The Lancaster Ledger

[For the Ledger.]

Outrage of the War—Retaliation.

Messrs. Editors:—As Sherman's army was passing through South Carolina, in 1865, every means was made use of by our people to save their personal property, especially their work stock, from the hands of the Union soldiers. In one instance, I remember, a worthy citizen of Kershaw county, placed his stock in the hands of a trusty slave to take care of as best he could. The slave succeeded in keeping them hid until most of the army had passed through, but, finally, a lone Federal came on him and made him a prisoner and seized the stock. He started with his booty to where he and his corps were in camp near Young's bridge in Chesterfield county. On the way the captor became sleepy and laying down by the roadside to take a nap, cautioned the darkey to keep guard. No sooner was the soldier asleep than Cuffy, true to his master, gathered a pine knot and dealt him a blow on the head which ended his life then and there. The darkey then mounted a horse and returned to his master's home in safety with his stock. The first soldiers who passed along that road found and buried the body of their dead comrade and reported the fact to headquarters at camp. On their march to Cheraw, on the stage road from Camden to Cheraw, between Black and Thomson's Creeks, that corps captured a squad of Confederates who were returning to their homes from Florence, where they had been guarding prisoners. The Confederates were told of a Union soldier having been brutally murdered and that they intended to avenge his death by putting one of them to death. The Confederates were awe stricken, but they were told to draw lots for one of their number must certainly die. They proceeded to draw lots to see who would be shot and the late James Miller, of Chesterfield, uncle of Maj. B. F. Miller, of your town, was the unfortunate man. He received his fate with remarkable composure. The noble man coolly took a slip of paper from his pocket and wrote thereon, "Mark the perfect man and behold the upright for the end of that man is peace—Psalm 37, verse 37," and handing it to one of his old comrades, in boyhood—and in arms, said, "Give this to Brother Lewis Scarborough and tell him to preach my funeral from this text." He was then shot and his body turned over to his friends, who bore it to his relatives, who were awaiting with joy his return expecting him in life and health. So their house of joy was turned into mourning.

I send you this that it may be kept alive in the memory of our people. It should be recorded in history for it is a most atrocious act of retaliation in a civilized age. I blush that such an act received the sanction of an officer of an army on the American continent, but such is true.

An Old Soldier.