilians</b>: March 2010

3/18/10

WAR on WOMEN

But they stood their ground!!!
The consecration of the Southern women to the cause for which their husbands, sons, brothers, and sweethearts struggled and suffered, is beyond the power of the pen to describe.

Heroism of the Vicksburg Women.—A correspondent of the New York Times, writing from Grant's camp, states that a Federal captain who was taken prisoner during the siege, and who was kept in Vicksburg several days, reports the scenes of the city as fearful. He says:

"The women and children all remain in town, although ordered at various times to leave. On the day our men left, a morning report showed the sad fact that, up to that time 119 of these unfortunates had been killed by our shells, among whom is the wife of General Pemberton. The women of Vicksburg are either brave beyond ordinary mortals, or desperate in the extreme. Shells search every part of the town, and yet the children play as usual upon the streets, and the women seek no protection, but boldly promenade the public thoroughfares and attend to their household duties without fear. In a house close to the jail our men saw several ladies, who sat in groups on the plaza, moved leisurely about the house, and at times made the air melodious with voice and piano.
AUSTIN STATE GAZETTE, September 1, 1863, p. 2, c. 5

What quality is this shown by these women? Is it heroism, desperation, or what? Death is all about them—it hisses through the air; crashes through their edifices, smites down their innocent children and themselves, and yet they unconcernedly sit, sing, chat and laugh through it all—through a combination of horrors that would almost make a coward of the bravest man that ever drew a sword.
[BELLVILLE] TEXAS COUNTRYMAN, October 23, 1861, p. 2, c. 7

The tools of Lincoln in Ohio are becoming almost as tyrannical toward unprotected females who are compelled to travel through that State, as are his "dodge" police in Baltimore toward little school girls, when they arrest and carry off to the station house, because, forsooth, their stockings or dress "bear the combination of prohibitory colors."
[BELLVILLE] TEXAS COUNTRYMAN, February 22, 1862, p. 1, c. 5

The editor of the Pomeroy Telegraph has received a star taken from the apron of a "Secesh" lady, who had the boldness to cross the Ohio and flaunt it in the face of two or three Buckeye girls. They determined to capture the rebel emblem, and did so, the pretty Secessionist assailing them with stones and hard words during the engagement. No lives were lost.
Cin. Commercial.

So it seems that our girls like the boys, can only be conquered by superior numbers of the enemy.
NEW ORLEANS DAILY PICAYUNE, October 20, 1864, p. 4, c. 1

A Grand Secesh Wedding Ceremony Spoiled.—A day or two ago, a beautiful young lady belonging to a wealthy secesh family of the city, made arrangements for celebrating her nuptials with one of the "chivalry," by a grand display of rebel colors and flags. Seven hundred invitations were sent out, embracing all of the respectable sympathizers of the city, and the union was to be celebrated by a brilliant demonstration against the Union. The military authorities got wind of the affair, and when the wedding night arrived, a force of detectives was stationed near the house, with orders to gobble the young couple, the "preacher man," and all the guests, provided the programme was attempted to be carried out. Each detective was to seize upon a wedding guest, and like the Ancient Mariner, "hold him with his glittering eye" and gleaming revolver. This catastrophe was prevented however. The bride received an intimation of the proposed descent, and instead of having a grand wedding jubilee, the seven hundred guests were notified to stay away, and the ceremony was performed in a private and unostentatious manner, in the presence of only some half dozen quiet spectators. The red, white and red roses, red, white and red wine, red, white and red flags, Confederate cakes and rebel creams, &c., were stowed away in dark closets, and remain unseen and untasted, save by a select and favored few.
CHARLESTON MERCURY, March 20, 1862, 1, c. 3

The ladies of Baltimore,
notwithstanding Lincoln's proclamation, appear daily on the streets, in secession colors, to wit "red, white and red." Bonnets are so constantly trimmed with a red, a white, and again, a red rose, that even the manufacturers have been prohibited from making these rebellious flowers, in order "to support the Government." Yet, the ladies, who are equal to every emergency, were not to be out-done in this matter. The insulting Yankee soldiers, on several occasions, spoke to the traitorous demoiselles, and even went so far as to tear the trimmings from their bonnets.
SAVANNAH [GA] REPUBLICAN, March 22, 1862, p. 1, c. 3

The Sprit of the Ladies of Baltimore.

A Baltimorean, who recently came South, on the Underground Railroad, and in whose statement we have full confidence, sends us the following sketch of an amusing scene which actually took place at Fort McHenry a short time ago:--Charleston Mercury.

The ladies of Baltimore, notwithstanding Lincoln's proclamation, appeared daily in the streets, in secession colors, to wit, "red, white and red." Bonnets are so constantly trimmed with a red, a white, and again, a red rose, that even the manufacturers have been prohibited from making these rebellious flowers, in order "to support the government." Yet, the ladies, who are equal to every emergency, were not to be outdone in this matter. The insulting Yankee soldiers, on several occasions, spoke to the traitorous desmoiselles, and even went so far as to tear the trimming from their bonnets.

