The Abbeville banner. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, June 16, 1847, Image 2
From the N. O. Delta. June 3, 1847. |
The Poisoning I'nse, in Sliclby County, Texas.
Oi" this case, so fiendish in its conception,
so diabolical in its execution, and so mournfully
fatal in its results, we have the following
further particulars from Mr Stilie, who
was the first to inform the public of the
tragic occurrence, inrougn 1110 jueita. many
at tho time doubted its truth, lor it was
hard to conceive liow any mind could be so
totally depraved, so lost to all the feeling of
nature and humanity, as to perpetrate on
innocent and unsuspecting victims such
wholesale murder. Vet true it is, too true,
bearing about it though it does all the malignant
and frightful features of the lirst account.
Old Wilkinson, it would now seem
from Mr. Stille's letter, is the demon incur- j
11 ate who did the deed?this is circumstan- I
cially evident, from the fact ofhis sending so
goodly a share of the poisoned meats to ,
Snot Sanders, whom he deemed hisenemv, ;
or at least, whose enemy he was. Bill they
are now in hot pursuit of him, and should
they come up with him, they will wish that
" tin* slave iia?l forty thousand lives!
Olio is too poor, too week for tla-ir revenge!"
Hut wo will not detain the reader from
Mr. Stille's letter.
BAYOU SARA, May 23, 1847.
Dear , 1 returned from a flying
vi.sit to Hamilton yesterday, and learned
some more particulars in relation to the
poisoning?fifteen are dead, and some ei<jht
i .. i i : i _ _ 4.
or lun arc expecieu iu oie uanj?sumo yui i
better, but took a relapse and died. The
poison was arsenic. L will relate the cir
cumstance as 1 heard it:?
It .appear that old Wilkinson was a man i
of had character?a notorious hog-thief? ,
and Morris, the groom hud been twice
whipped in Mississippi lor negro stealing. J
Wilkinson was accused of stealing the hogs ,
O i t O
of Spot Sanders, and you will perceive from i
what follows, how he revenged himself. I
Lie sent to the house of Sanders, who lives !
some two or three miles from him, and who !
was not at the time licndly, a half ol a shout, ;
one turkey, three chickens, some chickenpic.
butter, pound-cake, &c., enough to last
the family a week, till poisoned, even to the
butter, which was elegantly moulded.? ;
The family cat of it?Airs. Sanders, three
children, and a negro boy are dead?the
other, and only child left, was dying when 1
was at our friend Ken's. Mr. Sanders and
seven negroes arc yet side?some it is
thought, will die. Poor Mrs. Sanders did
iiui know that her children were dead or dying,
and told her husband to rear them in
the nurture and admonition of the Lord.?
She rnnucsted when dvino-. that her negroes
L j CJ J O
should corne and bid her frcwull?th<?y
could not, all being poisoned. Mr. Sander's
mother an old lady of seventy, was a victim
also. Allen Haley lost a negro man?the
man's wife was one of the servants at the
wedding, and took him a piece of the pound
cake?he eat two mouth's-iull, and not liking
the taste of it, eat no more?yet that
killed him. An old lady by the name of
Edens, made the cakes, and she was poisoned,
together with her son and a negro girl?
the gill is dead, and her son not expected to
rpfni-pi' Tlio liiitti'v that was If.ft at San
dors' was thrown out. and some fowls cat of
it and died in a few minutes. Allen Haley
and his mother were the only persons at
the wedding not poisoned. They came
late, after the guests were served, and eat
with the family, partaking of the same food
they did?even the cake. Old Wilkinson
insisted on cutting a fresh cake for tficm, but
they refused to partake of it, and escaped
death by their refusal. The lady that made
the cakes, Mrs. Eden.s, went on the morning
of the wedding day to look at the cakes,
in the smoke-house, where she had put them,
and found that the covering she had put on
tlinin mil? r/imnml frnrri ill I llir> Hilt
one, that was covered with a custurd pie?
they looked dailc and discolored, and she
toolc some loaf sugar, which she grated and
put over them, thinking it strange that they
were so disarranged. Old Wilkinson and
his wife, and Morris' wife, were arrested and
examined before Squire Sanders, who committed
them to prison. Charles Alexander
bailed the women, and Wilkinson was taken
out by a writ of habeas corpus before the
Probate Judge Lester and set at liberty.?
