The Sun.
London, England, 1862-10-28 00:00:00

STUART'S RAID INTO PENNSYLVANIA

The raid made by Stuart's Cavalry into Pennsyl-
vania appears to have been effected almost without
molestation. The Philadelphia Inquirer has an
account, from which the subjoined extracts are
taken :

" The cavalry, about 3,000 in number (although
accounts differ as to their strength, some parties
insisting there were not more than 700 of them), and
six pieces of artillery, crossed the Potomac at Han-
cock or Clear Spring on Friday morning, and pro-
ceeded at once to Mercersburg without committing
any depredations, or in the least degree interfering
with the inhabitants along the route, it evidently
being their intention at the outset to spare the per-
sons and property of private citizens, horses ex-
cepted; in fact, this was communicated by some of
them to parties in Chambersburg. They entered
Mercersburg about noon, to the great astonishment
of the citizens, who at first thought it was a body
of Union troops. No damage was done at Mercers-
burg, with the exception of pressing a number of
horses, there being no railroad depot, public work •
shops, or Government stores in the town. They
passed through the town, and took the Pittsburg
pike for Chambersburg, arriving near the town just
before dark. One of their first acts was to plant
three pieces of artillery on a hill at the back of the
town, after which a detachment of 15 men were
sent into the town, bearing a flag of truce and re-
questing to see the chief personages or authorities,
stating that they had an ample farce at hand, and
that the town must be surrendered or shelled, at the
same time stating that guns were in position for that
purpose. Hon. A. K. M'Clure and Provost-Mar-
shal Stimmel then accompanied them to the officer
lin command, and, all resistance being impossible,
the town was surrendered and soon after fully
occupied. Previous to their entrance, however,
a number of the militia of Chambersburg pro-
ceeded to arm themselves and make a show of
resistance, but the project was abandoned as
entirely futile. One of the first acts on entering
was to plant two pieces of artillery in the square
of the town commanding the principal thorough -
fares, and placing guards at different points. The
town was fairly occupied about 7 o'clock in the
evening, Shortly afterwards a large portion of
them made directly for the warehouse and cars, in
which were stored a great quantity of government
goods, consisting principally of uniforms and a
small quantity of boots. Not long afterwards the
whole town was converted into one vast dressing-
room. On every hotel porch, at every corner, on
the greater portion of street doorsteps—in fact all
over the town, might be seen rebel cavalry donning
Yankee uniforms and throwing their own worn-out
and faded garments into the street. In many in-
stances one man would esconce his pedestals into
two or three new new pairs of pants, as many coats,
and with the same number of caps hanging about
him. The streets became full of dirty rebel clothing.
It is a noticeable fact that many of them had on
Union uniforms when they entered the town, and a
number of their horses were marked U. S. During
the night until daybreak a portion of them scoured
the country round in quest of horses, and captured
about 600, ten of which belonged to the Hon. A. K.
M'Clure, and were fine animals. Among the horses
taken was a celebrated black stallion, owned by
some gentleman in Chambersburg, and valued at
1,200 dols. It is a very large and fine animal, and
had quite a reputation in the surrounding country.
The rebels fed their horses at the corn-fields around
Chambersburg. The road for five or six miles to-
wards Harrisburg is strewn with corn-stalks that
were gathered in the fields and brought to the edge
of the road for the horses. The horses of those that
remained in the town were ranged along the streets
facing the sidewalks, and remained there for the
night, the riders lying around in different direc-
tions. It is not known that they made any attempt
to enter a single private house. The taverns were
all visited directly after they arrived, and a consi-
derable quantity of whisky punished, for which
payment was generally proffered in Confederate
scrip. The men were, as a general thing, friendly
and even socially disposed towards the inhabitants,
entering into conversation with the citizens in
the taverns, barber shops, &c. In one instance
one of them entered a tavern in which were several
citizens, and slightly hesitated at the door. Some
one remarked, 'Come in, we won't hurt you,' where-
upon he entered, remarking, ' Well, perhaps not;
but some of you Yankees lie so.' With the excep-
tion of the occurrences above related, the night was
quietly spent. Preparations for leaving the town
were commenced about daylight. Combustibles
were placed in the railroad depot, the warehouse in
which government stores were kept, and the machine
shop, and a train laid to the powder magazine at
the warehouse. The stolen horses were got together,and
a large Government waggon with tour horses
two or three ambulances found in the townwere
each
well filled with military clothing, &en',
piled up
cavalry man had a quantity of clothiing
Ina__ in_
before and behind him, on his fer.se7s ehin.
stances the pile reaching up to
holt' passenger cars
ni)lree
locomotives and the same number of
Railroad ware
belonging to the Cumberland Valley
stated above
then utterly destroyed ; the b
ed • waited long
were fired and totally consumed they
be com-
plete, to see that the i whole
destruction
the morning the
and at 8 o'clock in
man and horse a small-
party left the town,e
establishment. The noise occasioned
sized clothing °
powder magazine was so
by the explosions f
beard at the distance of several
great that it wa
miles down
.t
the valley, and gave rise to a report,
that spread in that direction, that cannonading 'env,
going
at Chambersburg, The walls of the ware'_
house,
on
being very strong, did not fall down
after
explosion, which fortunate circums
the tauce pre.