One day a party of four ladies, determining to wear the southern colors, arrayed themselves, and drove to Fort McHenry to see General Dix on the subject. Now, it is a fact, that General Dix is really in awe of the Baltimore ladies.—The sight of one at the fort generally brings on a nervous chill, which disables him for several days. Imagine, then, the effect of four, in rebellious array, before him. A clerical gentleman was talking with the General at the time, and the ladies were seated until the colloquy was over. The clergyman was from the South, had been North for his health, and was trying to urge General Dix to let him pass the Federal lines to reach his house.

"Sir," said the general, "I cannot accommodate you. I have not the power to grant passports."
"I have heard of an underground railway," said the clergyman. "Possibly you could give me some knowledge of its operations," etc.
"I, too, have heard of the same, sir," said the commander, "but with all my vigilance and detectives, I have been unable to discover the depot, or the conductor. Apply to any of the rebel ladies of Baltimore, they will send you or your letters; they seem more than equal to the exigencies of the times."

One of the ladies now stepped forward, and asked the clergyman for his name. Finding him a gentleman, and anxious to return home, she said, handing him her card: "Call on me to-morrow, at twelve o'clock. I can send you South. I am recruiting for the Confederate service, and have armed and equipped one hundred and eighty stout men, who will go South in a day or two; they will, no doubt, be glad of your company. I have, also, a daily mail South, so if you wish to send a letter, appraising your friends of your intention of joining them in the Confederacy, I can, as Gen. Dix says, send it for you."

The clergyman, amused at the young lady's independence, took a seat to hear her encounter with Gen. Dix. Turning to him, she said: "We are four rebel ladies of Baltimore, Gen. Dix; we have come to the fort to ask your permission to wear the bonnets we have on. You will see, general, they are very stylish and becoming, especially to the handsome brunettes before you. I am too Celtic for red, but my country's colors at this time enthuse me, so I wear them, although Madame Etoffe, my modiste, tells me my hat is in bad taste. Now, you will allow, general, that I am imbued with the purest patriotism, when I tell you I have sacrificed the becoming for my country."

The General, utterly confounded, made no reply, when the lady continued: "Do not keep us in suspense, Gen. Dix. Let us know your decision at once. You know we cannot trust the miserable poltroons that now infest our beautiful city. I hear, sir, in case Gen. Beauregard attempts to relieve us, you have made arrangements to shell Baltimore. Do you know why this fort was built? For our protection, not destruction. How you have hated us; how jealous the Yankees have always been of us; even the Yankee ladies could never speak of the ladies of this city otherwise than invidiously. You know the Baltimore ladies are noted for a rare refinement and beauty, foreign to the daughters of your soil, hence their envy. You would like to destroy this "new Sodom," and fear is all that prevents you, for you think the Confederates would retaliate upon your "big Babylon," and other cities. If I had my way, I would send every Southerner away, and set fire to the city rather than have it, as it is, under Yankee rule. Since the 19th of April, that memorable day, when your Massachusetts troops were so enthusiastically driven back by our unprepared citizens, the Northern press has styled this city the "headquarters of mobocracy." We like the name; indeed any remembrance of the day that proved to the South we were theirs, though taken by surprise, and without arms, we were ready to shed our blood for their cause. Yes, any allusion to that day fills my heart with generous enthusiasm. Then we were free, now we are but galley slaves of the Abolition Administration. If we, the 'rebel ladies,' as you are pleased to style us, could have been armed, I believe the city at this time would be rid of the hostile troops that now surround it. But I have digressed, General Dix. Why do you not speak to me about the bonnets?" Before the General could answer, two sable maids came forward, one with some samples of red and white ribbon. Her mistress had sent to ask Gen. Dix if her little infant might be dressed with such trimmings; the other came on a similar errand relative to some red and white socks which little master Harry wished to wear. The General, overwhelmed by these weighty matters, sank back in his chair in utter hopelessness. The young lady aroused him by inquiring:

"Do you now feel debased when you reflect upon the miserable cause you have espoused? No wonder you dislike to see ladies here. They are apt to tell you of the shameful character of a government that causes infants to be arrested and taken to that diabolical stand—the office of the Provost Marshal—because they happen to have a red ribbon around their waists?"

The young lady's criminative attack proved too much for the veteran officer. He was carried to his private apartment, put to bed, and kept his room for a fortnight afterwards.

The young lady would now be in custody with Mrs. Greenhow and other lady prisoners, but that her father happens to be an Englishman. Since the Trent affair, the Yankees are very circumspect in their treatment of British subjects.

