Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-08-25
AN EXPLANATION BY GENERAL EARLY.
BURNING OF CHAMBERsBURG.

From the NeW York Eusning Post Of Monday. a.
The substance of the following explanatory statement
from the rebel Gen. Early published in the Evening
Post last week We give the statement in full a
bit Of current history 1t appears in the form speech
delivered to the carried off as hostages;
GENTLEMEN: / have had you arrested merely az
hostages the release Of six gentlemen residing
Hedgesvlle in Virginia, who imprisoned by
the Federal Government in consequences OF the burning OF
the house of Mr.. Cookus by Confederste troops. a
Il have examined the facts 10 the case, and am tho.
roughly satisfied that the burning purely accidental
that in burning some railroad property which they had
been ordered to destroy the fire, in spite Of their ef,r
communicated to the house of Mr. C0Okus. not far
distant And yet those six gentlemen Rev Mr.. Tongue,
Methodist preacher in that village who was remarkable
pious, good man. who did not interfere with politics.
and five other gentlemen in the nsghborhood, who
just ignorant Of the approach purpose of the troops
OF you now 10 prison 10 consequence of the
burning Of that house. The families stripped Of all
their personal property and, having convey
the daughter OF the preacher aud the niece of OF Of
the others walked eight miles to headquarters and with
streaming eyes aud sad hearts mpered my aid in some
to afford relief They FIRST wished me to arrest
of their Union negbbors but did not feel pro-
per for the Southern Conederacy realate upon ts own
ctze Those men, however misguided they may be are
still citizens of the State Of Virginia and under the protso-
ton Of her aws and hope and trust they will soon sec
their errors and yield cordial allegiance to her govern
ment But if they should not it must dsvove on the
state Of Virginia to deal with them according to her own
laws difference of political opinion ought not and
must not subject them to military rule. And therefore,
4
ton Of private property the molestaton Of noncomba
tsnt citizens yet always in the power of army to
force tbs other into retaliation,
. To illustrate my own views that subject per.
NIT me to that very recently short distance across
the river approved avery sentence of two years
in the penltentay passed upon soldier for stealing the
horse of VIGOROUSLY decided Union man, will further
remark that this is tie fifth time have been in Maryland
at the head of army yet believe one private house
has been injured nor non-oombatant molested. Ooce
marched almost the banks Of the Susquehana: Al Har
htaviil xxho ~
dera troops to escape pursuit set fire to the bridge
In the middle whence the hames rapidly extended vest
vile in very imminent peril My troops had just heard
OF the burning OF the town Of Daren Georgia. BY the
Federal army large number of my men were from that
region and naturally felt strong impulse 10 retaia
on but at my urgent appeal they all with aacrity
and energy joined in united effort aud actually cxtnaush
cd the flames in time 20 save the town. and were richly
rewarded by the grateful thanks Of it's citizens who aso
bitterly denounced their troops for exposing them TO
such danger Ia York. Pennsylvania, found two l,fee
manufactures engaged in making railroad cars for the Gov
eminent, which Of il my duty to destroy but
slight examoa satisfied me that to burn these woud
seriously endanger large portion Of the town. and hence
l spared them for moderate On my return /
partly retraced advancing track and greatly sur
prred to find te evidence trace of the passage Of
SO large army In fact except horses and forage for
the army, very little DANA had been sustained
Recently, in Maryland, the houss of Gov Bradford
was burned without my orders. But must add that
approved it, and had been present would have ordered
it retaliation for the burning Of the house 0sv Letch-
whom KNOW 10 % very poor whose
" were not allowed five minutes to remove clothing or
other vausbles Afterwards. when n front Of Washing
ton, some OF troops very detsrn d TO destroy
the house OF Mr. Francis p Blair, and bad actually re
moved some OF it's furniture probably surprising it TO be-
lorg to his the member Of the FEEDER Cab net A.
as came up Immediately stopped the proceedings
and compelled the to return every article 80 far a.
knew, aud placed guard to protect it, The house of his
Montgomery Blair member of the Cabinet was sub
jected to q different rule, for obvious reasons D
"Gen Hunter, in his recent raid to Lynchbura caused
he asaeA S,Ilo.
about sixty miles and language would fall to describe
the terrible drsostion which marked his path Dwelling
houses and other buildings almost unye sally burned
fences implements al husbandry and every thing available
for the sustenance OF human e far could do 60
were every where destroyed We found many very many
families OF helpless women and children who ID been md
denly turned of DOORS and houses and contents
condemned to the flames and in cases where they
had rescued some extra clothing the soldiers had torn the
garments into narrow strips and strewn them up0 tho
ground for US to witness when we arrived in pursuit.
Gen Hunter has h-en much censured by the voice of
humanity every where and he richly deserves il all; vet
be has caused scarcely tenth part Of the devastation
which has been committed immediately in sight of the
headquarters OF Gen. Meade and Gen. Grant, IN Eastern
Virginia Far example, in Cupeper county, VIII ,re Gen.
Meade held his headquarters almost every house and
building has been burned very few have escaped the
flames; and utter desoafion every hand Even
small tannery in sight Of Gen. Meade's headquarters
where poor man tanned few hides for the neRhbors
the shares TO furnish shoes for poor women and
children who necessarily left there was burned by
the army, and the hstanned skins drawn from the vsts
ih'o naiio" ssiPs W proNcAt Inc pOsslpnty
their being ussful. &e.tt t- t#s
Gently they have burned the residence of Andrew
Hunter near Chnrlestown with all its contents Requiring
his family 10 stand by aud witness the destruction OF their
home. They did the same with the house OF Edmund j.
Lee near Shepherdsown aud repeated on the buildings
OF Hon. Alexander r. BoteIer. at
Such things, OF oourse, cannot be long endured and
must provoke retaliation whenever it is possible Accord
ingly lately sent Gen McCauslsnd to Pennsylvania
did Iot with to retaiate in Maryland because we all hope
and believe that Maryland will eventually be member Of
the Southern Confederacy therefore him to Penn
syvania with written instructions demand of tho an
thorities OF Cbambersburg which would be sufficient
to indemnify those gentle and also pay some other
their compliance ne instructed to burn the town
which learn done was very reluctant and il was
most disagreeable duty to nnc dsmage upon those
citizens; but deemed it imperative necessity 90 show
the people Of the Federal States that war has two sdes
hope and believe 10 has had, and will have good effect
saw with much pleasure, since them able artlcle in
the National Intelgencer which called upon the North to
consider gravey whether sueb mode Of warfare az they
had inaugurated ia likely to yield commensurata
to its cost
And now, gentlemen, viii repeat my sincere regret
That am obliged TO subject you to this Inconvenience
have no object but to procure the release of those c
zens'of Virginia who wronpfuy imprisoned, and
therefore will make you comfortable possib O. Its
notorious that many of most respectable ci3ens, who
have been imprisoned by your Government for and
ess serious causes have been confined in the
with condemned maefactors. Gentlemen, you have
no fears of such treatment whilst my custody pro-
to retain four of you, and release The fifth his pa
role that he will his utmost eff procure the release
Of those gentlemen Ii he succeeds You will be dis
charged at once but he fail to accomplish this within