The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1902-05-14

toward lilIInDtFSDuFS. l teieHldpIl-
I'd to the Union commander at HagerS-
town. not knowing who he was, stat
ing the facts and suggesting as a
matter Of precaution that 4 small
force Of infantry and artillery should
be hurried to the defence of the town.
III charity l will not give the name OF
the Union commander, who answered
that the suggestion OF Confederate
force entering ChambcrSburg was TOO
absurd to be considered. Hall an hour
later the advancing COntcderateS hao
reached ChamhcrSburG turnpike, ana
were moving directly upon us ana only
ten miles distant. | then repeated an
aupeal to the Union commander at
liarerstown, stating the facts and urg-
ing him to send a force to intercept
the enemy. as there was yet ample
time TO do so. but the only reply was
an intimatiOn that military COM
manderS had no time to waste on
lunaticS. Finding it impossible to get
any relief from the Union army, as
l could not hopefully communicate
with any officer beyond Hagerstown,
l went to my office and sat down to
await events and accept the situation
as philosophically as possible.
FIRST MEETING WITH HAMPTON.
Soon after dark several COnfederates
appeared at the western part OF the
town with a white rag tied on stick,
and announced to the first citizens
they met that they bore a flag to truce
from the Confederate army and deSlr-
ed TO be conducted to the Union COM
mander of the town. AS there were
no troops in Chambersburg they we're
so informed, and they asked to be con-
Quoted to some citizens of the town
with whom they could communicate
the wishes of their commander. They
were brought to my office, where they
courteouSly announced that they were
bv orders of their commander to ask
for the surrender Of the city. l told
them that there were no troops to op-
pose them, and that there was nothing
to hinder them from entering Cham
bersburg whenever they chose to DO
So. but as this first invasion of the
enemy naturally produced the Widest
CONSERVATION il the community said
to the bearers Of the truce that l
wished to know what assurance OF
safety could be given to the people. |
asked who their commander was and
was told that his name could not be
given. l then asked where he was
and that information was also refused.
l then inquired whether they could
take me to their commander and as
sure my safe return. They said they
would, and, accompanied by Col.
Thomas B. Kennedy, then prominent
lawyer Of the town and now president
of the Cumberland Valley Railroad,
we mounted horses and rode to the
front. 1t was pitch dark, and when
we had ridden out beyond the suburbs
we were finally halted with the infor
nation that we were now in the pre-
sence of the Confederate commander.
It was only barely possible to see that
a body of men were in front CT US, but
what they looked like We could form
no conception. When we stopped an
officer rode up to US and announced
that he was Gen. Hampton, command
ing part of the Confederate force, and
that he desired to know whether they
could enter ChamberSburg. We asSur-
ed him that there was no force to
oppose him. and that we desired
simply to learn from him what assur-
ance could be given to quiet the peo-
pie of the town when the Confederates
entered. He promptly answered that
they made no war upon private clti-
ZenS and nOn-combatantS; that the
people should be advised to remain in
their homes, as they would not be dis
turbed, and that no property would
be taken from any one except such as
was needed by the army. He then
directed Mr.. Kennedy and myself to
lead his forces into Chambersburg, and
in a very short time the town was
practically filled with them. The peo-
pie were at once assured that they
had nothing to apprehend and there
was no tendency to panic.
PERSONAL INCIDENT.
In crossing the Centre square a
short time after Hampton's force had
entered I was familiarly slapped On
the shoulder, ana, turning around,
recognized Hugh Logan, then a cap
tain in the Confederate army and the
guide of the raid, as he had been born
and grown up on the South Mountain,
in Franklin County, and l had once
successfully defended him when
charged with kidnapping. He was
one Of the rugged mountaineers whose
fidelity is equally rugged, and he in
formed me that I was one Of a num-
Der of citizens of Franklin County
whose names had been selected and
given to Gen. Stuart, who commanded
the raid, to be taken as prisoners to
Richmond to be held as hostages for
Pope's arrest of civilians in Virginia.
l told him that l had met Hampton,
although he did not ask my name,
and had his assurance that officers
would be paroled, and that I was an
army officer. He answered in a char
acteriStic. terSe manner: We'll,
Hamptons gentleman, and if you
are taken and get to him he'll dis
charge you, but Jeb (Stuart wants
YOU damn bad" Seven citizens had
been arrested and were taken to Lib
bv, one of whom died before his re-
lease. Iasked Logan what he thought
it best that l should do, to which he