The clergyman called to see the lady next day at the appointed hour. She actually sent him South with the recruits to which she had referred, and, thanks to her daily mail, the Maryland soldiers constantly hear from their friends.
DALLAS HERALD, July 26, 1862, p. 2, c. 2

Secession Impudence.—A daughter of Capt. Semmes, commander of the famous rebel pirate Sumter, attended a wedding at St. Pauls' church in Newport, Kentucky, night before last, enveloped in a scarf of rich material, bearing the Confederate colors, red and white, arranged in bars or stripes.—Cincinnati Commercial 20.
NATCHEZ DAILY COURIER, August 12, 1862, p. 1, c. 3

One day a party of four ladies, determining to wear the southern colors, arrayed themselves, and drove to Fort McHenry to see General Dix on the subject. Now, it is a fact, that General Dix is really in awe of the Baltimore ladies.—The sight of one at the fort generally brings on a nervous chill, which disables him for several days. Imagine, then, the effect of four, in rebellious array, before him. A clerical gentleman was talking with the General at the time, and the ladies were seated until the colloquy was over. The clergyman was from the South, had been North for his health, and was trying to urge General Dix to let him pass the Federal lines to reach his house.

"Sir," said the general, "I cannot accommodate you. I have not the power to grant passports."

"I have heard of an underground railway," said the clergyman. "Possibly you could give me some knowledge of its operations," etc.

"I, too, have heard of the same, sir," said the commander, "but with all my vigilance and detectives, I have been unable to discover the depot, or the conductor. Apply to any of the rebel ladies of Baltimore, they will send you or your letters; they seem more than equal to the exigencies of the times."

One of the ladies now stepped forward, and asked the clergyman for his name. Finding him a gentleman, and anxious to return home, she said, handing him her card: "Call on me to-morrow, at twelve o'clock. I can send you South. I am recruiting for the Confederate service, and have armed and equipped one hundred and eighty stout men, who will go South in a day or two; they will, no doubt, be glad of your company. I have, also, a daily mail South, so if you wish to send a letter, appraising your friends of your intention of joining them in the Confederacy, I can, as Gen. Dix says, send it for you."

The clergyman, amused at the young lady's independence, took a seat to hear her encounter with Gen. Dix. Turning to him, she said: "We are four rebel ladies of Baltimore, Gen. Dix; we have come to the fort to ask your permission to wear the bonnets we have on. You will see, general, they are very stylish and becoming, especially to the handsome brunettes before you. I am too Celtic for red, but my country's colors at this time enthuse me, so I wear them, although Madame Etoffe, my modiste, tells me my hat is in bad taste. Now, you will allow, general, that I am imbued with the purest patriotism, when I tell you I have sacrificed the becoming for my country."
The General, utterly confounded, made no reply, when the lady continued: "Do not keep us in suspense, Gen. Dix. Let us know your decision at once. You know we cannot trust the miserable poltroons that now infest our beautiful city. I hear, sir, in case Gen. Beauregard attempts to relieve us, you have made arrangements to shell Baltimore. Do you know why this fort was built? For our protection, not destruction. How you have hated us; how jealous the Yankees have always been of us; even the Yankee ladies could never speak of the ladies of this city otherwise than invidiously. You know the Baltimore ladies are noted for a rare refinement and beauty, foreign to the daughters of your soil, hence their envy. You would like to destroy this "new Sodom," and fear is all that prevents you, for you think the Confederates would retaliate upon your "big Babylon," and other cities. If I had my way, I would send every Southerner away, and set fire to the city rather than have it, as it is, under Yankee rule. Since the 19th of April, that memorable day, when your Massachusetts troops were so enthusiastically driven back by our unprepared citizens, the Northern press has styled this city the "headquarters of mobocracy." We like the name; indeed any remembrance of the day that proved to the South we were theirs, though taken by surprise, and without arms, we were ready to shed our blood for their cause. Yes, any allusion to that day fills my heart with generous enthusiasm. Then we were free, now we are but galley slaves of the Abolition Administration. If we, the 'rebel ladies,' as you are pleased to style us, could have been armed, I believe the city at this time would be rid of the hostile troops that now surround it. But I have digressed, General Dix. Why do you not speak to me about the bonnets?" Before the General could answer, two sable maids came forward, one with some samples of red and white ribbon. Her mistress had sent to ask Gen. Dix if her little infant might be dressed with such trimmings; the other came on a similar errand relative to some red and white socks which little master Harry wished to wear. The General, overwhelmed by these weighty matters, sank back in his chair in utter hopelessness. The young lady aroused him by inquiring:

"Do you now feel debased when you reflect upon the miserable cause you have espoused? No wonder you dislike to see ladies here. They are apt to tell you of the shameful character of a government that causes infants to be arrested and taken to that diabolical stand—the office of the Provost Marshal—because they happen to have a red ribbon around their waists?"

The young lady's criminative attack proved too much for the veteran officer. He was carried to his private apartment, put to bed, and kept his room for a fortnight afterwards.

The young lady would now be in custody with Mrs. Greenhow and other lady prisoners, but that her father happens to be an Englishman. Since the Trent affair, the Yankees are very circumspect in their treatment of British subjects.

