A. Babcock and others to Richard Yates

Anna. Union Co. Ill Jan 6. 1863

Hon Richard Yates Governor of Illinois

Springfield Ill

Sir

We find it necessary in consequence of outrages recently committed in this county upon the property of union men to appeal to you for protection.

The hatred and fiendish malice of tories or rebel sympathizers in this vicinity is beginning to show itself in open acts of violence such as poisoning horses destroying orchards of young fruit trees and various other acts of which you are probably already aware.

The destruction of young orchards belonging in every instance to union men seems now to be the most popular mode of punishment.

The outrages are mostly perpetrated by Deserters from the 109th (Nimmo's) Regt Ill Vols: There are some 40 of them in the Eastern part of this county: The property of loyal men is absolutely unsafe while they remain here. What are we to do?

Must we tamely submit to have our orchards or other property the result of years of toil destroyed by these vile miscreants in human form some of them but little above the brutes in intelligence and quite as devoid of moral principle. Or must we protect ourselves by retaliating

and thus bring about such a state of affairs as have been enacted in Missouri.

The following is a statement of some of the outrages which have been committed upon the property of union men and these are recent.

Evans & Bro at Cobden had 1700 fine peach trees destroyed or nearly so about three weeks ago. ---

A. Babcock near Anna 400 very fine apple, peach and pear trees just beginning to bear fruit -- loss heavy -- poor man

G. H. Baker at Cobden several hundred fruit trees destroyed by firing dry grass in orchard loss heavy. ---

Mr. Wisener near Anna two valuable horses poisoned some two weeks since.

Others have been damaged but the above is enough to show that a mania exists for destroying the property of union men. --

Very Respectfully

A. Babcock

E. Babcock

Peter. H. Casper

E. H. Finch

S. P. Short MD

A. Babcock & Others

Anna Union Co

Jan'y. 6th.

The Orchards of Union men in Union Co are destroyed by the secefsionests of the county. Wants to know how they can be protected. A number of deserters (some 40) of Col. Nimmo's Regt are supposed to be the perpetrators of these outrages.

"Rebellion"