Chambersburg, Pennsylvania

“ Those were the days when Frederick in Maryland and Chambersburg in Pennsylvania were frontier points, the Alleghanies were Pillars of Hercules, and all beyond was a blank!
Still continuing our course on the Virginia side of the Potomac, through what is known in this State as the Virginia Valley, while in Pennsylvania the same intervale is called the Cumberland Valley, we admire the increasing sense of solitude, the bowery wildness of the river-banks, and the spirited freshness of the hastening water. At a station of delightful loneliness we alight. ”

“ In a few hours, the major portion of Chambersburg, its chief wealth and business, its capital and elegance, were devoured by a barbarous foe; three millions of property sacrificed; three thousand human beings homeless and many penniless; and all without so much as a pretence that the citizens of the doomed town, or any of them, had violated any accepted rule of civilized warfare. Such is the deliberate, voluntary record made by General Early, a corps commander in the insurgent army.
Incidents of the Burning. ”

“ That train was entirely safe after it had passed through Chambersburg, and that body of men, judiciously posted, [Pg 46] could, with the artillery in town, and the citizens, have held the enemy in check until Averill could arrive, who was then ten miles distant, and threatened in his front by a force of rebels who, it is now evident, were only making a demonstration to hold him until the other and heavier column under McCausland and Gilmore, could effect their object in Chambersburg. ”

“ To the few citizens who did come together, Captain Fitzhugh, of McCausland’s staff, produced and read a written order, signed by General Jubal Early, directing the command to proceed to Chambersburg, to demand a tribute of $100,000 in gold or $500,000 in greenbacks, and on failure to secure the sum, to proceed to burn the town in retaliation of the burning of six or eight houses specified as having been burned in certain counties in Virginia, by General Hunter. ”

“ Sherburne did not exaggerate. Hitherto the war had never really touched the soil of any of the free states, but now it became apparent that Pennsylvania, the second state of the Union in population, would be invaded. Excitement seized Harrisburg, its capital, which Lee's army might reach at any time. People poured over the bridges of the Susquehanna and thousands of men labored night and day to fortify the city.
Jenkins, a Southern cavalry leader, was the first to enter Pennsylvania, his men riding into the village of Greencastle, and proceeding thence to Chambersburg. ”

“ Wilson College is situated in Chambersburg, and Mercersburg Academy is in the borough of Mercersburg, which was also the home of Marshall College, now a part of Franklin and Marshall College, of Lancaster. The Soldiers’ Orphans’ Industrial School of the state is located at Scotland, and the Pennsylvania State Sanitarium for Tuberculosis, No. 1, is beautifully located at Mont Alto.
Green Castle and Waynesboro are the other towns of importance in old Franklin County. James Buchanan, President of the United States, and William Findlay, Governor of Pennsylvania, were both born in Mercersburg. ”

“ Three times during the Civil War the rebel horde rode into Pennsylvania, but two occasions stand out as conspicuous. First when Lee, with nearly 90,000 troops, in personal command, marched to his Waterloo at Gettysburg, the other was when three thousand Confederates were sent by General Early into Pennsylvania to burn Chambersburg in retaliation for General Hunter’s disgraceful and disastrous raid into Virginia. ”

“ Streams that flow into the Potomac River are largely fed by splendid limestone springs. From the Susquehanna to the Ohio River the scenery cannot be surpassed for picturesque beauty; far sweeping valleys, rugged mountains, grand forests, form a constantly changing panorama. It is both beautiful and historic. The Chambersburg and Pittsburgh Turnpike, built in 1814-15, now the Lincoln Highway, was first an old Indian trail from Harrisburg, through Fort Louden, Clinton County, and westward to Bedford, crossing the center of the county. ”

“ Besides it must be remembered that the citizens of Chambersburg did not know, and had no right to expect, that the rebel force intended burning their town before they entered it. As unarmed private citizens they submitted to what could not be averted, and expected to be treated according to the rules of war, under which private citizens are protected from personal injury by soldiers. ”