He was afraid to leave the house during the
uuj'j as wuio |iui nviio uuic;i uiiucu uu
killing him. During the night he escaped
on Morris' horse, which Morris brought to
him. Eight persons are in pursuit of him,
who have sworn to kill him 011 sight.?
Morris is Willi ison's agent?he was ordered
to leave, or he would first be whipped,
and then hung. He refused to go, and we
may therefore expect that he will be made
short work of.
I wrote you in my last that the negroes
were suspected of having been hired to
poison the food. Such is not the case, as
thfi npnrroes were all noisoned thev not be
0 r j
longing to Wilkinson.
At the last accounts the pursuers were but
a few miles behind Wilkinson?headed
by Mr. Castleberry, who was one of the
poisoned, and lost his sister; he swore he
would follow him to the end of the world,
being bent on taking his life. I have seen
some of tho survivors?the are black under
i the eyes, and theii finger-nails and the ends
of their fingers are black?they look like
walking ghost. They all think that health
and str?ng$h ?re gone,being every one unable
to do any laborious work. Poor souls!
' Frnm the. N. O. Piccuuune. 4th insL
fjRter from Vettf Ctnz. .
Thd Steainship Fashion. Captain Ivy
arrived at this port yesterday from Vert
Cruz, having left there on the 30th ult
The Fashion brought a smalt mail t<
Col. Hunt, and it is understood that the
! steamer New Orleans, to sail on the 31st,
would bring the principle mails. She is
looked for every hour.
Verbally we learn the Mexicans were
! busy fortifying the Pass at Rio Frio, between
Puebla and the city of Mexico.
General Scott, with the rear of the army,
! was to have left Jala pa on the 2(Jth ult.,
and would arrive at Puebla on the 4th inst.
ii'lmrn it i nriictiimwl li<? will n Wiilt tin*
arrival of the reinforcements being for1
warded to him, before he advnccs farther.
! w e have heard a rumor that Ilerrera
; has been elected President but cannot trace
, it to a reliable source, and we think the ro'
suit of*tlie election could scarcely be known
at the capital so soon.
From the American Eagle wc learn that
the diligence which left Vera Cruz lor Jalapa
on the 2:2d tilt, without passengers, but
with three trunks filled with very fine dry
roods was stonncd two miles beyond the
National 13ridge and lobbed, and then burnt
and destroyed. The driver and postillion
who accompanied it were released and
made their way to Jaiapa. The diligence
which should have come into Vera Cruz
on the 2'lth ult, only came down to where
the other had been destroyed and at once
returned. This, it is feared, will he an cud
to the use of rfUigencies on the road. The
rohbory was no doubt the work of Mexican
banditti. We now come to a more atrocious
act by tfye same ruffians. Wre copy
the facts from the Eagle of the 29th ult.
I Ion Kin.?It is with pain mingled with
aueaire 101 vuiigu.tucu iiiui u u iiimciiuivi:
to relate another massacre of our countrymen
in the most cruel and hiatal manner.
In our paper of last Saturday, only one
weelc ago, wc announced the fact that Col.
Sowers was in this city as bearer of despaches
to Gen. Scott, and to-day we are
called upon to inform the public of his horrid
death?not with his enemy in front to
oppose him, but cowardly shot by those who
dared not show themselves.
It appears that he left this city on Saturi
i 1 . * r / . 1
(lay last wun an escou 01 live men anu
Lieut. M'DonncIl of Captain Wheat's company,
expecting to find the captain at Santa
Fe. or at most a very short distance the
other side. They arrived at Santa Feand
lodged there during 1 lie night, finding that
; Captain Wheat had left, in the morning,
i anxious to push forward (although it was
ascertained that W. was some thirty miles
ahead) with an addition of two more to the
escort Col. Sowers set out for Jalapa. The
next that we know of this little party is by
! the arrival of one of the men, who returned
and reported its surprise and destruction.
In consequence of the falsity of the great
number ot similar stones, i,ol. W ilson, our
; Governor, had the man arrested as a deser;
tcr. Thus matters stood until yesterday,
; when developerncnts were rn;ide by an ar;
rival from Jalapa?the first that has reached
j us for a week?tending to confirm our
i worst fears.
