, 1864-08-04
BURNING GOV, LETCHER'S
HOUSE.
4 Different and Truthful Version,

The CopperhcAd papers Of the North, in
cludiDg the secssh Times, have been all but
bursting win Indignation, for the past few
days, at the vandalism Of Gen. Hunter, in
burning the residence Of Gov. Letcher, at
Lexington, Va. The New York Herald, in
order to vlndicate the truth Of history, has
Investigated the matter, and gives the follow
ing facts:
On Gen. Hunters arrival In Lexington,
there was no more disposition to injure Mr..
SIND houses Of secessionists which had been
quietly passed, and even protected, on the
march mp the Shenandoah Valley. But-and
this is the material point which the Governor
in bis letter omits-two days after the Union
FORCES had arrived in Lexington, proelama-
writing, and dated three days previously,
ca1liog On the Inhabitants to arise en- masse
and "bushWhackn the vandal invaders.
Nov, bushwhacking is practice not recog-
nized by the laws Of var, and bushWhackers
are hung whenever caught within the Qnion
lines. On this point Generals Grant, Rose
crsns, Halleck, Dr, Lieber and all onr other
military authorities are agreed. Governor
LCtcher Immediately after writing his pro-
c1mation absconded, and his house was
1ien ordered to be burned, rs is the uniyer-
sal custom with the houses Of alI hushWhack-
ing aeaassins. This Is stthe whole truth"
about the matter, and is commended to the
Letcher's card. Until the rebels can prove
that the Governor Of Maryland Issued a
similar proclamation, the so.calIed retaliat-
orS" burning Of his house will be properly
amenable to those censures of barbarism so
freely lavished on Gen. Hunters oct.
The fact Is, that but three private houses
"ere destroyed BY Gen. Hunter during his
whole raid, and that hts troops Se8tinguished
many con1agrations raised by. the retreating
enemy. The houses burned were Governor
Letchefs (he having Issued call to organize
bushwhacking), and two houses-one near
Woodstock and one near HarrisoDburg- from
which actual bushwhacking took place, gue-
tiona1 army from the windows. So far Was
Hunters army from infiicttng injury on pri-
rate property, that the inhabitants OF every
town 1t passed through testified that they re-
ceived less injury from the passage of our
troops than from the similar passage Of Their
own. Nothing Was taken by our men except
cattle and TODD for their own support; and
insure the family agninst want until the next
harvest As to the ciamor raised about the
removal Of Washipgton's statue to Western
ViEginia, wiu any of-the obiectors point to
any articles more leeitimate1y regarded az
"trophies," in all ages and 10 all wars, than
pieces ~o1 stRtuary: Besides, there
were, it should not be for
gotten, more than a dozen West Virginia
regiments in Hunters command, and these
were humorously clamorous that "Washing-
ton should not be left behind In snch ever
lasting bad company They thought the
spirit Of the Father Of his Country would be
better pleased to see bis statue surrounded
By the loyal citizens Of West Virginia than
LETT amidst the miscreants who are engaged
in ef.tvro*+$7fr $tya eaufx
MUS, eou1age, and virtue founded It was
to these arguments, pressed by officers and
men Of West Virginia troops-all Of them
Virginians horn-tbat Gen. Hunter acceded
sent back in an empty wagon, to be deposit
ed IN Wheeling until the return Of pe,ce.
These are the facts In regard to I'LL the clam.
or raised against the Lynchburg raiders BY
the rebel ne ewspapezs aud their sympathizing
organs IN this and other cities.
Tue property that Gen Hunter did des{n.1
In tse 6henandoah valley WAS all, via the