Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1861-08-10
FROM FORTRESS MONROE.
Hampton Burnt by the Cenfederates-Ftx,
Hundred Houses Laid In Ashes By a Force
Under the Command of Gen Masrudep


Under the Command Of Gen. Magruder.
FORTRESS MONROE, Aug. S-The town O,
hampton has been destroyed by the Confederstes
Scouts and fugitives brought word yesterday
force from Yorktown.
the rumors Were confirmed at D. m by the
arrival OF an Intelligent deserter from the Seces
sionists named E. A. Mathew, a native Of Maine,
out resident Of Georgia until irpre3set into tn
service, who furnished your corresDondent an
account OF the expedition. Mr.. Mahew has been
stationed at Yorktown since the LIST of June. ON
FRIDAY last General Magruder left Yorktown with
iorce OF seven thousand men, including two
hundred cavalry and eight pieces of artillery.
three ParrOtt guns, four howitzers and one riAed
cannon Part OF these troops were from Williams.
burg.
On Monday night the force encanped ut 6rr,,
Bethel, which had been completely deserted On
TUESDAY night they advanced towards Hampton,
ana at noon yes;erdaytOOk up a position on Bsc X
river, some three MINES from the toy1n wbe,s
hahe~ managed TO escape through a cornfield
swimming couple Of streams and finally reached
the Fortress He says the object of the expedition
was 10 draw out our forces, attack Camp Hamil-
ton or Newport News, If practicable and at leas,
70 destroy Hampton, so as to prevent the Federal
troops using 1t for inter quarters.
zen. Butler repaired at once to this end OF
hampton bridge, where he remained until m
O'Clock. N"''A -
Col. Weber erected barricade near the Hamp.
ton END OF the bridge, and placed a strong guard
at various points this side OF the creek
A few minutes past midnight Gen Mapruder
with about i've hundred Confederates, some OF
them belonging In Hampton, entered the town
ana Immediately fired the buildings with torches
| ihe greater part Of the fve hundred hotse,
being built OF wood and very dry, there having
been no rain lately, were soon in flames and the
strong south wind quickly famed them to ter.
rible conflgratiOn.
| There We're perhaps twenty white people and
double that number Of negroes remaining In tb,
town from inability to move away Some OF III,
houses OF these poor creatures Were fred withou
| waking them.
| The incendiary soldiers gave Carev lone. and
his wife, both Of them aged and inarm, but ffteer
minutes to remove few articles Of their furnt;it,
| TO their garden.
Several Of the whites and also Of the negroes
were hurried away to be pressed into the Con
| VIM. Scofeld, merchant, took refuge in III,
| swamp above the town, and thus escaped Foul
| the creek. =" No'
company Of Rebels attempted to force IN.
passage OF the bridge, but were repulsed with ,
loss OF three killed and six wounded
The tre ragged all mig ht with terrific asoect
| The greater part of the Confederates Withdrew
| towards morning, and at noon to-dav. when
visited tne place, but seven or eight building
| were left standing.
The destruction Of the town was w,nton ,c
OF cruelty to the resident Unionists and moreoye,
entirely useless, as Gen. Butler intends 10 winte,
t ma army n'amy miles beyond Hampton. An at
tempt will be made to fasteh this act of ",
upon the General, but after ten O'Clock on Wed
Hampton. 'oioio' ~
A flag Of truce, just in from Norfolk, with Mis-,
Mayo, niece of Lieutenant General scott on he,
way from Richmond to New York. sta.ea tbs
the Confederates attribute the act to Gen ButIer
General Magruder has encamped near New
t Mstk N Bulge; He will hardly venture to at
MT Mathew says there have been about .oOt
Confederates stationed at Yorktown Some ten
DAYS ago battalion came down to the outskirt,
Oh IN han Pton ana carried away one hundred and
Provisions are abundanta at Yorktown, and mos,
OF the regiments are receiving new Uniforms 10,
the winter campaign.
The Baltimore American has the following fnr.
ther details Of the affair at Hamptoni
The steamer Adelaide, Captain Pearson. reached
her wharf Yesterday about eight O'CLOCK. and
whom were either officers or privates of tbs s,n,v
half dozen, however, were refugees from The
little village of Ham pton which In now I'm min.
having been burned by order Of General Mapruder
we have conversed with the refugees and they
give a most distressing account of affair which
have occurred within the past two weeks At the
commencement Of that time several of the uea Nh
S es. Union men OF the place, anticipating the
destruction OF the town, wisely determined To
leave, and after gathering up their portable ooods
consisting in part Of merchandise and boussbolS
1utnltnre, removed to this city, where nearly all
OF them have relatives friends. There Vet -.
NAMED, however, at leastsix persons "a ,
OF whom were negroes, and the remainder men Of
business, who have been residing at the place 10,
the last ten years or more: The FIRST positive In.
formation which the whites had Of the dest,nc.
ton OF the place was by an advance guard of the
Confederate troops, who after setting Are In a
NUMBER OF houses, proceeded to the occupied
residences and told the families that thew had
liberty to leave the place, providing they wouId
do 90 In quarter Of an hour
Unprotected by the military, and scarcelv
knowing what might be the conseq uences n thew
remained beyond the prescribed time, general
stampede took place, and but fsw minutes Ella nsed
before the entire place was In flames and ont of
at least 400. not more than ten have escaped at
least partial destruction. Among these are about
nIteen public buildings, including three hotels,
hve churches, lecture ball. &c. OF the chnrches
three were Of the Methodist demon. nation ons
being rebuilt, one Baptist, and the other Protes.
one hundred years. ' ~
Concerning the value Of property DESTROYED nv
the IRE IL 10 almost impossible 70 tell, but urely
can scarcely be less than sSee, 600 some Of he