We conversed yesterday with a gentleman
! who arrived in the morning, and he informs
i
I u.s that at a point about two miles on the
olhcr side of Pucnte National, he saw the
! ruins of the diligence, uderneath which was
i a human body stripped, with the exception
| of a pair of drawers, and mutilated in the
j most beastly manner This is supposed to
i hn thf linilv nfC!ol Snwprs. lMf?ar him Inv
j another perfectly naked and likewise
| dreadfnlly mangled. Onr inS'ormant was
: assured that live other bodies Isty in some
i thick chaparral a short distance from the
road Now the number of killed, with the
| man who escaped, exactly corresponds with
j that of the party which accompanied the unfortunate
Col. Sowers, and leaves no doubt
in our mind of its destruction.
Onr readers will recollect a party cf Mex!
ican robbers recently captured near Vera
i Cruz by a party of amateurs under Colonel
j Banks. Ten of them have been tried for
! robbing, secreting arms and ammunition &c
i w i !... i I n i
rive nave oecn acqmueuanu nveconvicieu.
The latter were sentenced to lour and a hall
months' worlc upon the public streets and
thoroughfares in chains. Two more yet remain
to be tried. We hope this example
may be salutary.
The Eagle informs us that on the 28th
a party of six Mexicans, coming into Vera
Cruz from Santa Fe, were attacked by
some of their own countrymen and robbed
of all they had about them.
The Eagle gives some details of Com,
Perry's expediton to the south, but nothing
particularly new. The Commodore arrived
at Vera Cruz on the 24th u(t.
The Storming of the Ccrro Gordo.
The following extract from the Rahwaj
(N. J.) Register, contains some particulars
of that terrible conflict, by one who was ?
party in it, which will be read with in
terest:
Colonel W. S. Harney, 2d Dragoons, wai
officer in command. As soon as we ha(
taken our places and all lain down, Col
Harney gave his orders thus:?tlAs soon as
you hear the word charge, rush right dovvr
the hill as fast as you can and up the othei
, ?it is rather steep, but that is ail thebette
for us?yell like devils as soon as you read
the ravine, and then up the hill to thei
t breast-works as soon as you can, and fo
cal/o rlnnU Pi i*n unlnoo irnn oVirhrwt o t t
' V-?V/U O QU(\V^ UUII 1> 1JJ.VS Ulll VOO J VU UV
i Mexican I" An orderly jiow came fron
Gen. Twiggs?"The General says if yoi
I don't want him to go crazy, for Heaven':
sake fire l" The guns were soon read;
and our'-side began. They fired for a fev
minutes, when a force was observed cominj
i down the Jalpa road, and the riflemen wer
i ordered to the bow of the mountain to en
gage them.
3 In getting out of the hollow they had t
i pass just in range of the enemy's guns, and
the grape shot took awful efi'ect. Such a
scene may I never witness again, As each
: succcssive shower came, shouts of "Oh
Goil I" and cries of the most painful description
came from their ranks, while the blood
spattered and dust flew in every direction.
Cant. Mason's leg was shot awav but he
took it very coolly, simply looking at it, and
observing, "well, there's my leg gone !" By
, the streuious exertions of their officers the
j ranks were kept closed. ''Keep in the
! ranks men! don't fall out?stand firm!"
t while at every shower death strode among
! them. The word was now "the third for!
ward," and our bugles sou ruled the "charge
! We rose and pitched for the bow of the hill.
I and commenced the almost perpendicular
descent. And now the scene became a
scene indeed, for the whole fire of which
the enemy was capable, was directed against
us. All their infantry were at work,
and the constant roll of musketry, with now
and then the louder and more startling re:
poil of artillery from all the enemy's forts,
j which were cross-lirii}g> u?, was awful.?
: St.II dii-nrmrr vvi> nImMrorl tin
I O) . .
our leader, the intrepid Harney. A great
many were shot, while we could not lire a
I gun ourselves, and even our artillery had
now to be silent as we were in the range ol
it.
