DOCUMENTS AND
AND NARRATIVES

Doc. 1.

THE INVASION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

I went

stating that the town was about to be surrendered, closed telegraph communication, and Mr. Gilmore, the operator, prepared at once for the advent of his successors, and struck out along the line toCOLONEL A. K. MCCLURE'S LETTER. ward Harrisburgh with his instrument. CHAMBERSBURGH, PA., October 1862. up town to meet the flag of truce, and found a I HAVE had a taste of rebel rule; and, although clever-looking "butternut," dripping wet, without not so bad as it might have been, my rather any mark of rank, bearing a dirty white cloth on moderate love of adventure would not invite a a little stick. He politely stated that he sought repetition of it. I reached here on Friday even- the commander or authorities of the town, and in ing to fill several political appointments in the the name of the general commanding the concounty; and, when I got off the cars, the tele- federate forces, he demanded the surrender of the graphic operator called me aside, and informed village. He refused to give his name, or the me that he had a report from Greencastle, of the name of the general commanding, and he could rebels entering Mercersburgh. We agreed that not state on what terms they would accept a surit was preposterous, and thought it best not to render. As I had no command other than the make the report public and alarm our people scattered and bewildered home guards-all brave needlessly. I supposed that a few cavalry had enough, but entirely without drill or organization crossed the Potomac to forage somewhere on the—and about three hundred wounded men in the route leading to Mercersburgh, but never, for a hospitals, I acted with the citizens as one of moment, credited their advent into that place. I them; and it did not require a protracted council came home, and after tea returned to the tele-to determine that we could not successfully resist graph-office to ascertain whether the rebels had been over the Potomac at any point, and I was there met by two reliable men, who had narrowly escaped from the rebel cavalry seven miles west of this place. The telegraph-wire had also been cut west, and it was then manifest that we had but an hour to prepare for our new and novel visitors.

Our people were confounded with astonishment at the brilliant audacity of the rebels penetrating twenty miles in Gen. McClellan's rear; but, however reckless or well devised on their part, the fact and the rebels were both staring our people in the face. The rain was pouring down in torrents, and in a little time citizens were seen running to and fro with their muskets; but there was no organization, and no time to effect one. Col. Kennedy attempted to improvise mounted pickets for the several roads on which they might enter, but he had scarcely got his forces mounted until the clattering of hoofs was heard on the western pike, and in a few minutes the rebel advance was in the centre of the town. They stated that they bore a flag of truce, and wished to be taken to the commandant of the post.

I had just got word of the movement to Gov. Curtin and Gen. Brooks, at Hagerstown, when I was sent for to meet the distinguished strangers. A hasty message to Hagerstown and Harrisburgh, VOL. VI.-Doc. 1

cavalry and artillery. So we concluded that the venerable village had to be consigned over to rebel keeping. We had been kindly allowed thirty minutes to decide, at the end of which time, we were informed, rebel artillery would demand submission in rather unpleasant tones. Col. T. B. Kennedy, (colonel by political brevet, like myself,) Judge Kimmell, provost-marshal, and your humble servant, mounted three stray horses, and filed in with the rebel escort, amidst a thunder of cheers for the Union and groans for the rebels, to meet we did not know whom, and to go we did not know where. Without umbrellas or overcoats, we had the full benefit of a drenching rain, and I must admit that we were treated with the utmost courtesy by our new associates. They conversed freely and without manifesting any degree of bravado.

After travelling a mile westward we were brought to a halt by a squad of mounted men, and informed that Gen. Hampton was one of the party, to whom we should address ourselves. It was so dark that I could not distinguish him from any of his men. Upon being informed that we were a committee of citizens, and that there was no organized force in the town, and no military commander at the post, he stated, in a respectful and soldier-like manner, that he com manded the advance of the confederate troops —

The committee went through the form of a grave but brief consultation, somewhat expedited, perhaps, by the rain, and we then solemnly and Communication having thus been opened beformally surrendered the town upon the terms tween us, squads followed each other closely for proposed. True, the stipulations were but verbal, water, but each called and asked permission beand but one side able to enforce them; but the fore getting it, and promptly left the yard. I was time, the weather, the place, and our surround-somewhat bewildered at this uniform courtesy, ings generally were not favorable to a treaty in form, and history must therefore be without it. We asked permission to go a little in advance of his forces to prepare our people for the sudden transition from the stars and stripes to the stars and bars. Gen. Hampton permitted my associates to do so, but detailed me to pilot his advanceguard at once to the telegraph office. I performed the duty assigned me with no great compunctions, as I had seen Mr. Gilmore, the operator, begin to "fix up " for them fully an hour before, and the rebel that outwits him must take a very early start. Messrs. Kennedy and Kimmell proceeded

scrip. After concluding a treaty with them on behalf of the colored servants, coffee was promised them, and they then asked for a little bread with it. They were wet and shivering, and seeing a bright, open wood-fire in the library, they asked permission to enter and warm themselves until their coffee should be ready, assuring me that under no circumstances should any thing in the house be disturbed by their men. I had no alternative but to accept them as my guests until it might please them to depart, and I did so with as good grace as possible.

