Ordered by
General Early in retaliation for the wanton destruction of the
Private property of citizens of
Virginia.
The wanton destruction of the private property of citizens of
Virginia by orders of
General Hunter, a Federal army officer, may be considered as one of the strongest reasons for the retaliation by
Early's orders upon the city of
Chambersburg.
Andrew Hunter
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lived in the county of
Jefferson, near
Harper's Ferry, and was a relative of
General Hunter.
A. R. Boteler and
E. J. Lee also lived in the same vicinity.
No reasons that I have ever heard have been given for the burning of their houses.
Governor Letcher's property was in
Lexington, Va., and the Military Institute was also near
Lexington.
I do not think any better reasons can be given for the destruction of these houses than could have been given if
General Hunter had destroyed every house, barn or other building that was standing and in good order upon his line of march from
Staunton to
Lynchburg.
The property of
J. T. Anderson was in the county of
Botetourt, and located near the banks of the
James river, at
Buchanan.
Mrs. Anderson and a lady relative were the only occupants at the time.
I destroyed the bridge across the
James to retard
Hunter in his march, and it did detain him for two days, during which time he occupied this house as his headquarters.
He promised the ladies protection, and after his departure an officer and some soldiers returned with a written order from him to destroy everything about the premises.
A few days later as
General Hunter was passing another
Virginia mansion, a lady asked him why he had destroyed the magnificent home of
Colonel Anderson.
He replied that ‘
Virginia women were worse traitors than their husbands, and he would burn the houses over their heads in order to make them personally and immediately experience some punishment for their treason;’ and, on another occasion, he said to a Virginia lady that he ‘would humble the
Virginia women before he left the
State.’
I could enumerate many other acts of actual destruction, threats and wanton violence on the part of
Hunter, all of which make up the public sentiment that prevailed at that time in
Virginia, and which required steps on the part of the military authorities to prevent their recurrence in the future, as well as to stop the useless destruction then going on; but what I have given is considered sufficient to explain the reason why the city of
Chambersburg, in Pennsylvania, was burned.
Location of forces.
It may be considered indispensable to give the location of the force composing the
Federal and Confederate armies during the latter part of the month of July, 1864, in order to properly understand the raid that was made into the
State of Pennsylvania which resulted in the destruction of
Chambersburg.
Hunter's army was scattered along the northern bank of the
Potomac
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river, in
Maryland, from near
Hancock to
Harper's Ferry, the main body being near the latter place.
Early was located on the opposite side of the same river.
My command was on the left of
Early's army, and I think that
Averill's cavaly was located opposite to me—at least a portion of it was there.
When I speak of cavalry in the course of this sketch, I am aware that the term is not properly applied, for so far as the
Confederate troops which I commanded were concerned, they were badly armed, badly mounted, and worse equipped—in fact, they were mostly mounted militia.
The men would have made good soldiers if there had been time to discipline them, and arms and equipments to furnish them.
The horses were nearly worn out, and there was no supply to draw from.
We tried to get horses in
Pennsylvania, but found them removed from the line of march, and we had no time to look for them elsewhere.
In July, 1864, a cavalry brigade which I commanded was encamped near the
Potomac river, in the county of
Berkeley, West Virginia.
It made the advance post of the army under
General Early that was guarding the approaches into
Virginia through the Shenandoah Valley.
On July 28 I received an order from
General Early to cross the
Potomac with my brigade and one under
General Bradley T. Johnson, and proceed to the city of
Chambersburg.
My orders were to capture the city and deliver to the proper authorities a proclamation which
General Early had issued, calling upon them to furnish me with $100,000 in gold or $500,000 in greenbacks, and in case the money was not forthcoming I was instructed to burn the city and return to
Virginia.
The proclamation also stated that this course had been adopted in retaliation for the destruction of property in
Virginia by orders of
General Hunter, and specified that the homes of
Andrew Hunter,
A. R. Boteler,
E. J. Lee,
Governor Letcher,
J. T. Anderson, the Virginia Military Institute, and others in
Virginia had been burned by orders of
David Hunter, a Federal commander, and that this money demanded from
Chambersburg was to be paid to the parties specified as compensation for their loss of property.
