[486] The reason of these being spared was that the rebels had no time to prosecute their hellish work further, being closely pressed by Colonel Weber's men, and the wind blowing southwest swept through the middle of the town, leaving these buildings untouched. Mr. Scofield was endeavoring to save the bed of Mrs. Kenner, the lady with whom he boarded, and had already procured a wheelbarrow for the purpose of carrying it off, when within about three minutes five rifle balls struck within ten feet of him. These missiles came from the Turner regiment of Colonel Weber, firing at the rebels from the opposite side of the creek. Mr. Scofield estimates that there must have been at least five hundred rebel troops in the village, and, from what he can learn, a reserve of upward of five thousand were stationed on what is called the cross-roads, on the outskirts of Hampton. The enemy was well supplied with a quantity of ladders, carried on wagons, which had ropes attached. This would appear as if the rebels intended to get inside of our lines and use the ladders in scaling. However, the rapid and well-directed firing of the Twentieth regiment skirmishers drove them back, and cautioned them that by further advancing they would meet with a well-prepared and resolute check. One resident of Hampton was seen to set fire to his own dwelling, giving as an excuse that Gen. Magruder gave orders to destroy every thing they could not hold. Mr. Scofield very much regretted to leave the place, having buried the wife of his bosom in the churchyard there, having lost every dollar he possessed in the world; and when the old church toppled over on her grave, his feelings may be better imagined than described. Being compelled to fly for his life, he had no opportunity to take any thing with him, and is now thrown on the world penniless, after a weary toil of eighteen years, having two motherless children to support. He estimates his loss at about eight thousand dollars. This morning he returns to Darien, Connecticut, to join his relatives. The general impression was prevalent that the firing of Hampton was done by order of General Butler. Even such an opinion was expressed within our lines. But Mr. Scofield emphatically declares that the rebel General Magruder gave the order to burn and desert the village. The Union troops, when compelled by the necessities of war to burn a place, spare the inhabitants by giving them ample and timely warning, which the enemy in this instance did not do. Without a word of caution and warning, they set fire to the dwellings and stores, and that the entire number were not burned is no fault of theirs, but attributable to our gallant troops who so completely dispersed them. Mr. Scofield, in getting away, fell in with five little children of a poor man, a resident of Hampton, sitting on the river bank, shivering in their night clothes, their mother being with them. She asked him if he had seen any thing of her husband, who had returned for some clothing. It was a pitiful sight to behold. An English captain, arriving from Norfolk under a flag of truce, reports that among the rebels there the story was told that Hampton was fired by the troops of General Butler.--Baltimore American, Aug. 12
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[486] The reason of these being spared was that the rebels had no time to prosecute their hellish work further, being closely pressed by Colonel Weber's men, and the wind blowing southwest swept through the middle of the town, leaving these buildings untouched. Mr. Scofield was endeavoring to save the bed of Mrs. Kenner, the lady with whom he boarded, and had already procured a wheelbarrow for the purpose of carrying it off, when within about three minutes five rifle balls struck within ten feet of him. These missiles came from the Turner regiment of Colonel Weber, firing at the rebels from the opposite side of the creek. Mr. Scofield estimates that there must have been at least five hundred rebel troops in the village, and, from what he can learn, a reserve of upward of five thousand were stationed on what is called the cross-roads, on the outskirts of Hampton. The enemy was well supplied with a quantity of ladders, carried on wagons, which had ropes attached. This would appear as if the rebels intended to get inside of our lines and use the ladders in scaling. However, the rapid and well-directed firing of the Twentieth regiment skirmishers drove them back, and cautioned them that by further advancing they would meet with a well-prepared and resolute check. One resident of Hampton was seen to set fire to his own dwelling, giving as an excuse that Gen. Magruder gave orders to destroy every thing they could not hold. Mr. Scofield very much regretted to leave the place, having buried the wife of his bosom in the churchyard there, having lost every dollar he possessed in the world; and when the old church toppled over on her grave, his feelings may be better imagined than described. Being compelled to fly for his life, he had no opportunity to take any thing with him, and is now thrown on the world penniless, after a weary toil of eighteen years, having two motherless children to support. He estimates his loss at about eight thousand dollars. This morning he returns to Darien, Connecticut, to join his relatives. The general impression was prevalent that the firing of Hampton was done by order of General Butler. Even such an opinion was expressed within our lines. But Mr. Scofield emphatically declares that the rebel General Magruder gave the order to burn and desert the village. The Union troops, when compelled by the necessities of war to burn a place, spare the inhabitants by giving them ample and timely warning, which the enemy in this instance did not do. Without a word of caution and warning, they set fire to the dwellings and stores, and that the entire number were not burned is no fault of theirs, but attributable to our gallant troops who so completely dispersed them. Mr. Scofield, in getting away, fell in with five little children of a poor man, a resident of Hampton, sitting on the river bank, shivering in their night clothes, their mother being with them. She asked him if he had seen any thing of her husband, who had returned for some clothing. It was a pitiful sight to behold. An English captain, arriving from Norfolk under a flag of truce, reports that among the rebels there the story was told that Hampton was fired by the troops of General Butler.--Baltimore American, Aug. 12
Van Nostrand. New York, New York. 1862.
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