We reaeed the bottom of our hill in showers
o( bullets, much exhausted, but again
wo gave three hearty cheers, and common
j ceii to climb the enemy's height and storm
i th ur breastworks and battery. Thousands
' upon thousands of bullets whizzed past out
i ears, now and then laving one of my com|
radrs low. Here I saw many of my brave
comrades fall; men who had, like myself
fought in all the battles in Mexico, and I
i uiougni ior certain mat my nine nau come,
I But no, my dear sister, the recorded pray
j ers of those whom I love best on earth wert
; still around me then as ever, and thethoughu
! lightened my heart as L rushed on. Col
Harney was at the head of us all, cheering
us on, and in a few minutes we gained tin
top and were just outside the breastworks
They fought I'kc devils?better than .Mexicans
have fought before in this war. Col
Harney was almost the first man on theii
I breastworks. Capt. Alexander, in corn,
i maud of our regiment, was the third man
! and he shot three or four before he got in
J and two afterwards with a revolver. Lieut
i Ewell. of the rifles, was the the first oflicei
; on the breastworks, and was cheering will
j his cap off when he received an escopetbal
j tn rough the heart. The 3d infantry was a
j mong the first over, and the enemy com
; menced running, but too late?they wen
shot down in their tracks many of thcin, a;
we turned their own artillery upon them
and the 2d infantry, which had by this time
got round, met them near the loot of tin
mountain.
Our flag was instantly hoisted on thei
fort, and their route was complete: for tIn
enemy seeing that their main dependent
was wrested from them, took the panic, am
abandoned themselves to flight. Some 2 01
3 000 irnt nwnv in snitp. nfthr* efforts of nil
~1 C5 .'J? -1
dragoons, who followed in chase ten miles
killed many on the road, but could not leav<
the road for the bushes. Santa Anne madi
a timely escape; the first man who rod<
from the field was the great Santa Anna
We killed and wounded in this fort over 20(
Mexicans. Gen. Pillow with his commant
got early in the fight on the opposite side o
them, and simultaneously with our charge
blazed away among them, killing crowds
until they hoisted the white flag,and their ar
rny surrendered immediately. We fount
Gen. La Vega here, (ion. Herrera, Ex-Pre
sidiMit, and several others, besides an oh
General whose name I forget, who was nex
in command to Santa Anna. I was presen
at the marching of these troops down tin
road, and surrendering their arms. The;
were mostly young and healthy men, somi
ofthem having their young wives with them
I Gen. Scott was more than pleased with tin
conduct of our troops on this great day ?
The number of dead Mexicans lying abou
was almost without parrallel, mostly sho
in the head, some of their heads shot entire
ly away.
Adios, mi muc.ho amando Ilcrmano !
Your affectionate brother,
THEODORE K. ECKERSON.
I
Santa Anna Stoned at the Capitol.
\ From La Patria, of yesterday, we leaf
: that letters have been received iri this cit
I 1 -l. _ r m c ii J
ny me way 01 i ampico, irom uiu cuy l
Mexico, to the 21st ult., in which it is state
that Santa Anna arrived in the Capitol 01
the 19th May, as was expected : that there
r ception was very different from what he at:
5 ticipated. The populace or rabble, prin
i cipally leperos, assembled to receive thePrt
- sident ad interim, and showered upon hin
curses both loud and deep ; and from word;
5 proceeded as the old nusery story runs, t
1 try what virtue there was in stones. Hi
. Excellancy not being ambitious'to follox
J the example of St. Stephen, escaped wit!
i greatdifficulty, and, protected by hisinenci!
r sought an asylum in the palace. Th
r people, indignant at the frequent defeats o
1 the Mexican armies, and the failure ofSant
r Anna to redeem his numerous promise*
r sought to revenge themselves upon his pei
i son. Had it no been for ?he armed fbrc
i and the police, the unhappy President woul
3 would have been dragged through the steet*
s as was once the fate of that amputated liml
y which has served him so long as a most pi
v tent reminder of courage and gallantr
* which are now sadly in want of> nei
e props.
i- These statements are based upon info
illation, communicated by very reliable pe
o sons, to a commercial house in this cit;
which obtains the lirst and most authentic
news from Mexico.
