#L10-12-62 - Museum Quality Americana

8 Page Letter in Ink Describing J.E.B. Stuart’s Raid on Chambersburg, Pa. – “THERE WERE UPWARD OF TWO THOUSAND OF THEM ALL MOUNTED, WITH SIX PIECES OF ARTILLERY. THE CONFUSION OF SOUNDS BEGAN AGAIN, MINGLED WITH THE TUNES OF DIXIE’S LAND AND “MY MARYLAND,” – “HEADED BY GENERAL STUART BEARING A FLAG OF TRUCE. THEY RODE TO THE JUDGE’S OFFICE AND DEMANDED THE SURRENDER OF THE TOWN.”

The heading on this letter says it all: “Chambersburg Oct 12^th, 1862 C.S.A. Sunday Evening”. Chambersburg has been invaded and a woman named Sallie is writing her father giving a truly amazing description of everything that happened. Here is the content:

Chambersburg Oct. 12th, 1862 C. S. A. Sunday evening
My Dear Father: As I understand there will be an early mail tomorrow morning, and may not be one till the afternoon. I concluded to write some to you tonight, supposing as a matter of course you will be glad to know that we are not either damaged in any respect, or on our way to Richmond.
To begin at the beginning, it was while we were at tea on Friday evening about six o’clock that we heard two reports, one that the Rebels were at Mercersburg and would be with us on Saturday morning. The other that they were at Campbell’s town seven miles from this and were advancing rapidly as possible.
The news created considerable merriment. We did not for a moment imagine that the Rebels could have been marching toward us all day, and we none the wiser, so we ate away and happening to have a pretty good supper (stewed veal and warm cakes). I advised the girls to fill their haversacks so that if they had to travel, it would not be upon empty stomachs.
BUT JUST THEN THE COURT HOUSE BELL BEGAN TO RING. FRED SHINNAFIELD BEGAN IN HIS USUAL VIGOROUS MANNER TO BEAT HIS DRUM IN THE MANNER PECULIAR TO HIM ON MOMENTOUS OCCASIONS, AND HENRY COMING IN CONFIRMED THE REPORT, BUT SAID THE NEWS WAS SO INCREDIBLE THAT FEW PERSONS BELIEVED IT.
THE COMMOTION IN TOWN INCREASED, AND IT SOON BECAME PRETTY CERTAIN THAT THEY WERE CERTAINLY ON THEIR WAY. A FEW OF THE HOMEGUARD GATHERED TOGETHER WITH PISTOLS AND ANY OTHER FIRE ARMS THEY COULD SCARCE UP, BUT FINALLY AGREED TO DISBAND AND MAKE NO SHOW OF RESISTANCE.
One young fellow hauled down the flag that was waving in the square. The Provost Marshall Judge Kinwell, and other officers of the town, arranged themselves together in the most imposing manner, looking as amiable and non combative as a parcel of sheep.
THEY DID NOT HAVE TO WAIT LONG. THE SOUND OF A BUGLE WAS HEARD IN THE DISTANCE, AND THEN THE TRAMPING OF HORSES AND THE PECULIAR CLANKING SOUND THE SWORDS MAKE IN RIDING. THEY CAME FROM THE DIRECTION OF THE FAIR GROUNDS AND THROUGH THE OPENINGS TO THE STREET, WE COULD SEE THEM AS THEY GALLOPED PAST.
YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN US THEN, AS WE WERE ALL CLUSTERED TOGETHER AT ONE WINDOW, OUR FACES WHITE AS GHOSTS, NO ONE SPEAKING BUT ALL TREMBLING WITH FEAR. WE COULD HEAR GROANS AND SHRIEKS OF WOMEN, CHILDREN CRYING, AND INDEED CONFUSED SOUNDS OF ALL DESCRIPTIONS. WHETHER THEY WERE BUTCHERING THE PEOPLE, AND OUR TURN WOULD BE FORTHCOMING, WE COULD NOT TELL.
