The New York herald., 1864-08-21
naming &ham
Tlrom the pltlaCalphIA Are August l0

The Rebel osneraI Eariy's RcasoaI for
Banning ChamSsr rsbarS.
Tirom the pi aGalahIA Age. August IL
A~ there have eeeo co~srsdotsy satoments regard
he su;hnr,tY Nv which fhsr,berssurI burned,
iron reliable correspondent at Nask~rSport, Md,
report OF tbe marks nude IN that Wv BY Genersi
ss ~ on ~ ssa rGs 1s,. .Sa Sa sur ssu
day. Aaeasl 6, SsGeraI fany, beng then at Whisn'a
poet, y wasninason coa,ty. Matvlana, despatched
guard 70 Hagerstown with authority and orderssso
six nasued ciiiz,is 81 uyat rosce. Only five o. ese
prisoners were bro~ght before Tue General seysca'
gentlemen. who x.a rspusca W be Sutiera s?m
pa,ntzcrs promptly teiy.,rea General Rary head
quar- and uve< aud effect tho rvteise
or mo ,r,soners When ,be is,ler were hroogh oeors
Sensr.i harly ,hey we're addressed by aim ~
eaIly, correspondent televes almost u 's0 aa'se
literally ms follows
6EsruKxus-I have mad you arrested meref7 ss "hos-
sares. The Of six gen,ienso residing
near iedsev,e Virginia, who nov imprisoned BY
the house of Nr. rcctns by Confederate troops.
have examined The facts in the case, and am tho
roughly sstishsd that The burning was psrcy sccdspta
that burning railroad property which they had
been ordered TO destroy The he 10 spo OF their eors
vas the house Of Mr. Cookus, not far
distant And yet those six gentlemen, Reverend Mr.
Tongue nethc0sci preacher in the Village who was re
narEabe as q pous, good man who did not interfere
pcics, asd i've other RentlemeO in The nelghbor
hcoc who ,ust innocent and ignorant OF the
proach purpose Of The troops OF you ere nov
in PRISON 10 consequence busing OF that house
TIE iamiice were stripped Of all their personal pro-
perty having means o! ance the daughter
81 the preacbcr and the niece OF QUO OF the Others walked
eight my headquarters, and wh,streamng eyes
and sad hearts mpored my aid in some manner 70 afford
relief They first wished me 10 arrest some Of their
Union neiah0ore; hut did not ee proper for the
Southern con.ederacy retal,ae upon lite citizens.
Theee men, however misguided they may be, are still
OF the state OF Virginia, aud under the protection
Of her laws and hope and trust lhcy will soon SEQ
their errors, and yield cordial allegiance TO her gov
ernmen But they should not II must devolve on the
OF Virginia deal with them according 10 her own
laws difference or political opinion ought not
sna mus. 10. subject Ssm 70 rule ssa Apa %
strucon o private property or the molesatfon OF non
combatant citizens yet u s always in the power OF one
force the into retaliation.
To Illustrate my views that subject permit me
10 say that, very recently, short distance across the
river approved very severe senteDce OF two years IN
pepi,entary passed upon soldier for stealing the
OF a ousy decided Union man. VIII further
remark that this is the ff,h time have been in Mary
land al the Of army yet believe not pri
vate house las been injured one non combatsnt mo-
Tested. once marched almoe, banks OF the Sus.
Quehanna .. Harrisburg and thence down 10 wrghts-
ve when the federal troops 70 escape our pursuit. set
fire TO the bridge in the middle, whence the flames rapid
~ extended westward, and from its proximity placed
the town Of Wrghisviile in very imminent pe.i Ny
troops had just heard Of the burning OF the town OF
Darien in Georgia, by the federal army large number
OF my from that region, and very naturally
clt a strong impulse retaliation; but At my very
gent appeal they all with aIacrity and energy, Joined 10
q united effort and actually extingushed tho flames in
time TO the town. and were richly rewarded BY
the grateful thanks OF its citizeus whu Also bitterly ce
pounced their own troops for exposing them 70 such
danger.
engaged making railroad for the government,
which OF course was my duty to destroy but slight
examination satisfied me thai 70 burn these would sc;
spared them for . moderate ransom On my return,
partly retraced my advancing track, and was greatly
10 find % tc evidence trace Of tho passage
large army In fact except in horses and forage
for the army very little damage had been sustained
was burned without my osders. But must add that
approved it, and had been present. would have ordered
Letcber whom know to be very poor man, and whose
family not allowed ave minutes 10 remove clothing
other valuables Afterwards when in front Of Wash
inCtn m
soy the house OF Mr. Francis p Blair and had actually
removed some Of its furniture probably sapposing II
Az a. came up immediately stopped the proceed
ing compelled the TO return every article far
OF his son. Montgomery Blair member OF the Cabinet,
subjected TO different rule for obvious
wide spread ruin wherever he passed. followed him
about sixty miles and language would fall me 10 describe
houses and other buildings were almost universally burn
ed: fences, indictments OF husbaDdry and everything
s for the o. life 50 r e NJ
many, very many, families Of helpless women and chill
dren who had been suddenly turned out OF doors, and
their houses and contents condemned to the flames and
in cases. where they had rescued extra cloth
ing the soldier. hsd torn the into strips
them upon the ground for TO witness when
General Hunter has been much csnsured by the voice
yet he has caused tenth part Of the
tion which has been committed Immediately in sight OF
the headquarters General Meade in
Eastern Virginia. For example in Cupepper county.
where Meade held his headQuartere almost every
house building has been burned; very few have
escaped the 6ames and desoaton every
baud Even small tanncry in sight OF General Meades
headquarters, where poor tanned few hides for
neghbors suares, furnish shoes poor
and children who necessarily left there
burned by the army and the half tanned skins drawn
IRON the vats and cut into narrow strips prevent the
possibility OF their being useful
Recently they have burned the residence OF Andrew
Hunter Char restown with all its contents requir
ing his family TO stand by and witness the destruction OF
tber home. They did the same with the house OF Ed
mund Lee, shepsrdstown, and repeated the
buildings o. Hon. Alexander IL Boteier.
such things Of course cannot be long endured and
must provoke retaliation whenever IL 10 possible Ac-
cordingy lately General NcCaus!apd 70 Pepnsyva
did not wish to retaate In Maryland. because
all hope ard believe that Maryland will eventually be
member OF the southern confederacy therefore
him Pennsylvania, with~written instructions 70 de-
mapd Of the Authorities OF Chsmbers6urg . which
pay other damages, which specified 10 the
order. and on de.aHa 10 their compliance be in.
gtructcd 10 bnrn the town, which learn done I
very reluctant and II most disagrecabe duty
TO .~ict such damage those cit,zens but deemed
" ar imperative necessity 10 show the people OF
federal states that has sioe hope and believe
II mas had anc will nave rood effect saw, with
much pleasure spce then able article IN the National
inieitgaer, which called won the North 10 consider
gravcy whether such mode OF warfare they had In
Iuguraied Is keyt yield success commemorate 10 Its
| cost.
And now, gentlemen, will repeat my sincere regret
that am obliged to- subject you TO THE venience.
zens Of Virginia who wrongfuliy imprisoned and
therefore VIII make you as comfortable ae possible IL is
shat many ol most respcc,abectizens who
have been imrrsoned by your for smiar