Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1863-08-22

RETURN or PHILADELPHIA PRISONERS
Lieutenants Joseph T. Lea, of Col. Collis
regiment, and Mcguire, of the 18th Penn
sylvania cavalry, have just returned TO this
city from an imprisonment at hlcEihouu'
Lieut.. Lea was wounded at ChanceliorsVilic
On the 2lst July, while endeayoring to re]oih
his regiment, he war captured near harPc!
Ferry by q scouting party OF the l2th VIZ
pinia cavalry. Lieutenant Mcguire was III
a private house at Winchester, sick with
tynhoid fever at the time of the evacuation
of the town by Gen. Milroy, and was taken
prisoner by a rebel Major, who subsequently
cvinccd his true character by robDhg ttc
invalid of his money-about two huh'uc''
dollars-watch and clothing. Lieut.. Lea
was taken to Winchester, and when EWell 5
corps-the rear guard of Lees drmy-passcd
through the town on their southward march,
the two officers, with fifteen Others, anc
number of privates and negroes, were
escorted TO Staunton. Seven of the officers
were surgeons. They were compelled to
submit to all the hardships and indignltles
suffered by their comrades.
After two days sojourn at Staunton, to
winch place they had walked, the prisoners
were drawn up in line, and the Provost
Marshal demanded, by authority of Adjutant
General Cooper, their private funds. Lieu
tenants Lea and Mcguire, and Major Parnell,
of the 4th New York cavalry, while in line,
tore up their currency, southern shinplastcrs
which they had exchanged for 'grecnbacks,
giving one dollar for five and six, and
handed the officer the fragments. The act
was appreciated. Consignment to cell
twenty feet square, filthy and badly ven.
tilaicd, with forty criminals, handcui.cd
and chained, was its punishment. Ever!
indignity conceivable wws here heaped upon
them, and upon demonstrating, their live,
were threatened. After forty-eight hour,
Of incarceration protest was regarded, and
they were released and sent back to theil
former camp. The same evening the three
with surgeon SChoaes, of the 18th Penn
syvania cavalry, and Assistant Surgeon
Steadman, of the S1th Pennsylvania, eludeC
the guard and started for the mountains
west of Staunton.
For eleven nights the continued to travcrs
the mountain ranges, the intervening day
! being devoted to sleep and rest, and a
length on Wednesday last reached Peters
burg, in Western Virginia, the hcadquarter
of Gen. Avcrill.
During the perlous trip they subsistct
partly on berries. and at one point were fec
and guided by some brave and loyal women
They also passed within few miles Of
ravinc in the Shenandoah mountains. il
which were sccreteG about two thousan,
/ rebel descrters and conscripts, who hat
! been attacked more than once by lmhoden'
cavalry but always repuscd them. Seyera
of Imboden's men had also deserted, an,
two weeks ago no less than three hundred
left his ranks in body.
The escaped prisoners had ample oppoi
tunity to converse with the rebel soldier.
and are impressed with the BELIEF that
becoming generally current, that the Sc
called coniedcracy is on Its last legs. Tn
army has become much dcmoralized sine
the invasion Of loyal soil, and the only draw
back from coming north was the fear tina
they would be impressed into our rcguo
! army.
There were no Notifications at Stauntor
and. with the exception OF a provost guar
of about one hundred boys under cightce
years of age, no military protection to tn
town or the millions OF dollars worth c
stores there deposited.-NorM Amcricaa.