IT WAS BUT ONE COMPANY, HOWEVER, THAT CAME FIRST HEADED BY GENERAL STUART BEARING A FLAG OF TRUCE. THEY RODE TO THE JUDGE’S OFFICE AND DEMANDED THE SURRENDER OF THE TOWN.
THEY WERE ASKED HOW THEY MEANT TO TREAT THE WOMEN AND CHILDREN. THE GENERAL INDIGNANTLY ANSWERED, “HE DID NOT MAKE WAR UPON WOMEN AND CHILDREN, BUT THAT THEY CAME FOR HORSES -THAT THE UNION TROOPS, WHEN THEY ENTERED VIRGINIA, HELPED THEMSELVES TO THE HORSES AND THAT THEY WERE ONLY RETALIATING; THAT IN OTHER RESPECTS PRIVATE PROPERTY WOULD NOT BE MOLESTED.”
THE JUDGE WISELY CONCLUDING “DISGRESSION TO BE THE BETTER PART OF VALOR,” AGREED TO SURRENDER AND AWAY THEY RODE BACK TO THE EDGE OF TOWN, WHEN HEADING THE ENTIRE FORCE, THEY GALLOPED BACK AGAIN.
THERE WERE UPWARD OF TWO THOUSAND OF THEM ALL MOUNTED, WITH SIX PIECES OF ARTILLERY. THE CONFUSION OF SOUNDS BEGAN AGAIN, MINGLED WITH THE TUNES OF DIXIE’S LAND AND “MY MARYLAND,” WHICH BY THE COMMAND OF THEIR OFFICERS THEY HAD TO STOP. THEY RODE VERY ORDERLY WITH NO SHOUTS OR BUZZ AS TO ATTEST THEIR GRATIFICATION.
WHEN THEY GOT TO THE DIAMOND, THEY FILED OFF INTO THE DIFFERENT STREETS LIKE A STAR, PART COMING UP ABOVE JUDGE CHAMBERS, AND CONSEQUENTLY JUST IN FRONT OF THE GATE. HENRY WENT OUT IN THE STREET, AND SO DID OUR COLORED PEOPLE, HEARING THE TERMS ON WHICH WE HAD SURRENDERED.
THEY ASKED AT THE GATE FOR SOMETHING TO EAT FOR ONE OF THEIR MEN WHO WAS NEARLY STARVING, AND FOR SOME WATER, BOTH OF WHICH WE GAVE THEM. TAKING FOR GRANTED IF WE DID NOT, THEY WERE FULLY ABLE TO COME IN AND HELP THEMSELVES, AND KNOWING TOO, THAT IT WAS BUT OBEYING THE DIVINE INJUNCTION OF, “IF THY ENEMY HUNGER, FEED HIM; IF HE THIRST, GIVE HIM DRINK.”
We could not believe that they would come so far and risk so much merely for the sake of a few horses, and we spent the whole night expecting to hear and see something alarming. I was afraid they would set one of the paper mills behind us on fire, and if they did, our house was certain to burn. Fortunately, or rather Providentially, a heavy rain was falling all this time, and had been since the middle of the day, so that the roofs of the houses were soaked.
Nevertheless, I got the children up and dressed them in their best suit and then put them to bed again. Harry got quite excited and hunted around for his hat, that he might “shoot the Rebels.” Bess picked out two or three of the best suits and put them all on. None of us undressed, but the whole night through, we talked together and ran about to the windows to see what we could. But I never spent a quieter night as far as outside sounds were concerned.
About one o’clock a number of the Cavalry rode out of town. THEY SCOURED THE COUNTRY PRETTY WELL AND CAME IN ABOUT FOUR O’CLOCK, LEADING A GREAT NUMBER OF HORSES. They took ten from Col. McClure. None of our relations lost any, as they managed to send them off in time. Some were scarcely started off when the Rebels appeared. They got about a thousand horses.