“ A Lancaster County almanac, published in the latter part of 1778, is credited by many with first having called Washington “Father of His Country,” while Lebanon, Hummelstown, Harrisburg, New Cumberland, Carlisle, Shippensburg, Chambersburg and many other valley towns and places have Washington traditions as part of their historic past, because of Washington’s trip to Bedford during the “Whisky Insurrection” of 1794.
A force of 12,900 men was to be raised against the rebellion, and Carlisle was the rendezvous for the Pennsylvania contingent of 5200. ”

“ Such a wholesale, premeditated, and cruel work of destruction as the burning of Chambersburg, was never perpetrated by Union troops, and when Richmond papers have said so, they have said what the facts in the case did not warrant. It must be admitted, however, that in too many instances, Union troops did destroy private property unnecessarily and wantonly. We hope in God it will never be done again. We trust our commanding officers in the army will not allow passion to set aside moral principle, military rule, and military honor. ”

“ We are assured that Governor Curtin, fully two weeks before the burning of Chambersburg, formally pledged the State to make provision for arming, organizing, and paying the entire militia force of the border for home defence, if the General Government would simply give the uniforms; and we believe that General Couch pressed it upon the Washington authorities to uniform the entire force of the southern counties, assuring them that the people were willing to defend themselves if encouraged by granting them uniforms, so as to save them from inhuman butchery, but it was denied. ”

“ In Chambersburg and vicinity, horses and whatever might contribute to the welfare and comfort of the invaders were appropriated. The night in the Pennsylvania city was spent in drizzling rain which added not a little to the peril of the situation, for Federal authorities were astir, hoping to surround and capture the entire rebel outfit. The morning of the 11th, the horsemen turned their steps eastward, proceeding towards Gettysburg as far as Cashtown; thence the route was directly southward, through Emmitsburg, New Market, Hyattstown, etc., with only momentary halts, to the Potomac. ”

“ If, however, no such assurance is given, and no effective aid for border defence is afforded; if our people are coolly told that the Cumberland Valley is to be “a trap in which to catch the rebels, and which must therefore be left open,” then, alas! there will be no heart to remain and rebuild the town; but, imitating many of our disheartened farmers, our citizens will sell out their realty and leave, regretfully indeed ”

“ Facing the west from the Franklin railroad, the first building to the right is the residence of the Misses Denny, in a somewhat isolated position. This stands in its freshness and beauty, solitary and alone. Passing down two squares to the centre of the town, not one building and only two or three stables or barns remain on either side of this street of private residences, my own with all of my library and manuscripts, among the number. Passing further on westward for more than three squares in length, to the top of “New England Hill,” five or six more or less isolated houses remain. ”

“ Other papers founded before 1801 (and still published) in Pennsylvania are: the Franklin Repository of Chambersburg (weekly, 1790; daily, 1883) , of which A. K. McClure was proprietor and editor in 1850-1856; the Reading Adler (weekly, 1796) , the oldest existing German newspaper in the country; the Intelligencer of Lancaster (1799) , with which the Journal (1794) was combined in 1839; the Westmoreland Democrat of Greensburg (weekly, 1799) ; the Herald of Norristown (weekly, 1799; daily, 1848) . ”

“ At the time of the invasion of Maryland the whole of the available force in the Department of the Susquehanna did not exceed three hundred men; and during the raid on Chambersburg, General Couch had but one hundred and thirty-five men under his command. Nor is he to blame for the smallness of this number. He had during this month of alarm organized six regiments of one hundred days’ men; but these, as soon as equipped, were ordered to Washington by the Secretary of War. Such are the facts in the case. We make no comments on the [Pg 58] propriety of leaving the border thus defenceless. ”

“ Again the streets of Chambersburg resounded with the clatter of cavalry, and a second time the town fell their easy prey.
This visit continued three days during which time everything of value, especially horses, were taken without pretense of compensation.
General Jenkins on the 18th fell back to Greencastle, and then proceeded to Mercersburg, whence a detachment crossed Cove Mountain to McConnellsburg and down the valley. The main part of the invading force remained in the vicinity of Greencastle and Waynesboro, where plundering parties scoured that entire section. ”

