Cadmus Wilcox described some of the Yankee depredations in a letter to his sister, April 21st, 1863.

"They steal, rob, enter houses, take many things they want before the eyes of the master and mistress of the house...Even what they do not want they destroy...actually reducing people to the point of starvation, and then insulting them by telling them that they will sell them what they want if they take the oath of allegiance. I did not know that any people could be so brutal."