The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1864-08-17
TIE DESTRUCTION OF cHAMBERsBURG

gives the following highly colored account
Of the burning of Chambersburg
Gen. McCausland was in command of
tho rebel troops when they burned Cham
bersburg. He is desperate and Ierocious
freebooter, ready at any time to violate
the usages oi honorable warfare, in order
10 crafty his dark and malignant passions.
After he had taken formal. possession Of the
town, he made proclamation demanding
s5Oo.0OO in gold. It..was. Of course. i'm
possible tocomply with such demand, no
doubt made in csnfdent expectation Of its
iailure, and as sure OF its affording pre-
text 10 execute the premedltated plan for
destroying Chambersburg.
The valuable portion oi the merchandise
having been removed. added TO the rage
and disappointment OF the rebels. and
when thus Inspired, the order was issued
10 FIRE the court house, the town hall and
bank buildings. A strong breeze prevail
ing, communicated the flames TO the sur
rounding buildings, and parties Of the sol
diersha,ing sacked several drug aud chemi-
cal stores, had manufactured quantity Of
turpeniine balls. which they ignited and
threw in all directions. thus creating as
many different fires in different locations,
which soon united in one general confa-
grafton
Speedily the scene became heartrending
and most appalling. The cracking and
roaring 1T the flames as they leaped from
house 10 house, the shrieks Of terrified wo-
men and panic stricken and suffering chill
drsu, the pitiful appeals Of the oid and
helpless, were heard above the noise OF the
confasraiion, but all 10 no avail. The
citizens had. without protesting, submitted
70 the plundeEing Of the stores. and only
appealed 70 the mercy Of the Toe, but no
thing could appease the butcher and incen.
diary McCausland.
Two hundred and sixty five Of the most
valuable and prominent public and private
Standings tlse been destroyed. They fir
cd the town. as near a. can now be ascer-
tanned, al III o'clock A. NJ, and remained
juI long enough 70 see the flames spread
and gel proper headway, when the alarm
was given that AyeriIi was approaching ths
town. Instantly every freebooter was in his
saddle, and took the road hurriedly 10 ST
Thomas, with Gen. hserill in pursuit.
The National Intelligenc.r, commenting
upon the destruction Of chambersburg, uses
the following language. Il seems itmake:
vast difference whose OK is gored:
The outburst ot Indignation with which
the burning Of Chambersburg BY General
McCausland has been received in the loya
States, serves 10 show tho appreciation u
which All such acts oi vandalism are justly
held, however reserved may have been il,
expression vixen the outrage was commit
ted by our troops in the South. Nher
Bluflion In South Carolina, and Darien il
Gesrsia, and Alexandria in Louisiana, ant
Washington in North Carolina, were burn
ed by our forces, there were not wanting
those WIN deplored these several acts q
wantonncss or carelessness as unworthy O
honorable warfare; but. partly from th'
remotcnc.s Of the scene of such wrong do
ing, and partly irom languid sense oi IN.
tignatinn in All that concerns the. misinf.
tunes of the cneun, there was no very
vivid or universal feeling OH the subject
And VIC do not doubt that in The Conlede
rate States there will be found muittude,
Who will uuthinkinsly applaud Tie burning
81 Chambcrshurg as an act ot righteous rr
taliatiOn. if not as cOmmendahic III itself
We do not need TO say 10 our readers tia
all such deeds Of barbarism, whether com.
mitted hy one side or the other, fix stig
ma Of disgrace on our national character
and il any have been unable 10 realize th,
atrocity Of these excesscs 50 long as thcI
we're exclusively committed by our troops
u IS 70 be hoped that their native hcinous
ness will be clearly perceived in the llgh
ai the burning homes Of Chamhersburg, ans
that, Tor the credit Of the national name
We shall not be called TO chronicle sucl
horrers IN the future progress Of the war.