...4d.
STAMPED

vented much damage to surrounding private pro-
perty. None of the private dwellings were destroyed
by the fire. The buildings were fired about halt-
past seven o'clock. The citizens of the town were
spectatorsgatheredha d
to endure
t eg
o te, t ethri t
scene.
different,eonremortification
topo i
naonien points,
e
and,fewbei of
being
gtrapcgougsulsiiinsvEge course,
soldiers were in the town at the time the rebels
entered, but either remained concealed or made good
their escape towards Haggerstown or Harrisburg.
Ater leaving town the rebels proceeded down the
Baltimore road in the direction of Gettysburg.
sleekestc
a hep`
no`
tsAtuserbe.abodsaukctbtikhny3sedOytwhooewfef r
ehtelrhosseerttscrr
emearsobpaseepsi
evidently
indedageraaentnlhtrdl
leeypot
Potomachto hre stolenet ervdactl
auofvrah4obi
cavalry
vety:seprbet:hngeenin
Vir-
ginia, at Nolan's Ford. The rebels all rode the
Penn-
sylvanian farmers. It is stated that they had in
their possession some 580 captured horses, upon
y
had secured."
A Washington letter in the New York Tribune
says:—

" Expectation still stands on tiptoe in the effort to
see the movement of which General Stuart's ex-
cursion is supposed to have been the prelude. Some
will have it that Lee means to follow the same path
to throw alarge force on the right flank of M'Clellan,
Others favour the supposition that General Sigel
will soon be attacked, but the report growing out of
this hypothesis, to the effect that 10,000 rebels are
at Middlesbnrg, is unfounded ; at least, the
Government has no such news. Others think
the cavalry dash designed to cover a gene-
ral retreat. Generol Stuart did not hurry
to cross the Potomac after he reached it
on his return to Virginia. He stopped a full
hour, according to reports which have been received
here, in sight of the ferry, for the purpose of giving
his horses a last feed of My Maryland's corn.'
Gen. Stoneman's infantry were meantime coming
up from Poolesville, six miles away, and Gen. Plea-
santon, whose 800 cavalry were too much exhausted
to attack, having marched 78 miles in 24 hours
without change of horses, was amusing himself with
artillery practice across the river—two guns against
two rebel guns. Gen. Stuart is reported to have
told people at the ferry that he had fooled the
whole party,' but had not done all he intended—had
not destroyed the Government stores at Frederick,
nor burnt the bridge over the Moaocacy. Before
leaving, Gen. Stuart sent his compliments to Gen.
Seth Williams, M'Clellan's Assistant-Adjutant-
General, and to others of bis old military friends.
None of his men were killed, injured, or captured
by our army, but the Pennsylvania farmers rallied
and took prisoner the advance guard—one man.
The Surgeon-General received a telegram to-day
from the surgeon in charge of the hospital at Cham-
bersburg, to the effect that all the patients were
paroled by Gen. Stuart, but the hospital and stores
were not injured in the least. It is believed in best
informed circles here that Gen. Lee has received
reinforcements to the number of at least 25,000 men
since he crossed the Potomac, perhaps enough to
replace those he lost in Maryland."

LITERA7 U RE.

English Women of Letters. By Julia Kavanagh.