The clergyman called to see the lady next day at the appointed hour. She actually sent him South with the recruits to which she had referred, and, thanks to her daily mail, the Maryland soldiers constantly hear from their friends.
DALLAS HERALD, July 26, 1862, p. 2, c. 2

Secession Impudence.—A daughter of Capt. Semmes, commander of the famous rebel pirate Sumter, attended a wedding at St. Pauls' church in Newport, Kentucky, night before last, enveloped in a scarf of rich material, bearing the Confederate colors, red and white, arranged in bars or stripes.
NATCHEZ DAILY COURIER, August 12, 1862, p. 1, c. 3

The War on Women.

The Yankee authorities still continue to wage war upon the females, as will be seen by the following from the Baltimore News Sheet of the 18th instant:

Somewhat of an excitement was created yesterday afternoon on Baltimore street n the vicinity of Gay street, by the appearance of two young women on a promenade, both having upon their dresses rosettes of red and white silk, while one of them displayed a Confederate flag nearly a yard in length, waving it as she walked up the street. The police soon accosted them, and informed them that they were under arrest, escorted them to Marshal Van Nostrand's office, followed by a considerable crowd. Being presented to the Marshal they were informed that they had violated the laws, when they both asserted that they had no idea that they were doing anything wrong. It appeared the young women were sisters, daughters of Mr. John Gilpin, of Elkton, Maryland, and had arrived in Baltimore in the afternoon train intending to return by the 5 o'clock cars. They were quite prepossessing in appearance, and attracted much attention while in charge of the officers on the street. After a proper examination of the case, the Marshal decided to release them on security to keep the peace, which was secured. After being discharged, they proceeded, in company with some friends, to the depot, and left for home in the seven o'clock cars.
PEORIA (IL) MORNING MAIL, March 10, 1863, p. 2, c. 2

Beauties of the System.—The beauties of the Provost Marshal system is well illustrated by a circumstance that lately befell a lady, a resident of this city. She has a brother-in-law living in St. Louis, and a short time since paid him a visit. Preparatory to her going there she procured the usual female paraphernalia, among which was a bonnet, beautifully and tastefully trimmed by the delicate and loyal hands of some lady milliner of Peoria. In original and emphatic language, it was a "love of a bonnet," at least so thought the wearer, who, when arrived at St. Louis, may well be pardoned any little vanity she may have felt in wearing "that blessed bonnet," along the aristocratic avenues of that Provost Marshal governed city. She undertook to make a sensation and she did, for she had not proceeded above half a dozen squares before a representative of the Provost Marshal politely invited her to go with him to the office of his sublime principal. Another lady with her, was able to explain what was impossible for our Peoria belle to do, because of her affright. The damning offence against the majesty of the laws of which she had been guilty was found in that "love of a bonnet." The Peoria artiste, not being thoroughly instructed in the laws that govern the matter, had actually put something or other on the bonnet in which the argus-eyed official saw the colors of the secesh Confederacy. The lady, after much explanation was released. Our informant did not learn whether she had to take the oath of allegiance or not.

Petersburger VA.


Our youth Died Defending Petersburg,
while yankee artillery rained down on Southern women children!

The Union’s huge mortar known as the Dictator, as well as numerous other cannon, hurled shells into the city day and night on hungry women and children! October, 1864


BEFORE


AFTER

In July Petersburger Charles Campbell wrote, We have the same hot sun, same drought, same dust, same war circumstances, same shellings to-day as on every day.

To escape the terrifying missiles, some people dug bomb shelters, known as bomb proofs, in their back yards. Others fortified their basements with sandbags and bales of cotton.

Eventually, the shelling became just another hardship the citizens had to endure and try to ignore. The Confederate artillery commander, Brigadier General William Nelson Pendleton, wrote, The people of the place, ladies and all, bear this outrage upon their pleasant homes with great fortitude and dignity. Brown wrote to his wife in September, You have doubtless heard of the severe shelling to which the city has recently been exposed. The severest of all took plase last Sabbath night, lasting just one hour, from half past eleven to half past twelve…. Several [shells] passed over my church and our house and garden…. A shell entered the house of Brother Paul and providentialy exploded in his only unoccupied chamber…. Dr. Clayborn [John Claiborne] came near being killed. He had just gotten up to light a candle when a shell entered his room passing through his [bed] where he had been laying a minute or two before…. The people were all very much excited…. But all of this did not disturb my sweet slumbers....

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SWR's Brock Townsand

Sherman's March Through The South

U.S. General William Tecumseh Sherman's march through the South, notably, through Georgia and South Carolina, may qualify as the most hideous of all military assaults against a civilian population in modern history. The list of recorded accounts of events that Sherman was wholly responsible for would be entirely too long to attempt to cover in this publication. But, several examples from the Official Records of Sherman's actions will surely leave the reader convinced that Sherman detested the Southern people.

Brigadier General Edward M. McCook, First Cavalry Division of Cavalry Corps, at Calhoun, Georgia, on October 30, 1864, reported to Sherman, "My men killed some of those fellows two or three days since, and I had their houses burned....I will carry out your instructions thoroughly and leave the country east of the road uninhabitable."

