Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-10-16
Particulars of the Rebel Raid.
of fhe PHILADELPHIA Press

was the intention Of Mcclellan to move
with CELEBRITY and vigor upon him at Win
chester, scattering his fragmentary and
disorganized army, or whether the Union
forces were to settle down upon the north
bank of the Potomac for the winter.
If the former were to be the case, Gene
raj Lee and his army must retreat to Cor
donsyille; if the latter, he would remain
enough during the winter in
Nortbern Virginia. So General Fitzhugh |
Lee of tho rebel army, with Ashbys old |
brigade of Stewards Light Division, was |
ordered to patrol the line of the Potomac |
river from a point some miles above Han |
cock, down to the position of McClellans
right wing.
It did not take the crafty rebel leader
long to see that there was distance of
twenty miles Of the north bank of the riv-
er front entirely unguarded; and from
the reports given by his scouts and spies,
he learned that the Pennsylvania militia
had all been withdrawn and sent home,
and that her border towns were all unpro-
tected and at their mercy.
General Lee was heard to say by citi-
zen of Mercersburg that he was really 10th
to believe these reports given by his spies,
and when they came in with clrcumstan-
tial proofs. he was really astonished to
think that any people would allow them
selves TO be gulled" like these citizens
of The old "Keystone Commonwealth
had been BY the Vaccinations OF maleVo-
lent politicians.
With full understanding Of these facts,
Gen. Lee determined to ford the Potomac
and did so at point just above and nearly
onposite the town of Hancock, Md, on the
night of Thursday, the 9th of October. a
brigade of cavalry, composed Of two regl-
~. l.at4as;as Of L e,Ls ~-tiliSTyI ana
a regiment of infantry, crossed over. The
| infantry remained at the fording place
with section of artillery, while the rebel
cavalry, under Lee, advanced toward Han
| cock by the river road, and by mill paths,
until within sight of that place, where
they posted their pickets and bivouacked
for the night.
The little town of Hancock fell an easy
prey to the invader in the morning, and
| the village mothers, sisters and sweet
hearts could only console themselves with
the thought that though their hearths were
desolate, and their womanhood, patriotism
and love outraged, their sons, brothers and
| lovers had all manfully enlisted IN the
Union army, and there was nothing left
by the Government for defense but old
men and shot guns, and no military lead
ers to marshal and encourage them.
But now to fulfill that oft-repeated threat
of Northern invasion, Fitzhugh Lee set
out to do it or die. Galloping over the
border, scarcely stopping for anything,
Lee went with his troopers to Mercersburg,
ononfah which we
pray God may never fall to the lot Of Amer
lean women again. Two hundred OF their
relatives and protectors had been lying ID
! Camp Curtin, without either arms or equip
ments, and now that these women wore oe-
! ing violated at least in principle, II not
sensually, by voluptuous, lustful traitors,
these brave Union soldiers were powerless
to defend in the smallest way their own
homes. The rebels are said to have enter
ed stores and private residences, feeding
and clothing themselves in the presence OF
ladies. throwing off their filthy, lousy gar
ments, and standing in q state of semi
nudity before them while putting better
things on; and finally, TO add insult 10
| injury, offered these women of ours their
greasy, worthless Confederate scrip in pay
ment for what they had taken.
The rebel cavalry, about 1900 strong,
advanced by two routes upon Chambers
burg, fully aware that the whole proceed
ing was a safe one. When within about
four miles of the city, Gen. Lee halted his
forces, drew them up into line of battle,
sent Leuts. Hill and Harrison, of his staff
bearing a flag Of truce, within sight of the
eitv.-Col.- IA K Mcclure and United
States Marshal Stimmel were deputized
by some Of the leading citizens to wait
upon the rebel officers and surrender the
town, provided that the rebels promised to
pay due respect to private property To
this request the rebels acceded without the
least reluctance. Col Mcclure and Mr.
Stimmel returned to the city at once, and
after sending the telegraph operator to a
point near Shippensburg, apprised the
populace of what they had done. Not
withstanding the good promises made by
the rebel officers, they took ten horses be-
longing to Col Mcclure, without so much
as rendering him "thankee," and Other
well-known citizens of the town and sur
rounding country suffered IN a similar
way.
At Mercersburg, Chambersburg, Han
cock and st. Thomas, the rebels obtained
in various mean ways, and by resorting tC
many mean tricks, about 1900 in specie
and over $4,000 in Government and local
funds. The rebels have secured by this
reconnaissance some seven hundred pretty
good horses, as many fine cattle, large
quantity of grain carted back by seces
sionists of Maryland, and vast amount
of clothing and shoes, of which they are
sadly in need.
At Chambersburg the rebels obtained
rich prize "allin lumpW It was moth
ing less than number Of large boxes con
tanning nearly six thousand suits of uni
forms intended for our troops in that vicin
ity, who when the trouble came had beer
mysteriously ordered oil, and hence Colo
mel Mcclure telegraPhed that nothing coulC
be done but surrender the city. But thu
Joke Of this was that the boxes were hasti
ly opened, and in a short time there stood
over thousand veteran soldiers " all il
blue and new" who but a moment befOrt
presented the appearance of dark earthen
ware models Of humanity.
It must not be supposed that the rebel
entered Pennsylvania as fcint 20 cove
the retreat Of their army in Northern Vir
ginia. Rebel officers were heard " sa,
to one another in Chambersburg yester
day, that the movement was the fOrerun
ner of greater one, and the success o
this would insure the success of the other
The rebels must either fall back upon Cor
louisville in a short time, or enter Pennsyl
vania in force, to invade us or be annihi
lated. 1t is their only hattering hope
/ In their extreme hunger and nakedness
they sigh for the rich harvests just gleane
and garnered in the Blair and Cumberlan
, Valleys, and the well stocked storehouse
Of our Government.
The advance of the rebel cavalry iRt
T Pennsylvania is nothing more than an ex