ALL THE SHOES OUT OF ISAAC HULTON’S SHOE SHOP. THIS, HOWEVER, WAS CONTRARY TO ORDERS, AND A CAR LOAD OF CLOTHING, FIVE THOUSAND COLTS, REVOLVERS, BESIDE A NUMBER OF SWORDS. THIS WAS OWING TO MISMANAGEMENT AS THE TRAIN BEARING THESE THINGS DID NOT MAKE ITS APPEARANCE UNTIL A SHORT TIME BEFORE THE REBELS DID, AND MIGHT EASILY HAVE BEEN KEPT AT SHIPPENSBURG HAD OUR AUTHORITIES TELEGRAPHED WHEN THEY FIRST RECEIVED THE NEWS.
THEIR APPEARANCE WAS CONSIDERABLY IMPROVED WHEN THEY GOT ON THE NICE BLUE OVERCOATS BELONGING TO OUR MEN. IN FRONT OF THEM AND ON THEIR HORSES BEHIND THEM WERE PILES OF WOOLEN DRAWERS AND SHIRTS, BOOTS, BLANKETS, ETC. TWO OR THREE WAGONS THEY GOT IN THE COUNTRY, THEY SENT ON, LADEN WITH FIRE ARMS AND OTHER THINGS.
THEY GOT FOOD FOR THEIR HORSES OUT OF THE CORN FIELDS AND FED THEM IN THE STREET. ABOUT SEVEN O’CLOCK P.M. THE NEWS CAME THAT THE DEPOT WAS ON FIRE. FROM THE UPPER WINDOW, WE HAD A GOOD VIEW OF THE CONFLAGRATION AND TRULY IT WAS AWFUL. ELEVEN BUILDINGS AT THE DEPOT, CONSISTING OF THE DEPOT, AND MR. LULL’S HOUSE ADJOINING, TWO WAREHOUSES, AND A SMALL HOUSE NEAR THEM, THREE MACHINE SHOPS, FOUR BARNS, AND TWO LOCOMOTIVES ALL BURNED AT ONCE.
IN ONE OF THE WAREHOUSES, THERE WAS 20 TONS OF POWDER BESIDES SHELLS AND OTHER AMMUNITIONS, AND THE FEAR WAS VERY GENERALLY FELT THAT AT THE PRINCIPAL EXPLOSION GREAT DAMAGE WOULD BE DONE TO SURROUNDING BUILDINGS, BUT THOUGH THE SHELLS KEPT BURSTING ALL THROUGH THE DAY, THERE WAS NO TERRIFIC EXPLOSION, THOUGH THE SOUND WAS HEARD AT STRASBURG WHICH IS TEN MILES FROM US.
The folks thought there, we were having a battle. Just about noon a stable across the way from us, belonging to Groves Hotel, took fire and burned down. It was supposed that a slow match had been applied to it.
BEFORE THEY LEFT, THE REBELS VISITED THE HOSPITALS AND PAROLED ALL THE PRISONERS INCLUDING THE SURGEONS, AMOUNTING TO BETWEEN THREE AND FOUR HUNDRED. THE BELINDERE BOYS WERE AMONG THEM. OF COURSE, THEY DON’T FEEL VERY WELL PLEASED, BUT COULD NOT HELP THEMSELVES. THEY ALSO TOOK PRISONERS, THREE OR FOUR PROMINENT CITIZENS OF MERCERSBURG, AND HAD THEM WITH THEM AS THEY PASSED THROUGH. THEY TOOK THEM BECAUSE THEY WERE ARMED.
AT CAMPBELL’S TOWN OR ST. THOMAS AS IT IS SOMETIMES CALLED, THEY KILLED A MAN WHO FIRED ON THEM FROM A BARN WINDOW, BUT THESE ARE THE ONLY INSTANCES I HAVE HEARD OF THEIR INTERFERING IN THE LEAST WITH THE CITIZENS.
A great many gentlemen and quite a number of ladies walked about the streets. We did not venture out of the yard, but went down by the gate as we did not expect to have another chance very soon of seeing the “Southern Chivalry.”
