May 8, 1863, Natchez Daily Courier,
The following very pertinent remarks, from the Little Rock Democrat of a late date, are equally applicable to the doings of “General Starvation” and his piratical invaders further South.
The Starvation Policy.
“It has been known, for weeks, that the Federals in this State, as well as others, were destroying all farming implements, seizing all provisions and preventing the planting of crops, with the avowed determination to starve the people into submission. We supposed it might be possible that this was the vindictive cruelty of some cowardly commander, who vented his spite on women and children. But it is now certain that orders to that effect have issued from Lincoln’s war department. In Phillips, Chicot, and other counties, where the Federals have a foothold they have and are burning all the fences, plows and farming utensils they find. They destroy the property of widows as well as of male citizens. They are sending thousands of women and children within our lines, destroying all the provisions they find, and preventing the people from planting. Out of many cases reported to us, is one of a widowed lady, at whose house a number of officers and men called and demanded their dinners. After having eaten, they told her that they had orders to seize all her provisions, destroy all the farming implements and fences and prevent her from having a crop raised. They left her a week’s supply of provisions only. In Phillips county they killed every milch cow, shot down every hog and cut down fruit trees. In Chicot county, they have made a clean sweep.
“This is not civilized warfare. It is a war upon women and children. It is a wholesale robbery and national murder. Yet so timid has been our policy that we have let these villains navigate our waters, because they protested against the barbarity of firing into boats. We have paroled jayhawkers whose hands and garments were covered with the blood of murdered patriots. We have forborne until forbearance has ceased to be a virtue, until it has ceased to be manly.”