Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1877-12-18

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tico, where the ruffian again shot s
Mr.. Creigh, when negro woman, wh
saw it all, ran up with an axe in he
hand and begged her master to use i
He took it from her and dispatched th
robber. After consultation and advic
with friends it was decided to bury tn
body and say nothing about it.
The troops left the neighbOrhood an
did not return till June, 1864. when the
were going through to join Hunter.
negro belonging to neighbor havin
heard OF the matter, went to their cam
and told it. Search was made, the re
mains found, and Mr.. Creigh was arrest
ed. He made candid statement of tn
whole matter, and begged to be permit
ted to introduce witnesses to prove tn,
facts, which was refused, and he wa
marched off with the army, to be turned
over to General Hunter at StauntOn
On the 10th of June Hunter campeG
near Brownsburg, on the farm of Rev
James Morrison. About dark rather
elderly looking man knocked at the
door: announcing hilmsef as the Rev.
Mr.. Osborne, of Uniontown, Penn, a
chaplain in the army. He requested to
see Mr.. Morrison, stating that they had
with the armya citizen of Greenbrier
whose name was Creigh, who was about
to be executed his doom had Just been
announced to him. He stated that Mr..
Creigh claimed to be we'll acquainted
with Mr.. Morrision and asked sn inte-
rest in his prayers, as he was closely
confined in negro cabin and no COM
munication would be permitted with
him. All efforts to visit him that night
were in vain. He was first ordered to
be executed that night, but was indulg-
ed to live i'll mOrning ng that he might writ.
to his family. The next morning, a
little after daylight, he was brought
out, put into wagon and conveyed up
little vale, about a quarter of a mile
north of the house and in full view of it,
and was there hanged and left hanging
till after --the army had departed, when
the wife of the venerable minister-he
being too feeble-with such assistance
as she could get, took down the body,
wrapped it in blanket, and buried it
in grave dug on the spot. Mr.. Creigh
had no trial, no witnesses, no counsel
nor friends present, but was ordered to
be banged like a dog for an act of duty
to his helpless wife and daughters.
From Brownsburg Hunter proceeded
to Lexington, encountering only such
delay as McCausland could effect with
a single brigade of cavalry. At Lexing-
ton he enlarged upon the burning ope-
rations begun at Staunton. On his
way. and in the surrounding country.
he burnt mills, furnaces, storehouses.
granaries, and all farming utensils he
could find, besides great amount of
fencing and a large quantity of grain.
In the town he burnt the Virginia Militia
ry Institute, and all the professors
houses except the superintendep.'s
Gen, Smiths, where he had his head
quarters and found portion of the
family too sick to be removed. He had
the combustih.es collected to burn Wash
ington College, the recipient of the
benefactions Of the Father of his Coun-
try by his will but yielding to the ap-
peals of the trustees and citizens, spared
the building, but destroyed the philoso-
pical aud chemical apparatus, libraries
and furniture He burned the mills
and some private stores in the lower
part OF the town. Capt. Towns, an off,
Ger in Gen. Hunters army, took sup
per with the family of Gov. John Letch-
er. Mrs. Lescher having heard threats
that her house would be burned, spoke
OF it to Capt. Towns, who said it could
not be possible. and remarked that he
would go at once to headquarters and
let her know. He went, returned in a
half hour, and told her that he was di-
rected by Gen. Hunter to assure her
that the house would not be DESTROYED,
and she might, therefore, rest easy.
After this size dismissed her fears, not
believing it possible that a man occupy
ing Hunters position would be guilty
OF wilful and deliberate falsehood to a
lady. 1t, however, turned out other
wise, for the next morning at halt. past
9 o'clock his assistant provost marshal,
accompanied by portion of his guard,
rode up to the door, and Capt. Berry
dismounted, rang the door-bell, called
for Mrs. Letcher, and informed her that
Gen. Hunter had ordered HIM to burn
the house She replied: ''There must
be some mistake" and requested to see
the order. He said it was verbal. She
asked if its execution could not be de-
layed till she could see Hunter? He
replied: "The order is peremptory
and you have five minutes to leave the
house, Mrs. Letcher then asked if
she could be allowed to remove her
mothers, her sisters, her own and hel
children's clothing. This request being
refused, she les! the house. In a very
short time they poured campheas on
the pArlor floor and ignited il with a
match. In the meantime Miss Lizzie
Letcher was trying to- remove some ar.
tieles of clothing fsoflh the other end OF
the house. aud Berry finding these in
her arpas set fire to them. The ward
ro0es and bureaus were then fred and
soon the house was enveloped in flames
Gov. Letcher's mOther, then IS years
old, lived on the adjoining lot. They
fired her stable within forty feet of thu
dwelling, evidently to burn it, too, but
owing to the active exertion of Capt.
Towns, who made his men carry water
the house was saved.
While Hunter vas in Lexington
Capt. M. x. White, residing near the
town, was arrested, taken about two
miles. and, without trial, was shot, OF
the allegation that he was bushwhack
er. During the first year of the war b,
commanded the Rock bridge Cavalry
and was young gentleman of generOs,
impulse and good character.
The total destruction of private pro-
perty in Rockbridge county by Hunte
was estimated and published in the 10
cal papers at the time as over 50, ,OO0, 900
The burning OF the Institute was pub
lie calamity, as it was an eiaucationa
establishment of great value.
/ A REMARKABLE PoND.-The top O
Grand View Mountain, near Middle
bury, Conn.,, has very singular pon(