We (of the Delta) give the stoiy in our
own language, as we learn it from La Palria
and other sources, not vouching for its
truth, but not discrediting it. We think it
improbable that his Excellancy has arrived
at the point in his history, where he must
make one of those rapid descents from great
power to great nothingness, so characteris
j tic of all that rest their hopes upon the fickle
! and treacherous rabble of Mexico?a inb!
ble, whose nature is a strong compound
; of (he worst vices of civilization and barbariamsm.?A'.
O. Delia.
Till] BANNER.
A L*is I^VIL 1,Tj fJ. ii., J.:
[ ; W<!rtn<?sday, .Duiu; 16,
Cotton iViirkct.
Hamburg, June 10,9 to 11 cts.
_ j Charleston, June 12, from 9 to 11 13-8.
1 ! Latest front ITlexivo.
We have still but little news from Mexii
ico to lay before our readers ; communica,
' tion has been so completely cut off, that
, scarcely any thing now reaches us of the
I movements 01 me army, i lie only mtelli'
I gence we have received here lately from
| Gen. Scott, is contained in a letter address5
ed to ]\Ir. John McLaren from his brother,
. who is Surgeon in the army, and has charge
? of the Hospital at Jalapa, dated the 20th
ult. From thi.s, we learn that there was
at that time 900 soldiers sick and wounded
. in the Hospital, and among them 140 of the
f Palmetto Regiment. Two of our Cornpa"
ny had died?Green Harris and Samuel
' Gillespie. The prevailing diseases were
measles and DiarrhuL>a. Gen. Scott had ta
r ken up the lino of inarch lorPuebla.
i
) Overture* of P<;ace.
Nothing lias been hoard as yet of the re
suit of the propositions of peace, submitted
5 to the Mexican Government through Mr.
5 Trist and ( Jen. Scott. And in tact nothing
! ' is known here of the nature of these pro2
; positions. Mr. liuchanan, it is said, has
recently declared that no one out of the se1
' cret diplomatic bureau knows what the
^ instructions given to Mr. Trist and Gen.
1 ; .Scott arc. It is conjectured, however, that
: ! the terms submitted require the cession of
r | California and New Mexico to the United
j States without indemnification for spoliaj
' tion upon our citizens, or for the expenses
~i ; of the war; and provides for the payment
I of a considerable sum to Mexico for the terj
ntory thus ceded.
| Should this be the nature of the overture?)
? ! as reasonable and mild as they appear, we
, have no doubt but they will be reject"
, ed; nor will they listen to any
i proposition. iMich defeat that ihey have
j sustained scem.s to exasperate the nation
t ; more and more, and fix her in the resolu1
; tion to protract the war. Guerilla corps
^ j are organizing in all porls of the country
\ ! to annoy and cut off our troops and supplies,
i. | The question then naturally arises what
3 i policy is to be adopted ? Shall our brave
~ j soldiers be compelled to remain in garrison
fi^r irnavc urocl mn* ntitotr ?? n/l lii/tfnntn tl.n
^ 1VI Jf VUIO) ?TUCUII^ (tivtlj) UIIU lil^l UUOV> lliu
,. debt of ihc Government to an enormous
amount ? or shall the army retire, after they
have driven the enemy from every battle
field in disgrace, and planted the stars and
stripes triumphantly upon the wall of every
American city, and have it at last recorded
u upon the page3 of history that the Mexicans
y were the victors ?
>f ?
U VIUI1V1 Iti 5 va
n By the latest intelligence from General
Taylor, we Jearn that he is still at Monte1
rey unable to move for the want of reinforce..
ments, and with scarcely more troops under
n his command, than will garrison the city.
5> It is shameful that government should mis?
treat and neglect this gallant old soldier,
v whose military talents have shown forth so
i - ..i t? 111^ c.i j- .p
ii conspicuously upon uie uauiu neius o* i,uiu
3, Alto, Resaca de la Palma, Monterey and
? Buena Vista. In fact there seems to be a
^ disposition upon the part of the Administra5
tion to sacrifice General Taylor, since the
r- publication of his letter to General Gaines.
e Why was he superceded in the command oi
^ the army when in every engagement and
in every emergency, Ke proved himself
). equal lo the task of leading his troops on to
y victory? Why has he: been stripped of
K those troops and compelled to drag out An
f inglorious and inactive campaign in the garr.