THE MOST OF THEM WERE MOUNTED ON FINE HORSES AND RODE SPLENDIDLY. IF THEY SAW US THEY BOWED IN THE MOST RESPECTFUL MANNER. We did not return it, but we could not help admiring their fine bearing. I DON’T SUPPOSE THAT AMONG ALL THEIR SOLDIERS THERE IS A MORE RESPECTABLE LOOKING SET THAN THIS SAME STUART’S CAVALRY.
GENERAL HAMPTON WAS ALSO ALONG AND WHAT IS WORSE THAN ALL WERE TWO MEN WHO WERE RAISED IN THIS TOWN AND WERE EVIDENTLY THEIR PRISONERS DURING THE WHOLE TRIP.
AFTER THEY HAD FIRED THE BUILDINGS, THEY LEFT ON THE BALTIMORE TURNPIKE, PASSING THROUGH FAYETTEVILLE, AND TAKING IT IS SAID EVERY DECENT LOOKING HORSE THEY COULD LAY THEIR HANDS ON. SOME OF THE HORSES THEY LEFT BEHIND THEM WERE THE MOST EMACIATED LOOKING BEASTS I EVER SAW.
It is known that they reached Emmitsburg and report says that General Pleasanton has met them there and taken 800 prisoners. You will hear the truth or falsity of this, however, before you get this letter.
We have had no mail here since Friday, but I hope this will get off in the morning. About 2,000 Cavalry are now stationed out at Camp Slifer and from the noise the cars have been making and the frequent whistle of the locomotive, I should judge more were arriving. AS USUAL THEY ARE CAREFUL TO LOCK THE STABLE DOOR, AFTER THE HORSE HAS ESCAPED.
If Gov. Curtin was not such a goose, he would have listened to some suggestions that were made him when the militia were all taken away from us regarding our exposed situation. It is said when informed of our present danger, he at once remarked “Well, they must look out for themselves. I must fortify Harrisburg.”
I SUPPOSE WE MAY CONSIDER OURSELVES AS BELONGING TO REBELDOM AT ANY RATE UNTIL SOME OR ALL OF OUR CAPTORS ARE TAKEN PRISONERS. Some of the children want to know whether are all Rebels now, and another “My Papa!” But wasn’t this town took easy though.
Arthur is awake and wants his mother, so I will conclude my lengthy epistle. I will try and send one or more of the town papers when they come out and from that you will be able to gather any incidents I have left out. Love to all and write soon to your Loving Daughter, Sallie
Having promised to fill this space, I sit down before it, half despairing of finding enough to add where so much has been said. The next time the Rebels come, I hope they will select a favorable time for we had concluded school Friday at 4 o’clock as usual, and expect to commence this week as heretofore, losing not one hour’s time. We hope, too, they will come in a wet time.
I WILL NOT PROMISE THEM THAT WE WILL HAVE NO TROOPS TO MEET THEM, THOUGH I THINK WE OWE OUR SECURITY, UNDER A KIND PROVIDENCE, TO THE FACT THAT NOT A GUN WAS FIRED AGAINST THEM OR ANY RESISTANCE OFFERED. This is precisely the course to pursue when there is no resistance to offer.
If you will take it as a joke, I will suggest that their moderation was owing to the fact that the Pennsylvania election was so near. IT RAINED MUCH ALL NIGHT, YET THEY DID NOT LEAVE THE STREET. NONE CAME WITHIN OUR GATE. AT THE WAREHOUSE THERE COULD NOT HAVE BEEN SO MUCH GOOD POWDER AS WAS SUPPOSED. ABOUT 9 O’CLOCK FRIDAY EVENING, I HID IN THE CELLAR OUR VALUABLES IN SILVER AND GOLD, AS SPOONS, WATCHES, ETC. Good night.

The finest description of the Chambersburg raid that we have ever seen. Condition is fine with minor aging.

#L10-12-62 – Price $2,150