Önce seated around the fire, all reserve seemed to be forgotten on their part, and they opened a general conversation on politics, the war, the different battles, the merits of generals in both armies, etc. They spoke with entire freedom upon every subject but their movement into Chambersburgh. Most of them were men of more than ordinary intelligence and culture, and their demeanor was in all respects eminently courteous. I took a cup of coffee with them, and have seldom seen any thing more keenly relished. They said they had not tasted coffee for weeks before, and then they had paid from six dollars to ten dollars per pound for it. When they were through, they asked whether there was any coffee left, and finding that there was some, they proposed to bring some more officers and a few privates who were prostrated by exposure to get what was left. They were, of course, as welcome as those present, and on they came in squads of five or more, until every grain of browned coffee was exhausted. They then asked for tea, and that was served to some twenty more.

respected the rebels the most; for they are open foes, and seal their convictions with their lives, and they openly avow their greater respect for open, unqualified supporters of the war over those who oppose every war measure, profess fraternal sympathy with the South, and yet say they are in favor of preserving the Union. They all declared themselves heartily sick of the war, but determined never to be reunited with the North. At four o'clock in the morning the welcome blast of the bugle was heard, and they rose hurriedly to depart. Thanking me for the hospitality they had received, we parted mutually expressing the hope that should we ever meet again, it would be under more pleasant circumstances. In a few minutes they were mounted and moved into Chambersburgh. About seven o'clock I went into town, and found that the First brigade, under General Hampton, had gone toward Gettysburgh. Gen. Stuart sat on his horse in the centre of the town, surrounded by his staff, and his command was coming in from the country in large squads, leading their old horses and riding the new ones they had found in the stables hereabouts. General Stuart is of medium size, has a keen eye, and wears immense sandy whiskers and moustache. His demeanor to our people was that of a humane soldier. In several instances his men commenced to take private property from stores, but they were arrested by General Stuart's provost-guard. In a single instance only, that I have heard of, did they enter a store by intimidating the proprietor. All our shops and stores were closed, and, with a very few exceptions, were not disturbed.

There were considerable Government stores here-some two hundred pairs of shoes, a few boxes of clothing, and a large quantity of ammunition captured recently from General Longstreet. It was stored in the warehouses of Wunderlich & Nead. About eleven o'clock their rear-guard was ready to leave, and they notified the citizens residing near the warehouses to remove their families, as they were going to burn all public property. The railroad station-house, machineshops, round house, and the warehouses, filled with ammunition, were then fired, and the last of the rebels fled the town. In a little time a terrific explosion told that the flames had reached the powder, and for hours shells were exploding with great rapidity. The fire companies came

In the mean time, a subordinate officer had begged of me a little bread for himself and a few men, and he was supplied in the kitchen. He was followed by others in turn, until nearly an hundred had been supplied with something to eat or drink. All, however, politely asked permission to enter the house, and behaved with entire propriety. They did not make a single rude or profane remark, even to the servants. In the mean time, the officers, who had first entered the house, had filled their pipes from the box of Killickinick on the mantle-after being assured that smoking was not offensive-and we had another hour of a free talk on matters generally. When told that I was a decided Republican, they thanked me for being candid; but when, in reply to their inquiries, I told them that I cor-out as soon as the rebels left, but could not save dially sustained the President's emancipation proclamation, they betrayed a little nervousness, but did not for a moment forget their propriety. They admitted it to be the most serious danger that has yet threatened them, but they were all hopeful that it would not be sustained in the North with sufficient unanimity to enforce it.

Their conversation on this point bore a striking similarity to the speeches of Frank Hughes and Charles J. Biddle; and had you heard them converse, without seeing them, you would have supposed that I was having a friendly confab with a little knot of Pennsylvania Breckinridge politicians. Of the two, I am sure, you would have

any of the buildings fired because of the shells. They saved all others, however.

So ended a day of rebel rule in Chambersburgh. They took some eight hundred horses from our people, and destroyed, perhaps, one hundred thousand dollars' worth of property for the Cum berland Valley Railroad Company, probably five thousand dollars for Wunderlich & Nead, and one hundred and fifty thousand dollars for the Government. Our people generally feel that, bad as they are, they are not so bad as they might be. I presume that the cavalry we had with us are the flower of the rebel army. They are made up mainly of young men in Virginia, who owned fine