rison of Monterey? Why .has the War
(r, Department for months_*past* sent him no
<+
*
I despatches or replies to his correspondence,
except a copy of the letter above mentioned
asking if he was the author of it? These
are questions the Administration alone can
answer, and questions, that the people are
beginning to propound throughout the
length and breadth of this lantK
We heartily disapprove of the treatment
General Taylor has received at the hsrnds
of the Administration. It is in vain that he
is shorn of his power and confined to the
I narrow limits of a walled town : his action
__ t upon
the blood stained field of Buena Vista,
has placed his name too high Upon the temple
of Fame, for the puny shafts of malevolence
and envy to reach. The star of Taylor
is in the ascendant, and fast towering to its
zenith. Ilis name in all sections of the
country is spoken of in connection with the
Presidency, and we shall not be surprised if
yetthe almost unanimous voiceof the people,
j call the war worn soldier to lay aside his
! armour and preside over the distinies of the
j c( uutry he has struck so nobly for.
Ainevieau Prisoners in Mexico.
It is a source of regret and of mortificaj
j tion, that any of our gallant soldiers should
| yet be confinctl in the dungeons of Mexico,
i and that too when thousands of the enemy
were captured and an exchange could have
been effected ; yet such is the case. It is
high time government was looking into this
| matter. Whilst La Yeoa and other Mexi*
j can officers are turned loose upon their paj
role, Americans taken prisoners are notal.
; lowed even the liberty of the city. There cer*
j tainly must be a great oversight or neglect
i some where ; at the battles of Cerro Gordo
! ?
and Buena \ ista, an exchange should at
once have been demanded and made, of the
host of prisoners the Americans took upon
j those occasions. The law of retaliation is a
i stern law, but there is no other alternate
j left us, an I in self defence we must give
! measure for measure. If the American
! soldiers are imprisoned, let the Mexican
j prisoners be held too in close custody ; and
! if they are murdered, let the heads of Mexicans
atone for them.
Treasury of History: Daniel Adi:i: 107
Fulton st. N. Y.?Price 25 cts. per No.
! The eleventh number of this publication
has been received. We would recommend
this work to persons wishing a condensed
history of all nations. It is published in
monthly numbers containing about 28 pa*
j gef each, at the low price of25 cts.
(folt till! banner.)
Misccllauy, No. 2.
By your permission, Mr. Editor, we have
concluded to pursue the train of thought
j upon which we touched in your last issue.
Having said something about the "three
learned professions," and having made our
obeisance to the politicians, in the last
week's Baa-ie.r) we were thinking of tho
i propriety of treading on your toes in this
j article, that is if you have no particular objection.
A monitor at our elbow} however,
suggests the propriety of not treading
too hard, as you "may possibly be afflicted
with "corns." Well, what have we to
say about Editors ? What have we to say?
Why much every way. Beyond all question,
they are the strangest animals in the
world. It*they can neither buy, beg, borrow,
nor steal news, it is their bounden duty
to manufacture something of the sort.
In this regard, we have thought that they
partook a good deal of the nature of the
chameleon?only a little more so. Adroit
editors, have the wonderful facility of
changing their color so often, and then it is
said that they are sometimes under the necessity
of living- on air. Tuke your own
case, Mr. Editor, if you please. You have
made a solemn contract with each and eve.
ry one of your subscribers, to supply them
with a sheet of news every week. Now
suppose the mails were to fail, or suppose
Post Masters were to neglect their duty,
aware that these^^3!
the whole rotine of theirs. From
Masters, then, you need not fear any fiaeS^j^g
ure, that is, if they fulfil the obligation thft^.^
have voluntarily taken upon themaelvM
Mail contractors may fail however. HiKpPjjjay
water, broken stages, sick horses* drunl<Sraiffl9&&
drivers, and a hundred other et ceteiflMgrcjSljg
^ may completely knock the mails in hejBdjra^Jggj:
anrl then as to news. " vour o.hWa i'sHKHm
dough." You are under the necessitjABHHHjj
manufacturing news "to
here comes the rub, if you d#nd^#rvjB H
" each of your subscribers his u portion B
due season," ho orders you to ?jatop hi?
per" without paying up, and }**?& IP
chameleon-liko, to live on air.
'1