Sherman, on November 11, 1864, telegraphed Halleck, "Last night we burned all foundries, mills, and shops of every kind in Rome, and tomorrow I leave Kingston with the rear guard for Atlanta, which I propose to dispose of in a similar manner, and to start on the 16th on the projected grand raid.....Tomorrow our wires will be broken, and this is probably my last dispatch."

In Kingston, Georgia, Sherman wrote to U.S. Major General Philip H. Sheridan, "I am satisfied...that the problem of this war consists in the awful fact that the present class of men who rule the South must be killed outright rather than in the conquest of territory, so that hard, bull-dog fighting, and a great deal of it, yet remains to be done....Therefore, I shall expect you on any and all occasions to make bloody results."

Captain Orlando M. Poe, chief engineer, Military Division of the Mississippi, reported: "The court-house in Sandersonville (Georgia), a very substantial brick building, was burned by order of General Sherman, because the enemy had made use of it's portico from which to fire upon our troops."

Sherman, in Milledgeville, Georgia, issued Special Order no. 127, "In case of...destruction (of bridges) by the enemy,...the commanding officer...on the spot will deal harshly with the inhabitants nearby....Should the enemy burn forage and corn on our route, houses, barns, and cotton-gins must also be burned to keep them company."

General Howard reported to Sherman, "We have found the country full of provisions and forage....Quite a number of private dwellings...have been destroyed by fire...; also, many instances of the most inexcusable and wanton acts, such as the breaking open of trunks, taking of silver pate, etc."

Sherman reported to Grant, "The whole United States...would rejoice to have this army turned loose on South Carolina to devastate that State, in the manner we have done in Georgia."

On December 22 in Savannah, Georgia, Sherman advised Grant, "We are in possession of Savannah and all it's forts....I could go on and smash South Carolina all to pieces." On December 24 Sherman wrote Halleck, "The truth is the whole army is burning with an insatiable desire to wreak vengeance upon South Carolina."

When Sherman had reached Savannah he was ordered to board ship and sail to Virginia to join Grant outside Virginia. Sherman rebelled in rage. He pledged, "I'm going to march to Richmond...and when I go through South Carolina it will be one of the most horrible things in the history of the world. The devil himself couldn't restrain my men in that state." General William T. Sherman also issued the following military order at Big Shanty, Georgia (presently Kennesaw) on June 23, 1864: "If torpedoes (mines) are found in the possession of an enemy to our rear, you may cause them to be put on the ground and tested by a wagon load of prisoners, or if need be a citizen implicated in their use. In like manner, if a torpedo is suspected on any part of the road, order the point to be tested by a carload of prisoners, or by citizens implicated, drawn by a long rope."

General Sherman also wrote to U.S. Brig. Gen. John Eugene Smith at Allatoona, Georgia, on July 14, 1864: "If you entertain a bare suspicion against any family, send it to the North. Any loafer or suspicious person seen at any time should be imprisoned and sent off. If guerrillas trouble the road or wires they should be shot without mercy."

General Sherman also wrote to U.S. Brig. Gen. Louis Douglass Watkins at Calhoun, Georgia, on Oct. 29, 1864: "Can you not send over to Fairmount and Adairsville, burn 10 or 12 houses of known secessionists, kill a few at random and let them know it will be repeated every time a train is fired upon from Resaca to Kingston."

And, finally, Gen. Sherman writing to U.S. Maj. George H. Thomas on Nov. 1, 1864: "I propose...to sally forth and make a hole in Georgia that will be hard to mend."

Sherman's march through the South will be remembered by generations still yet to come. Sherman himself estimated that the damage done by his troops in Georgia totaled $100,000,000. His statement on the destruction done to Georgia; "This may seem a hard species of warfare, but it brings the sad realities of war home." The ultimate attempt at total genocide by the U.S. troops under Sherman would have to be the multiple cases of troops sowing salt into the soil of an area in which they were about to leave. Thus, leaving the entire area unfit to grow any crops in the near future.

