Butts County GaArchives News.....Soldiers as Outlaws November 18, 1898
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Don Bankston http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00024.html#0005864 November 17, 2006, 11:42 pm

Jackson Argus – Butts County November 18, 1898
Flovilla, Ga.  November 17, 1898

Today when a section of the Second Ohio volunteer infantry were passing en 
route to Macon the merchants of this place were treated most outrageously by 
the soldiers while the engine was taking water at the water tank.

A telegram to the agent here from Stockbridge put our merchants on notice that 
the soldiers were looting the stores along the road.  This information was 
received just as one section rolled up to the depot, and before the stores 
could all be closed great crowds of soldiers rushed in and helped themselves to 
what they could get hold of.  Axes, shoes, apples, undershirts, canned goods, 
and various other articles were carried out indiscriminately. One of the 
headlights was pulled from the dummy engine of the Indian Spring railroad and 
carried off on the train, while others tried to wring the water pipe from the 
tanks of the Southern railway, and still others tried to get the bell off the 
dummy.  Even the coal shovel of the dummy was carried off.

Mr. W. J. Partridge, with a pistol in hand, drove them from his store and made 
some of them drop their booty, while others made off with his goods.

The Flovilla Mercantile Company suffered a loss of $20 or $25 without much 
protest.

Mr. O.D. Smith of Edward & Smith closed his doors and they attempted to force 
an entrance and would not desist until he threw a can of goods through one of 
the large glass windows at the head of one of them.

As an evidence that the officers in charge considered that they were powerless 
to restrain the men some of them stood on the platform of the Pullman car and 
shouted, “Close your doors”.  They will steal everything you have got.

Our citizens are justly indignant and if such a thing is attempted again at any 
time in the near future, bloodshed will surely result.

Jackson Argus – Butts County
Week of November 18, 1898


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