Murders by the Federate in North Alabama.
--In the Rome Courtier we find the annexed account of outrages lately committed by the Federal in North Alabama:Ben. Harris, of Madison county. Ala., has recently shown the effects of Yankee associations on disposition and morality. He joined the Federal soon after they first came into that section and has recently shown what progress he has made in crime and bloodshed.
We learn the following foots from a gentleman just from Marshall county. On Christmas day Ben. Harris headed a bloody gang of some twenty Yankees belonging to the 4th Ohio cavalry and came down into Madison county where he knew all the people and showed how much like a fiend a traitor may become. Benj. Roden, Porter Roden, also James Roden and his son, Theophilus R. and Wm. Hardcastle, were all on Buck 1st and, five miles above Guntersville, tending to their horses, when Harris and his delectable party came upon them. They were all unarmed and surrendered without resistance. Harris told them they must all die, and if they wished to pray then was their time. Two of the Rodens knelt, when Harris gave the order to his party to fire. The order was promptly obeyed and all except Hardcastle were shot dead, and they supposed he was dead — though he was only shot in the arm.
Next morning, Harris and his party appeared at Paint Rock, twelve miles down the river from Buck Island. Here they took Mat. V. Rich from his horse, carried him to a creek about a mile distant, where they murdered him and threw his body into the creek. On the same day they killed David Lenly, Wm. MeCay and Mr. Hodge, the last named aged about eighty years. This Ben. Harris has made several raids through the section and has now become a terror to the country.
