Tribute or sacrifice.
When the men had arrived at the objective point, the citizens and City Council were summoned before
General McCausland, and
Adjutant-General Fitzhugh read them the order of
General Early, levying a tribute of $100,000 in gold or $500,000 in
United States currency, for the burning of property by the
Federal army in
Virginia.
This little pamphlet I mentioned above, written by
Rev. Dr. Schenck, has this to say on this point:
‘
Captain Fitzhugh exhibited to
J. W. Douglas,
Esq., an attorney of this place, a written order, with the name of
Jubal Early to it, directing that
Chambersburg should be burned in retaliation for the burning of six houses in
Virginia by
Hunter.
The burning of
Chambersburg was then ordered by one of the corps commanders of
General Lee's army, instead of a guerilla chief, thus placing the responsibility squarely upon the shoulders of
General Lee.
We have, in support of this, the statement of
Rev. Mr. Edwards, Episcopal clergyman of
Hagerstown, who was taken as a hostage after
Chambersburg had been destroyed.
He was brought to
General Early's headquarters at
Williamsport, and there paroled to effect his exchange.
General Early there informed him that he had directed
Chambersburg to be burned in retaliation for the destruction of property in
Virginia by
Grant,
Meade and
Hunter, and that the account was now square.’
They seemed to think we were jesting and bluffing.
They asked for time to consider, which was understood by our men to gain time so that Averil and
Couch could reach there.
An hour was granted, at the expiration of which they (the citizens and Council) announced that that amount of money was not in the town, and they would not pay it if they could.
A detail was at once made and ordered to fire the town, and in one hour the business portion of the beautiful city was blackened, smoking ruins.
The main part of the town was enveloped in flames in ten minutes. No notice was given, except that if the terms of the order were not complied with, destruction would be the result.
This little book or pamphlet, which I have quoted from before, says:
[
319]
‘No time was given to remove women or children, the sick nor the dead, but the work of destruction was at once commenced.
They divided into squads and fired every other house, and often every house, if there was any prospect of plunder.
They would beat in the door with iron bars or heavy planks, smash up furniture with an axe, throw oil or fluid upon it, and ply the match.
They almost invariably entered every room of each house, rifled the drawers of the bureau, appropriate money, jewelry, watches and any other valuables, and would often present pistols to the heads of inmates and demand money or their lives.
Few houses escaped rifling—nearly all were plundered of everything that could be carried away.
Many families had the utmost difficulty to get out themselves in time.
Several invalids had to be carried out as the red flames licked their couches.’