“ These two sentences are guardedly worded. “General Averill possibly might have saved Chambersburg.” The enemy, under McCausland, Bradley Johnson, and Gilmore, let it be recollected, had at least three thousand cavalry, [Pg 9] with artillery at command, eight hundred of the latter being in town, the rest within supporting distance. Johnson’s command occupied the high eminence one mile west of the town with a battery. No better position could have been desired. They were flushed at the prospect of plunder and pillage; their horses were fresh and sleek; their men resolute and defiant. ”

“ General James Longstreet.
Lee reached Chambersburg; his advance even pushed well on toward Harrisburg, the capital of Pennsylvania. At Chambersburg he waited eagerly for those riots in northern cities by which the “copperheads” had expected to aid his march. In vain. Meade was drawing near. “Pressed by the finger of destiny, the Confederate army went down to Gettysburg,” and here the advance of both hosts met on July 1st. After some sharp fighting the Union van was driven back in confusion through Gettysburg, with a loss of 10,000 men, half of them prisoners. ”

“ The campaign disclosed the fact that there were too many members of the Republican Party dissatisfied with the conditions in their organization. The disaffected united in an independent movement and nominated John Stewart, of Chambersburg, afterward a Justice of the Supreme Court, as their candidate for Governor.
The Greenback-Labor Party also placed a candidate in the field in the person of Thomas A. Armstrong. The Prohibition candidate was Alfred C. Petit. Mr. Pattison easily overcame the normal Republican majority on account of the divided vote and was elected by more than 40,000 plurality. ”

“ June 16th, Jenkins' rebel cavalry, 950 strong, occupied Chambersburg, and withdrew on the 18th.
19th, portion of Rhodes' rebel cavalry entered McConnelsburg and sacked the town.
21st, Pleasanton drove Stuart beyond Middletown, through Upperville and Ashby's Gap.
23d, rebel forces again occupied Chambersburg, the Union troops in the town falling back.
26th, rebel advance reached Carlisle, the militia under General Knipe retiring.
Lee's forces were well under way down the Valley, when Hooker took down his tents opposite Fredericksburg. ”

“ A record of the persons killed or taken captive by the Indians during this period until the close of the Revolution reveals a long list of savage cruelty.
In the war of 1812–14, Franklin County played an important part. Eight companies were mustered in the county; Chambersburg furnished four, Greencastle, Mercersburg, Waynesboro and Path Valley, each one.
624During the Civil War Franklin County suffered as did no other border county of Pennsylvania.
First came the great Confederate raid in October, 1862, led by Generals J. E. B. Stuart and Wade Hampton ”

“ Allowing them to remain at home, without the ability to defend them from capture, would be giving aid and comfort to the enemy.
“As against New York, the city whose leading papers have been vilely slandering the border counties of Pennsylvania, the case would seem to need no explanation or vindication. It is still remembered how that city found it necessary to have regiments from our armies to come to their rescue in putting down a riot caused by opposition to the draft. ”

“ We have lived in the most exposed portion of the Pennsylvania border ever since the commencement of the war, and therefore feel that we have some right to speak in its vindication. It is very easy and somewhat natural for persons living away from the scene of danger to say what they would do under certain circumstances, if their homes were invaded. ”

“ CUMBERLAND COUNTY FORMED January 27, 1750; named for county of Cumberland, England. One of the two or three rich agricultural valleys in the United States. Early industries were iron furnaces and forges. First settlers, Scotch-Irish, men of stout heart and wonderful nerve; almost contemporaneous with their building forts and providing means of protection for themselves and families, they established Presbyterian churches, the fine springs of the valley being selected as sites, namely, Silver Springs Church, nine miles west of the Susquehanna; Trindle Spring, now a Lutheran Church ”