The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1864-08-18
BURNING OFCHAmBERsBURG OF
ny an Eye-wl,nss. and sufferer.
Philddelphia, Auq. 9Th.

Oh' " = AhAulu '-OOoL Oh @hO
your request, l write you an unvarn-
ished account Of the Burning Of Cham.
bersburg. 1t is by no means an agree
able task, and nothing bnt my regard
for you personally, induces me to re-
new my grief.
The vividncss of the scenes describ-
cd, and the agitation of mind conse-
quent thereupon, together with the
want of time attendent upon writing
the following hastily in one sitting,
will bO sufficient apology for the dis
connectedness of the article.
Respectfully, J. KS.
About 3 o'clock on Friday afternoon,
July Goth, General Couch informed us
that the enemy were advancing in
force from Mercersburg, that they
could reach Chambersburg in three
hours, and yet they might not come at
all. We were also informed that the
rebels were too strong to be success
fully resisted. Our cavalry force of
twenty-fouf hen disputed. with their
Ave hundred, every inch of the road
from Mercersburg to within mile and
q half of Chambersburg, where they
wero reinforced at three o'clock Satur-
day morning, (3Oth,) by one cannon
and seventy-twO men. Here, on the
brow of high hill the last stand was
made by the handful of brave men,
When the enemy had advanced with
in four hundred yards Of the cannon,
(they being entirely unconscious of
our having one) five shots were fired
in rapid succession, producing marked
effect upon their compact body, after
which they made rapid retreat thro'
the streets of the town, unpursued by
the enemy, who were afraid to enter
till after daylight. In the meantime,
Averills train had been passing thro'
tho town for hours, together with a
large body of farm horses and cattle.
1t was justly thought, by the officers
in command, to be of great importance
that this train should not be captured,
and on this account the last desperate
stand was made outside of tho town.
The train was saved, and Major Me-
necly and Captain Swearingen, of Gen.
Couch's staff, We're among the very
last to leave, Major Schultze having
left but q short time before. Here
permit me to express my personal re-
gard and admiration for Gen. Couch
and his staff, who certainly did all
they could wi th the limited force. at
their command.
About this time heard the singing
of three shells thrown into or over the
town. At daylight the enemy advan-
ced into the town, taking possession.
AS soon as they had had their break
fast, Gen. McCausland demanded $780,
900 in. currency; and was pGremptorily
refused. On the instant the town was
fred in some fifty places, without a
word of warning to any one. The
citizens whom McCausland had arrest
ed, and from whom he had made the
demand, found their houses fired be-
fore they reached their homes.
Pending the negotiation, stores and
dwellings were broken open, tho rob-
bers helping themselves to whatever
pleased their fancy. was in my
house with my wife and two little
children, and also lady whose hus-
band was taken to Richmond last sum-
mer, her little boy and sister. The
earliest warning we received was from
tho sitting smoke that poured through
tho house, and from some one knock
ing at the door and crying; off there
is any one in this house, for Gods
sake leave it, for it is all on fire." |
gathered my family together, and left
with nothing but the clothes upon my
person two of the ladies not having
time even to get their bonncts. Hav-
ing gotten them out of tho house, as
ccnded the stairs to sec if any had
been left behind, in tho haste. After
having examined all the rooms, l met
two of the infuriated wrctches rushing
up the stairs as l hurried down. AT
this time the house was filed with
binding smoke. 1'locked the front
door, hoping that the unwc'come vis-
itors would not be able to find their
way out.
If the skeletons Of the two brutcs
could be found in those ruins, I'd thank
God that the house was burned; and
Id not exchange that old key for a
new house, ,..
Immediately hurried after my
charge, and found them struggling
their way through the streets throng-
cd with homeless women and children,
the pavcments blocked up by the reb.
els, who had ridden their horses in ov.
cry imaginable way to hinder the
course Of the fugitives. The streets
were filled with smoke and flame, and
almost impossible, After we had
reached temporary shelter, my vile
returned to tho scene Of destruction;
as bird to its nest, and on her way
was stopped before burning house in
which a corpse was lying and a little
child at the point of death. The dead
woman was gotten out with difficulty,
and buried in the garden without cof-
fin or shroud, and the child was bare
ly rescued and placed in her arms,
when an officer in front Of the house
called out to his men: "Boys, remem-
ber Hunterr She ran up to him, un-