Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1898-12-14
GEN. STUk.IasTIS FAMOUS
RAIDIN PENNSYLVANIA.
An Old Time Letter From Gal
liant Confederate, Now De-
ceased, to His CersaiR.

i
DEAR ADVERTISER: In looking
over a batch of old letters written
during the war between the States,
I fad one from dear friend, q
good and Christian gentleman,
Geo. M. Grafton, who belonged to
the Edge6eld Hussars. and yhen
that company recognized in May,
1852 it took it's. place as co. I IN
the End S. c. Cavalry. The follow
ing:is q copy of the letter, which l
guess, will interest many of your
readers. j. J. BUNCH. !.
Cxup NEAR MART1NsBURe, Va,
October 18th, 1852.
DEAR CAPTAIN: AS have, not
written to you in long time, nor
have not received. one from you IN
a GOOD while, l have concluded to
write you few lines in this Iar OFT
country, although I expect that 1t
will be a long time before it will
reach you, as we are 30 far from
railroad communication that 1t
will take almost an age for a letter
to reach home, or reach here from
home.
/ have just returned from trip
over, in Pennsylvania and Mary
land around the enemy's lines for
the purpose of. capturing horses:
Gen. Stewart with q detail of It's
men from each regiment in the di-
visionr (e1cept.C .Cobb's Legion and
jeff Davis's Legion) crossed the
river on Friday morning st the
McCoy's ferry, about 10 or Is miles
from Martinsburg after surprising
and capturing some of the enemy's
piokets, killing one Of them. We
kept skirmishers out in front to
prevent being ambushed or being
fred on by bush-whsckers, making
for the Pennsylvania line, when
we commenced pressing in horses,
taking them from every. side, and
from wherever we could find them.
About 8 o'clock We reached Mer-
cersburg, our advance being mile
or 80 ahead, in which place the
citizens were very nearly scared to
daath at our sudden appearance
araong them. We did not remain
here long before We commenced
pressing on further in the direc-
tioa of Cbambersburg, turnpike,
and in crossing through St. Thom-
astown before we reached Cham
bersburg, our advance was fred
into by the Home Guard of the
place from the windows of the
houses, but nobody was hurt.
Pressing on we reached Chambers
burg about 8 o'clock Friday night
when We sent flag Of truce de-
manding a surrender of the town.
After unlimbering piece of artil-
lerry on the place the surrender
Was acceded to by the mayor, and
we stationed a provost guard, wieh
headquarters at the railroad depot
where the public stores were.
There were about 200 r,en under
erms when they surrendered
s.hom we paroled immediately:
Next morning We commenced
plppdering the publico property
{ which were quartermaster's stores,
such as overcoats, hats, boots,
pants, drawers, socks. shirts, ord
nance stores, embracing muskets,
pistols, sabre belts and ammuni-
ton Of every kind, among it lot
captured from Gen. Longstreet by
TIE Yankees over in Maryland,
which we recaptured and burnt. !
being one OF the provost guard got
nearly everything I wished-fve
pistols, two overcoats, two pairs
pants, five canteens, pair of boots,
hat, haversack, two blankets
which I divided among those of
our company who were not 30 for
tunste as I was. We then burnt
up all the stores that we could not
scsrry away, s. large lot of leather
ing among it. All, suppose,
about $500,0O0. We could
'snear the bursting of shells and
other ammunition a long time
after We left the city, when We
made for the Maryland line, press
ing in all the horses that We could
get until We got t'into MARYLAND.
We passed through q town in
two miles of the line of Pennsyl-
Yania called Emmettsburg, where
we met with most enthusiastic
reception. The inhabitants being
hot secessionists, giving Us bread,
cake, etc., to eat while passing
through the streets and cheering
us heartily.
We then pressed on riding as
rapidly as possible, changing the
artillery horses every two or three
hours, as ne were in very great
danger, as the Yankees camp was
very close to US. We passed within
two miles of some 1900 infantry
near Woodboro Maryland, and in
eight miles of Frederick City
where there were 10000 in camp.
We reached Hyattstown about 10
o'clock Saturday morning within
two o. shree miles of the river, and
here Gen. Stewart showed his gen.
eralship. The Yankees tried to
get in our rear when we were go
ing down to the river to cross, but