[From the New Orleans, La., Picayune, August 2, 1906]

THE BURNING OF CHAMBERSBURG, PENN.

Ordered by General Early in Retaliation for the Wanton Destruction of the Private Property of Citizens of Virginia.

by General JOHN McCAUSLAND, C. S. A.

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 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 been given for the burning of their houses. Governor Letcher's property was in Lexington, Va., and that was also near Lexington. I do not think any better reasons 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 description, 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, 1964, in order to properly understand the raid that was made into State of Pennsylvania which resulted in the destruction of Chambersburg.

Hunter's army was scattered along the northern bank of the Potomac 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 cavalry [viz] 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 equipment 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 his 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 he 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 the dash into Pennsylvania, by turning the right of Hunter's army, were assembled at Hammand's Hill, in Berkeley county, W. Va. During the night the Federal pickets on the opposite side of the river captured, and our troops crossed just as daylight appeared on the morning on the 30th, and moved out and formed the line of march on the National road. Major Harry Gilmore 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 Sweetney, 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 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 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 Gilmore 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 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 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 me 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 i, as there were only defenseless women and children Chambersburg. He was put under arrest for his defiance, but was relieved the same day and returned to his command when it was pressed by two brigades of Federal cavalry, and his valorous presence needed.