References: "The South Was Right" by James R. Kennedy and Walter D. Kennedy, Chapter 4. "Truths of History" by Mildred L. Rutherford, Chapter 10. The Lost Cause" by Edward A. Pollard, Chapter 37. "The Story of the Confederate States" by Joseph T. Derry, Part 3, Section 3, Chapter 3 & 4. "The Story of the Confederacy" by Robert S. Henry, Chapter 24, 26, 27. Also 53 pages of documentation (available upon request) found in: O.R.--SERIES I--VOLUME XXXIX/2 [S# 79] UNION CORRESPONDENCE, ORDERS, AND RETURNS RELATING TO OPERATIONS IN KENTUCKY, SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA, TENNESSEE, MISSISSIPPI, ALABAMA, AND NORTH GEORGIA (THE ATLANTA CAMPAIGN EXCEPTED), FROM OCTOBER 1, 1864, TO NOVEMBER 13, 1864.--#21 O.R.--SERIES I--VOLUME XXXIX/2 [S# 79] UNION CORRESPONDENCE, ORDERS, AND RETURNS RELATING TO OPERATIONS IN KENTUCKY, SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA, TENNESSEE, MISSISSIPPI, ALABAMA, AND NORTH GEORGIA (THE ATLANTA CAMPAIGN EXCEPTED), FROM OCTOBER 1, 1864, TO NOVEMBER 13, 1864.--#30 O.R.--SERIES I--VOLUME XLIII/1 [S# 91] UNION CORRESPONDENCE, ORDERS, AND RETURNS RELATING SPECIALLY TO OPERATIONS IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA, WEST VIRGINIA, MARYLAND, AND PENNSYLVANIA, SEPTEMBER 1, 1864, TO DECEMBER 31, 1864.--#23 O.R.--SERIES I--VOLUME XLIV [S# 92] NOVEMBER 15-DECEMBER 21, 1864.--The Savannah (Georgia) Campaign. No. 4.--Reports of Capt. Orlando M. Poe, Corps of Engineers, U. S. Army, Chief Engineer. O.R.--SERIES I--VOLUME XLIV [S# 92]. UNION CORRESPONDENCE, ORDERS, AND RETURNS RELATING TO OPERATIONS IN SOUTH CAROLINA, GEORGIA, AND FLORIDA, FROM NOVEMBER 14 TO DECEMBER 31, 1864.--#4 SPECIAL FIELD ORDERS No. 127. O.R.--SERIES I--VOLUME XLIV [S# 92] NOVEMBER 15-DECEMBER 21, 1864.--The Savannah (Georgia) Campaign. No. 7.--Report of Maj. Gen. Oliver O. Howard, U. S. Army, commanding Army of the Tennessee. O.R.--SERIES I--VOLUME XLIV [S# 92] UNION CORRESPONDENCE, ORDERS, AND RETURNS RELATING TO OPERATIONS IN SOUTH CAROLINA, GEORGIA, AND FLORIDA, FROM NOVEMBER 14 TO DECEMBER 31, 1864.--#12 O.R.--SERIES I--VOLUME XLIV [S# 92] UNION CORRESPONDENCE, ORDERS, AND RETURNS RELATING TO OPERATIONS IN SOUTH CAROLINA, GEORGIA, AND FLORIDA, FROM NOVEMBER 14 TO DECEMBER 31, 1864.--#11 O.R.--SERIES I--VOLUME XLIV [S# 92] NOVEMBER 15-DECEMBER 21, 1864.--The Savannah (Georgia) Campaign. No. 1.--Reports of Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman, U. S. Army, commanding Military Division of the Mississippi. O.R.-- SERIES I--VOLUME XV [S# 21] Union Correspondence, Orders, And Returns Relating To Operations In West Florida, Southern Alabama, Southern Mississippi, And Louisiana From May 12, 1862, To May 14, 1863: And In Texas, New Mexico, And Arizona From September 20, 1862, To May 14, 1863.--#2 O.R.--SERIES I--VOLUME XLIV [S# 92] UNION CORRESPONDENCE, ORDERS, AND RETURNS RELATING TO OPERATIONS IN SOUTH CAROLINA, GEORGIA, AND FLORIDA, FROM NOVEMBER 14 TO DECEMBER 31, 1864.--#14 O.R.-- SERIES I--VOLUME XXXVIII/4 [S# 75] UNION CORRESPONDENCE, ORDERS, AND RETURNS RELATING TO OPERATIONS IN THE ATLANTA CAMPAIGN, FROM MAY 1, 1864, TO JUNE 30, 1864.--#24 O.R.-- SERIES I--VOLUME XXXVIII/5 [S# 76] UNION CORRESPONDENCE, ORDERS, AND RETURNS RELATING TO OPERATIONS IN THE ATLANTA CAMPAIGN, FROM JULY 1, 1864, TO SEPTEMBER 8, 1864.--#6 O.R.--SERIES I--VOLUME XXXIX/2 [S# 79] UNION CORRESPONDENCE, ORDERS, AND RETURNS RELATING TO OPERATIONS IN KENTUCKY, SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA, TENNESSEE, MISSISSIPPI O.R.--SERIES I--VOLUME XXXIX/2 [S# 79] UNION CORRESPONDENCE, ORDERS, AND RETURNS RELATING TO OPERATIONS IN KENTUCKY, SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA, TENNESSEE, MISSISSIPPI, ALABAMA, AND NORTH GEORGIA (THE ATLANTA CAMPAIGN EXCEPTED), FROM OCTOBER 1, 1864, TO NOVEMBER 13, 1864.--#20 O.R.--SERIES I--VOLUME XXXIX/2 [S# 79] UNION CORRESPONDENCE, ORDERS, AND RETURNS RELATING TO OPERATIONS IN KENTUCKY, SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA, TENNESSEE, MISSISSIPPI, ALABAMA, AND NORTH GEORGIA (THE ATLANTA CAMPAIGN EXCEPTED), FROM OCTOBER 1, 1864, TO NOVEMBER 13, 1864.--#15 O.R.--SERIES I--VOLUME XLIV [S# 92] NOVEMBER 15-DECEMBER 21, 1864.--The Savannah (Georgia) Campaign. No. 1.--Reports of Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman, U. S. Army, commanding Military Division of the Mississippi. Confederate Military History, Vol. 5 CHAPTER XXI. Confederate Military History, Vol. 6 CHAPTER XVII. Southern Historical Society Papers Vol. I. Richmond, Virginia, June, 1876. No. 6. History Of The Army Of The Cumberland. Southern Historical Society Papers. Vol. II. Richmond, Virginia, July, 1876. No. 1. Editorial Paragraphs. Southern Historical Society Papers. Vol. III. Richmond, Virginia, February, 1877. No. 2. Diary Of Captain Robert E. Park, Twelfth Alabama Regiment. Southern Historical Society Papers Vol. VIII Richmond, Va., May, 1880. No. 5. The Burning of Columbia, South Carolina -- Report of the Committee of Citizens Appointed to Collect Testimony. By J. P. Carrol, Chairman. Southern Historical Society Papers Vol. X. Richmond, Va., August and Sept'r, 1882. Nos. 8-9. Sherman's March To The Sea, As Seen By A Northern Soldier. Southern Historical Society Papers. Volume XII. July-August-September. Nos. 7, 8, 9. General Sherman's March from Atlanta to the Coast -- Address Before the Survivors' Association of Augusta, Ga., April 20th, 1884. by Colonel C.C. Jones, Jr.

