Union County star and Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1859-1864, 1864-08-05
Chambersburg in Ashes
WANT0N BARBARITY.

For some weeks, both Rebel and Uoion
forces % the Upper Potomac, aided By the
extreme thellosness Of water which lef,
that river foriabie everywhere, have been
playing a deadly thide and sesk' gam.
among the mountain. aud vsllies South
Of Central Peuns, lvani.. The movements
Of the large hostile forces, cbeekered With
success and disaster, have been frequent,
bu, carefully conceals !, and even nov but
little is fully known.
Last Friday, however, Gen. j. Early
escaped through the Union lines on the
Potomac, aud By forced march reached
Cham bersbure, early in the morning of
Saturday, with 8, 900 men, part taking a
position outside Of town, the remainder
rushing iu under notorious Gen. Mean
slsud. This Rebel force 10 the town
numbered five hundred cavalry, with four
pieces of artillery. They demanded sub
siiy of fse hubd,ai ,housand dollars
in Norihern money or hundred thousand
in gold. The B.uk, the Railway and the
merchants had removed their money and
most desirable mercbsndize-so tha. the
people could no. comply with q demand
SO unreasonable. While parIeyiug, the
order vas given By N'Cau>land to FIRE
THE TOWN. There was no military gain
to be realized b. SO revepgeful and cruel
deed. No railway house or nanufae,ory
vas ,ouched-but the torch was applied to
the Cour. House, Town Hall, and Bank
buildings. Soldiers broke open the drug
stores, prepared turpeu,iie balls, aud sen;
them 10 every direction.
a6J Buildings Burned!
The wind rising, the flames spread aud
consumed 265 vaiusble houses public or
private. A writer says:
"Poor bed ridden invaliis begged the
sretcbes to desiss in their work, and spare
their homes, but without avail. To DO
species Of sppeal would they hesrken.
Deaf alike to the en;reaties Of wondering
young children aud weeping women, they
scov!ed at them With iesrs and brutal
insults. Eleven squares 10 the heart ot
the town are in rgins. All the public
buildings, printing and lsE offices are de-
stroyed-also all the principal hotels, aud
the Associate and Bethel church houses.
The German Reformed Messenger, The
Guardian aud We believe a small German
religious psper-'he CddnaLersJurg Repo-
STORY. and The Oil Flag, (Union) and
The EaNcy Spirit, (Democrat,)- ARE the
lights thus exIinguished by barbarians. A
million of dollars will not make good the
losses sustained"
As the flames roared and lesped from
house TO house, the scene vas mos. sppal-
ling. The sged and in6rm plead for
we're sbrieking for their
missing children, and children crying for
their mothers-and above all vas the hiss
and cracking of the fire that licked up the
lifelong earnings of thousands.
Gen. Couch had retired With his small
force and the valuable public and private
property before the Rebel superior force,
N0''hHard. Bu. before noon, the Union
'en' Aver'!l, With = good bu. tired troop,
came 'huudering up from the Southland
the Rebels left the burning town, making
fast time Westward. They passed over
the moun'sip,to NJ M'Connellsburg, pursued
and bsrassed BY Averill-,hen, turning
reached the Potomac, near
Haucock-seIl worn, With little plunder,
reduced iu number, and having earned
aotoriety BY no means ensiable.
Saturday night vas . sad and weary one
70 many . bou.eless family among the
'beds Of Chambersburg. or, unsbslsered,
o the h7ids Ground II, tae eu bsrs Of thei, :,