The Washington herald., 1914-07-31
THE WAR DAY BY DAY
Fifty Years Ago.
July g. s64-e People Of chambersbug Pa the Fruitful Cumberland
Valley Were Gathered About the Smoking Ruins of Homes
Had Been Burned the Day Before by Confederate Cavalry from h.
Column of Gen. Jubal A. Early.

Fifty years ago today the people oi
| Chambersburg. Pa, in the fruitful Cum
berland Valley, were gathered around the
smoking ruins of their homes. which hac
| been burned the day before by Confed
crate cavalry from the column of mixed
troops with which Gen. Jubal A. Early
recently had invaded Maryland.
! Chambersburg was the only Northern
town burned by the enemy in the course
of the war. Its destruction was ordered
by Gem Early. in reprisal for burning.
by Federals in the South. notably in the
Valley OF Virginia. On the cavalry
raiLs growing out Of Grants campaigr
against Lee many houses had been burn
ed. Usually the justification for these
burnings was to be found in the fact
that the owners Of the buildiI.ss' destroy
ed had fired on the Federals, or had
given aid and comfort to guerrillas, or
information to the regular troops Of the
enemy
In the progress up the valley Of the
Federal expeditionary force under Gen.
David Hunter. which had marched
against Lynchburg in June, the buildings
Of the Virginia Military Institute-the
seat Of learning In which Gen. Stonewall
jackson was serving as q profe. or at
the beginning Of the war-were fired by
order Of Gen. Hunter. because shots were
This act had deeply incensed the Con-
federates, and when the column under
Early was sent out by Gen Lee to pur-
sue Hunter. a policy of -reprisal took
shape in Gen. Early's mind. One of its
features was a plan to exact tribute
from communities, threatened with burn
ing, and In the event Of payment Of the
sums demanded, TO spare them. This had
worked well In the case of Hagerstown,
Rnn H..
men. and at Frederick, where the ran
som paid was $4,000. .-.s., ".
Having chased Hunter into the West
Virginia mountains, threatened Washing
ton. and defeated the forces sent in pur-
suit Of him on his falling back into the
valley, Gen. Early, late in July had
once more advanced, as il to threaten
Maryland. .
While his main force Of about s.OoO in
fantry lay near Martinsburg, W. Va, his
cavalry, under Gen. John McCausland,
was sent across the Potomac to collect
sinews Of war or apply the torch. n.
Plan was Gen. EarIy's.
Chambersburg was chosen as the OBJ
jective OF Gen. McCausland's raid be-
Northern town of supposed ability to
pay a handsome ransom. Gen. No
causland was furnished with q procla-
nation to its citizens from Gen. Early,
setting forth that the burning of GER
tain specified buildings in Virginia CALI
ed for reprisal. and demanding 10000 in
gold, or $4,000 in greenbacks, as Cham
bersburg's price of Immunity.
All responsibility for THE undertaking
was assumed by Gen. Early. ST came to
the conclusion" he writes In his me-
moirs, at was time to open the eyes of
the people OF the North to this enormIty
burning by Federais) by an example in
the way Of retaliation" Writing nearly
fifty years afterward OF the burning of
Chambersburg, Gen. Early said: For
this act alone was responsible. 80
Notwithstanding the lapse of time and
the result Of the war. see no reason