San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-01-14

truly heart -rending; houses had been
burned and helpless women and chill
dren left without shelter. The country
had been stripped of provisions and
many families left without a mOrsel to
eat. Furniture and bedding had been
cut to pieces and old men and women
robbed of their clothing-all except
what they had on their backs."-
Pursuing his plan of retaliation,
Early ordered Bradley L. Johnson and
McCausland up into Pennsylvania to
, Chambersburg. Their forces were sad
ly in need of clothes and provisions, and
Early ordered levy laid upon the
town of 100000 in gold, which is in
accordance with military procedure.
No such opportunity for redemption
was offered by Hunter on his raid. But
the Chambersburg people laughed at
McCausland and refused to pay. So
he burned the town.
That, in short, is the account of the
burning of Chambersburg for which
General MeCausland has been more
maligned and extolled, loathed and laud-
ed, than any other man in either army.
Following the death of Gen. Albert
Gallatin Jenkins at the bloody fight of
Cloyd's farm in "a, McCausland took
command of his brigade and shortly
thereafter performed the feat which
many historians consider his most no.
table achievement After carrying on
a running fight with General Crook all
the way from Covington, Virginia, to
Lynchburg, he saved that city through
a series of brilliant tactics and manouy-
ering which are now a matter of his
tory, and which inspired grateful city
to present him tn. t magnificent sword
referred to above, and a pair of gold
mounted spurs. One of the spurs was
lost in a swamp near Petersburg, but
the other hangs on the wall of. the gen
erals library.
Too Much for Hunter.
Prior to the opening of the battle of
Lynchburg. McCauslard had been oper-
ating against the Union forces in south
west Virginia to such an annoying ex-
tent that Hunter had to be detailed
from Staunton to destroy the little Con-
federate force. But he didn't! A his
torian says:
"No man ever did more for the de-
Tense of besieged city than did Gen.
John McCausland for Lynchburg. and
to him more than any other man was
due the relief that prevented Hunters
occupying the city in June, 1864, and
capturing that great base of southern
supplies, the key TO James River and
the open door to Tennessee and West
ern Virginia"
Concerning tie last stand and surren-
der at Appomatox, General McCausland
said:
my command was by that time
mere skeleton reduced to 200 men. We
were stationed next to Gen. Tom Null
ford on a hill above town, Suddenly
there was n lull in the fighting which
for days had ragged furiously. And then
l noticed our men along the line below
stacking arms. At that moment Fitz-
hugh Lee rode by on his. charger.
Hi, Fitz." / called to him, Whats
going on out there?
"Uncle Bobby has surrendered he
called back. and rode on away. L
turned to Milford, and said:
"Come on, let's get out of here"
"And so we made our way to Lynch
burg and disbanded our forces: and
without getting parole made my way
down New river and back here to my
home"
Becomes a Farmer.
AlcNauSldnu stay III NhhdNhh "to
short, however, for he found much hos
tility among his neighbors, and he
shortly went to Canada. and sailed
from there to Europe, Returning to
Mexico two years later, he resided there
during the Macmillan regime. When
finally he returned to Kanawha he re-
sumed his life as a farmer. How well
he has succeeded may be gathered MS
one makes a trip up the Kanawha val
ley. From sthe mouth of the river to
the old homestead are magnificent
farms which he has developed and Civ
en- his sons, 1900 acres to each. The
homestead and its 1000 acres is to be
the property Of Miss Charlotte: The
whole aggregates more than $500 acres.
In addition he is the holder of valuable
city property in st. Louis and is a
heavy buyer of Government Bonds.
And there he lives on his broad acres,
serene in his declining years, indomit-
able, unsurrendered, surveying from his
retirement and active years Of gallant
life-the last of the great captains of
that devoted army which is now hardly
more than a memory.
-
He Will Know What to Say Next Time.
He-Bat really, dear. 7 can see no diff
ference between this $50 cot and the
shewoh. John, I was afraid you would.
Then I'll take the $500 one.