Rape of New Manchester, Georgia



And Deportation of Roswell Mill Women
Most people would not look to the American Civil War " sic" if they are looking for stories of genocide and of the destruction and death of a town. Most people would look to the invading armies of Nazi Germany or the Soviet Union for such accounts. If they would take the time to look beyond the accepted version of the history of the war, they would find many Nazi-like accounts of brutality in the Yankees' actions during the war. Such is the case of the Union invasion of Georgia. Here we find accounts of wholesale genocide and of kidnapping of women and children.

Early in July of 1864, Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman's army was pressing toward Atlanta. Although greatly outnumbered, the Southern army was making the invader pay dearly for his conquest. As usual, when an invader has difficulty with the standing army of the invaded, he will start to attack those whom he knows he can defeat with little trouble. True to form, General Sherman sent his army into the heartland of the South with the orders to "make Georgia howl." The food supply and factories of the South were the object of Sherman's wrath. Sherman declared that there could be no peace in the country until large parts of the Southern population had been exterminated.5 He put his words into action. first, all the food that could be found was taken for the Yankee army. Then all means of food production were either taken or destroyed. Then he turned his attention to the destruction of factories that aided in the Southern war effort.

It may be a little difficult for us to understand today what it means to have all the food in one's home taken away and also have the means to replace the food stolen or destroyed. When they needed food, Southerners one hundred and thirty years ago did not run down to the supermarket or corner convenience store. They grew and preserved their food, or they bought from others who grew their own food. Some food could be bought, but in times of war when invading armies made normal commerce impossible, the family unit had to depend on its own resources. Therefore, by depriving people of the means of food production, the Yankee invader was condemning them to death by starvation.

Who were these people upon whom Sherman had pronounced the death sentence? For the most part they were women, children, old men, and the sick and wounded who were unfit for military service. These innocent and defenseless victims were the ones upon whom the full measure of anger was to be poured. It seems strange that while the Yankees wrapped the cloak of self-righteousness around themselves and proclaimed themselves as the beacon of all that was right and good, they would stoop so low as to starve and destroy defenseless women, children, the sick, wounded, and dying!

After the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain, in which the invader was thoroughly punished for being in the wrong place, Sherman sent elements of his army around Atlanta and into the towns of Marietta, Roswell, and New Manchester. Several factories that were important to the war effort of the Confederacy were located in these towns. When the Southern soldiers were forced to evacuate these areas, the Yankees moved in and began their work. Food and the means of food production were taken away, and homes were pulled down or burned. All personal property that could be consigned to the flames was destroyed. The only items that could be taken by the hapless Southerners were the clothes on their backs. Even jewelry, such as wedding bands, was pulled from ladies' hands by the noble defenders of the Union.6

If the saga of these poor people were to stop here, it would still rate as one of the low points in American history. But for these Southerners, their odyssey of horror had only begun. Sherman then ordered all those who worked in the factories to be gathered up and shipped out of their country.7 The invader evidently feared that by some miracle these people might not die of starvation, and by some enormous stroke of luck might rebuild their factories from the ashes. With little or no concern for homes, women and children were torn from their families and shipped north.
The vast majority of these people were never to see their loved ones again. In all, more than two thousand women, children, and a few old men were collected. Families were divided. Children were separated from their mothers.8 Tearful mothers were forced to watch as children, who had worked in the factories, were dragged away from home-almost none of them would ever be heard from again. With no more remorse than that shown by the Yankee slave trader, the invaders went about their dirty work of kidnapping defenseless women and children. Even after the end of the war, the United States government never made any attempt to reunite these families!