2 Vols. Hurst and Blackett.

All who feel interest in, or curiosity concern-
ing, the rise and progress of English fiction will
welcome with pleasure Miss Kavanagh's compa-
nion work to her " French Women of Letters."
Not only does she give biographies in it of our
principal female novelists, from Aphra Behn to
Lady Morgan, but she describes the plots of their
chief works, and comments on their distinctive fea-
tures with equal clearness and judgment. The
work is thus not merely descriptive, but critical.
The author points out the influence each writer has
exercised on the works of the present day, gives
extracts illustrative of their styles, and thus
affords the general reader a better idea of the in-
fluence exercised in this country by female authors,
than could be obtained by months of reading with
this special object in view. "The French novel,"
she. says, " has always been, and, until the decay of
French literature, it promises to be, the most popu-
lar of any written. It generalises and appeals best
to the feelings and tastes of foreigners. It has
been abused, and often hated, but it has always been
read. Few can resist its attraction, for it has the
art of not wearying. Its rule, however, is subject
to the vicissitudes of great and sudden popularity—
it is brief. French novels die quickly, in France
and out of it. Often, when they survive, they owe
their durability to some extraneous gift—to the fame,
the style, the genius of the writer—rarely to the
pleasure of the reader. In English literature it is
not so ; there the novel that has ceased to please
has ceased to live. English novels have seldom the
sudden and universal success of the French ; but
their power, if less fascinating, is far more durable.
They take their stand on safer and less imaginative
ground. They do not seem written to propagate
certain doctrines, to excite and amuse, but to be
true, and truth has an immortal charm. It is sur-
prising to see how lasting an impression they have
left in all foreign literature. Wherever we turn
we see their trace in form or substance. They
have many deficiencies, some of which are painful ;
they are not as a rule great literary works, models
of thought or style; they do not always possess
the attractions of universal genius or of famous
names, but their power is complete, and from the
days of Aphra Behn to this, a narrow, but stubborn
and prevailing strength has been their lot." Female
influence in the novel now threatens, she thinks, to
become overwhelming. "It has lost its repelling
itsco a
manlinessr se ne s— a isagnredatitgsaitnr—uthbuatreitin per
to be feared thatl
ishl.
E
novel-writing has well-nigh fallen en qw3nou file—
for great pictures of human life cannot be called
plain tale, with its
novels. The mere novel, the
limited characters and incidents, is now rarely
ng
written by men ; their genius takes another bent,
and seeks other paths—and it is this that has gained
ntrb Charlotteute d_
representative
whom the author has selected as
comprising
literary women are ten in number,
of the author of
Aphra Behn, Miss Fielding (sister
and suffered from feminine influence." The novelists
" Tom Jones"), Madame
Inchba ,
ld M.
Smith, Mrs. Radcliffe, Mrs.
all Mrs.
co
Opie, and Lady Morgan.
Edge-
worth, Miss Austen,
Mrs•
re recent of these still I
A few of the works of the massed
be classed as mere literary
survive, the rest must
They were useful, however,
curiosities or lumber.
generation. in their the structure of the modern
something towards
volumes of Miss
and in the clever Kavanagh
novel,
duly allowed.
lain3s are Th De
y' A
have
ab
vl aey,

their

Slaves of the Bing ;
Hurst and or Before and After. By the
of "Grandmother's
mo'ley.,, 3 vols.
Blackett.
we scarcely need say that by
Author
" Slaves of the
Ring" are meant certain unluck
having entered into the y individuals who,
1
marriage state without
due care for the consequences, find the bondage
far from easy, and the burden unpleasantly heavy. It is, in fact, the evil of ill-assorted marriages that
the author has taken for her theme, and she has dis-
played no small amount of skill in its treatment.
The tale is cast in the form of a narrative, the sup-
posed narrator being a young half German, named
Neider, who, coming into possession by the death
of his father of a small Cumberland farm, qualifies
himself for its management by a twelvemonth's
tuition under Farmer Genny, at Welsdon in the
Woods. Arriving somewat late at the village inn,
he meets with a fellow-pupil named Thirsk, and the
twn, though widely different in temperament and
disposition, strike up a Considerable degree of
friendship. Neider is a model of propriety—in
Thirsk the elements of good and evil are strangely
mixed, and produce sad discord; whilst a third pupil,
named Grey, is less strongly defined, and is chiefly
remarkable for his fervent though unhappy attaah-