It appears that
General Early adopted this policy after proper reflection; that his orders were distinct and final, and that what was done on this occasion by my command was not the result of inconsiderate action or want of proper authority, as was alleged by many parties at the
North, both at the time and since the close of the war.
Situation on July 29.
On the 29th of July the two cavalry brigades that were to make
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the dash into
Pennsylvania, by turning the right of
Hunter's army, were assembled at Hammond's Hill,
in Berkeley county, W. Va. During the night the
Federal pickets on the opposite side of the river were captured, and our troops crossed just as daylight appeared on the morning of the 30th, and moved out and formed the line of march on the
National road.
Major Harry Gilmor drove the
Federal cavalry from the small village of
Clear Spring, and pushed on toward
Hagerstown to create the impression that the rest of the troops were following.
At
Clear Spring we left the
National road and turned into the
Mercersburg road to the north.
We reached
Mercersburg about dark, and stopped to feed our horses and give the stragglers time to catch up. After this stop the march was continued all night, notwithstanding the opposition made at every available point by a regiment of Federal cavalry.
Major Sweeney, with his cavalry battalion, kept the roads clear, and we reached
Chambersburg at daylight on the 31st.
The approach to the town was defended only by one piece of artillery and some irregular troops, who were soon driven off, and the advance of our force took possession of the town.
The main part of our two brigades was formed into line on the high ground overlooking the town.
I at once went into the city with my staff and requested some of the citizens to inform the city authorities that I wanted to see them.
I also sent my staff through the town to locate the proper officials and inform them that I had a proclamation for their consideration.
Not one could be found.
I then directed the proclamation to be read to as many citizens as were near me, and asked them to hunt up their town officers, informing them I would wait until they could either find the proper authorities, or by consultation among themselves, determine what they would do. Finally, I informed them that I would wait six hours, and if they would then comply with the requirements, their town would be safe; but if not, it would be destroyed, in accordance with my orders from
General Early.
Everything was explained.
After a few hours of delay many citizens came to see me—some were willing to pay the money, others were not. I urged them to comply, giving them such reasons as occurred to me at the time, and told them plainly what they might expect in the event of their failure to pay the money demanded.
I showed to my officers and to the citizens who came to see me, my written authority and orders of
General Early, and before a single house was burned both the citizens
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and the
Confederate officers fully understood why it was done and by whose orders.
After waiting until the expiration of the six hours, and finding that the proclamation would not be complied with, the destruction was begun by firing the most central blocks first, and after the inhabitants had been removed from them.
Thus the town was destroyed, and the citizens driven to the hills and fields adjacent thereto.
No lives were lost among the citizens, and only one soldier was killed, he being killed after the troops had left the place.
About noon the troops were reformed on the high ground overlooking the town, where most of them had been posted in the early morning, and the return to the
Potomac was begun.
We encamped at
McConnelsburg that night, and reached the river the next day at or near
Hancock, Md.
In confirmation of what I have here written,
Major Gilmor says in his book,
Four Years In the Saddle, page 210
‘He showed me
General Early's order.’
General Early, in his
Memoir, page 57, says:
‘A written demand was sent to the municipal authorities, and they were informed what would be the result of a failure or refusal to comply with it.’
On page 59,
General Early says:
‘On the 30th of July
McCausland reached
Chambersburg and made the demand as directed, reading to such of the authorities as presented themselves the paper sent by me.’
Colonel W. E. Peters, who commanded one of the regiments in
Johnson's Brigade, when the burning commenced, came and asked me if it was being done by my orders.
I showed him the order of
General Early, which he refused to obey, declaring that he would break his sword and throw it away before he would obey it, as there were only defenseless women and children in
Chambersburg.
He was put under arrest for this defiance, but was releived the same day and returned to his command when it was pressed by two brigades of Federal cavalry, and his valorous presence needed.
In this expedition our troops passed through more than 100 miles of hostile territory, executed all orders that were issued with promptness regularity, and never have I heard of any complaint of acts unauthorized by their superior officers, of competent authority to order it, and, moreover, that it was an act of retaliation perfectly justified by the circumstances, and was at all times in keeping with the rules governing civilized warfare.
