The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1864-08-16

ened and tottering walls being tn,
only vestige left Of the dwellings ant
, places of business.
The town itself like all Pennsylvani.
towns, is principally composed of brick
When we were passing up the stree
the heated walls and the scorching SUI
made it difficult for one to make an,
progress. For distance of some fiv'
blocks past the Diamond" or square
, of the town, you will not find single
edifice standing. The City Hall, th'
hotels and principle stores, in the imme
diate vicinity, are now mass of hiss
ing and smoking bricks; across tht
the town, far at least the same uttel
destruction attests the severity of the
fire and the diabolical skill of the incen
diaries, l54I
THE RUINS
of the buildings fired are absolute; not
a stick, not a plank, not arafter remains
even the window-sills and door,jambs
arenone. The shade trees are withered
the garden ratings have disappeared
and the gardens themselvs are covered
| by the debris of the falling walls and
out-houses. The bricks composing the
sidewalks are blistereed, and the stone
steps to the piazzas are cracked by the
intense heat of the confagration. One
can scarcely imagine the completeness
of the destruction unless actual eyesight
attests the scene.
7 sdl INCIDENTS.
Naturally enough, l have conversed
with several ofthe sufferers. One gen.
tleman, standing before what once was
his dwelling, tried to describe the scene;
but the memory of that trying hour
was too much for him. Another gen.
tleman gave me little sketch of the
scene. He said that seeing a smoke
rising from the direction of the military
warehouses, he started off to see what
was going on, On his way to the
"Diamond'' as they call the public
square, the town bell rung, and he join
ed the anxious throng of citizens who
assembled ut its call. There he heard
the demand Of the rebel General, and
the leading men, after consultation, in
Informed Cen. McCauslad that three
hours were not enough, and that even
if it were the people could not, would
not accede to the demand. My infor-
mant then left, determined to save what
little he could of his household goods.
Happening to have sort of subterran-
can cave, he, with the assistance Of his
wife, dragged all the bedding and other
clothing down stairs and packed it there
for safe keeping. His house was hurnt
and the heat was so intense that his
cave was no protection, and he stood
there before me beggar, nothing but
what his family have upon ther backs
being saved. While Twas talking to
this gentleman a lady passed us with a
chair in her hands, and she told us that
she had just found it in the street and
that it was the only thing she had left.
Another lady told me tsat her mother
lay on her bed suffering from fractur-
ed limb, and that in spite of all her APP
peals for mercy, the unfortunate invalid
had to be carried into the street
while the house was being
set on fire. Many more of these terri
bic incidents were related to me, but /
cannot begin to enumerate them, lest /
should be accused Of oxageratiOn.
THE DEAD REBELS.
killed by the inhabitants during the pro-
gress of the fire were four in number
One, Major, generally supposed to be
Harry Gilmore, but think will event
ually prove to be some other miscreant
is richly deserving death as even Gil :
more. This officer whoever he maybe
was chased by some citizen, whose
name it seems impossible to discover,
and eventually killed, although the sto.
ry of his being trampled to death orig
mated in the fact that after his death
the dead body received some rough
usage. The Adjutant of the party was
killed also while in the act of firing a
house. Both Of these officers are bu-
ried in garden.
Among the tragic events of the day
was the shooting of the two rebels by
DR.. Andrew Miller, while they were in
the act of burning his store and dwell
Ing. had a conversation with the
doctor, and he gave me freely the cir
cumstances of the affair. 1t appears
that after the shop had been set on fire
twice by igniting paper, he succeeded
in extinguishing the flames, when the
wretches re-entered his house, and one
of them struck the doctor on the cheek
with bit of burning pine wood dipped
in turpentine, and he carries the scar
yet. They then caught hold of dem
John of alcohol, breaking which the
the flames instantly enveloped the en-
tire store. AS the ruffians were max
ing the best of thier way out, and, COM
ing toward DR.. Miller, he seized doub-
lie barreled gun, each barrel loaded
with six slugs, and gave them the con-
tents of a barrel each. The first one
was hit in the face, and the other re-
ceived the charge in the breast. Both
fell and the doctor shut the door, and
they were consumed in the funeral pyre
thier own hands hah lighted. Mr..
Miller is man of about As years Of
age.
THE Loss