In the town of Roswell, over four hundred young women and children were kept in the open town square for nearly a week. Imagine the suffering of those who were cramped in that hot (remember this was July in Georgia), dirty place. As if that were not bad enough, the whiskey stores found their way into the hands of the guards. From that time on, the young girls of Roswell lived a continual nightmare.9

All the factory workers of New Manchester were taken off in the same manner as the other towns. So complete was the destruction that the town never recovered from the raid and soon passed from existence. New Manchester became a martyr for the cause of Southern independence.

The following comment appeared in a Louisville, Kentucky, newspaper concerning the women and children whom Sherman had shipped north: "The train which arrived from Nashville last evening brought up from the South 249 women and children, who are sent here by orders of General Sherman to be transferred north of the Ohio river.

These people are mostly in a destitute condition, having no means to provide for themselves a support."'10 These people were hired out to perform work at a price that was at no more than a subsistence level, making them virtual white slaves for the Yankees. More than two thousand women and children were sent into the North in this manner. The papers in the area advertised them as if they were any other commodity for sale. And so the Yankees maintained their illicit trade in human flesh even as they were singing glory, glory, hallelujah!

From 'The South Was Right' from the authors, Donald and Ronald Kennedy.

"The Burning of Columbia"


February, 1865

Columbia after Sherman's visit (Photos)
HERE


THE BURNING OF COLUMBIA.
When the news of Sherman's approach reached Columbia, S. C, in February, 1865, the mayor of the city sent the following communication to General Sherman : "MAYOR'S OFFICE, COLUMBIA, S. C, February 17, 1865. "To Major General Sherman: The Confederate forces have evacuated Columbia. I deem it my duty as mayor and representative of the city to ask for its citizens the treatment accorded by the usages of civilized warfare. I therefore respectfully request that you will send a sufficient guard in advance of the army to maintain order in the city and protect the persons and property of the citizens. "Very respectfully your obedient servant, T. J. GOODWYN, Mayor." Colonel Stone, who received the mayor's communication, said he could not answer for General Sherman; but he would assure him that the safety of the citizens and protection of the property could be promised while under his (Stone's) command, and he felt sure that General Sherman would confirm this promise. Subsequently General Sherman did confirm it and told the mayor that night : "Not a finger's breadth, Mr. Mayor, of your city shall be harmed. You may lie down to sleep, satisfied that your town will be as safe in my hands as if wholly in your own." He added: "It will become my duty to destroy some of the public buildings, but I will reserve this performance to another day. It shall be done tomorrow, provided the day be calm." With this assurance Mayor Goodwyn retired. But scarcely had the troops reached the head of Main Street when the work of pillage began. The soldiers were orderly and under complete control of the officers when they first entered the city, proving that, had the officers so desired, they could have prevented the pillage. General Sherman, at the head of the cavalry, rode through the streets with his officers. They saw the robbery going on at every corner and yet made no effort to prevent it. There is no doubt that the burning of Columbia had been planned before the army left Lexington, S. C. General Kil- patrick, one of Sherman's generals, said in Lexington on February 16: "Sherman will lay it [Columbia] in ashes for them." One of his lieutenants wrote to Mrs. McCord: "My heart bleeds to think of what is threatening. Leave the town ; to go anywhere will be safer than there." The leader of a squad of men said to W. H. Orchard that night: "If you have anything you wish to save, take care of it at once, for before morning this town will be in ashes. You watch, and you will see three rockets go up soon." Within an hour three rockets did go up, and fires broke out at that signal in all parts of the city at the same moment. The soldiers of General Sherman declared that the rockets were the appointed signal of a general conflagration. By five o'clock in the morning of February 18 more than two-thirds of the city had been destroyed. The soldiers pierced the hose with their bayonets to prevent any effort to extinguish the fire. Why did not General Sherman and his officers prevent this if it was not done with their full approval or rather by their direct command? ~ The Confederate Veteran Magazine 1916

Ladies in Irons

RICHMOND [VA] WHIG, January 4, 1864, p. 2, c. 1
Yankee Atrocities—Ladies in Irons.
The Yankees under Gen. Wild made a raid into Camden and Pasquotank counties, North Carolina, with white and negro troops. He caused a Confederate soldier to be hanged near Elizabeth City under the plea that he was a guerilla, notwithstanding the latter are commissioned and recognized by Gov. Vance as a part of the State force of North Carolina. One of his negro soldiers was captured by our men, and he took two ladies, Mrs. Weeks and Mrs. Munden of Elizabeth City, and held them as hostages for the safety of this African.—Capt. Elliott, of the guerillas, was notified by Wild that the ladies would be treated as the negro was treated, even to hanging. They were kept in handcuffs until taken to Norfolk, where they are kept in prison, under a negro guard. We state, on the authority of a member of Congress from North Carolina, that when the ladies were taken to Norfolk, the arms of one of them was bleeding from the tightness of the cords with which they were bound. Is there no means by which the cowardly monster can be captured, and no measure by which the abolition demons may be made to regard the ordinary usages of civilized warfare?
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In 1866, Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton reported that according to the Commisary General of Prisoners,
over 26,000 Confederate POWs died in prisons and hospitals.