The following
is a personal account of Stuart's raid after
the cavalry left the town of Mercersburg.
It is from
a Philadelphia paper. "The Daily Evening
Bulletin" . . Tuesday, October 28, 1862.
It is transcribed verbatim.
The editor
of the Mercersburg's Good Intent was made
a prisoner, along with several other citizens,
when Stuart's cavalry passed through that
place. He escaped before they got back into
Virginia. He describes his adventures after
leaving Mercersburg as follows:
From Mercersburg
they passed directly to Bridgeport, where,
they made a clean sweep of James D. Scott's
store, taking everything they could manage
to carry away with them. Particular inquiry
was made for Mr. Scott, but he eluded them
by disguising himself in the dusty clothing
of his miller, Mr. Hayes. St. Thomas was the
next village they came to where they found
a musket or two, which had been left near
the road by the home guard; these they mashed
to pieces by striking them over the fence.
They also arrested one of the citizens, who
was found armed and ready to show them fight.
If we mistake not, the name of this brave
man was Berger.
In a short
time after leaving St. Thomas we arrived near
the suburb of Chambersburg, where we came
to a stand awaiting the surrender of the town
in accordance with a demand that they had
made through a small guard which had been
sent forward under a flag of truce. Suffice
to say the town was soon given up, for had
it not been, it would have been shelled within
thirty minutes after the surrender had been
refused. What transpired here we shall not
attempt to give the account of, as the papers
of the place have given it already.
From Chambersburg
we went on to Fayetteville thence on the pike
to Cashtown, in Adams county, some seven miles
east of Gettysburg, where they turned southeast
pointing through that highly cultivated and
fertile region known as "the tract"
to Millerstown, from there to Emmetsburg,
in Frederic county Maryland where they arrived
just about sunset on Saturday. At this place
they witnessed the strongest and most public
outburst of rebel sympathy shown anyplace
on the whole trip. Then women and children
throughout the town waved their handkerchiefs
and cheered for Jeff Davis, general Stuart
and the southern confederacy. This of course
was very gratifying to the Rebels, while it
was most discouraging to us who were prisoners.
From this place they hurried on to Creagerstown
with speed, having been informed that a force
of cavalry had passed up to Gettysburg to
oppose them.
From Creagerstown
to Woodbury they dashed on with fearful speed,
having been informed at the latter place they
were being pursued by a considerable force.
There they arrested a considerable number
of prisoners. From there they passed on to
liberty, next to Newmarket, and from thence
through three of four other little villages,
the names of which we do not remember in order,
till we arrived at Poolesville, several miles
from the Potomac river where they affected
their crossing. Prior to crossing the river
they divided into two bodies, about one thousand
taking to the right, reaching the river by
a shorted route, while the left with the greater
part of the booty, by a circuitous route,
reached the river a little lower down- this
being the party we were made to accompany.
This was a well-devised strategy, for when
the first party reached the river it attracted
the attention of our forces and a short ineffective
engagement ensued, during which the left division
of the rebels with the numerous horses and
booty they had captured, escaped across the
river.
The point at which they crossed the river
is several miles below the mouth of the monocracy,
shown as we think as Edward's ferry. Perhaps
a part of them crossed at now lands Ferry
which is a little higher up the river.
It was
about a half mile from the river we succeeded
in getting off from these bold invaders. Our
escape, although fought for all the way through
was affected in a way we had not expected.
When the cannonading was at its greatest height
general Stuart placed six of us prisoners
at a certain point with a guard by our side,
and pickets at some distance around us. ...
He left us when in about a half hour colonel
butler came up in great haste from where the
fighting was going on and called the pickets
in with our guard, he hurried toward the fight
and then turning to us prisoners he said,
" if you will promise to give no ...
to anybody and remain here an hour then you
may all go where you please." to which
all (six) assented but no sooner were the
colonel and his party out of sight, that we
all concluded that it was the part of wisdom
and justice that we should immediately make
good our escape, for fear they might have
an easy victory and return again and take
us with them. Simultaneously by these feelings
we all made tracks on foot as fast as we could,
which, from our exhausted condition was not
very fast.
There are
many instances, which came under our notice
during our captivity, which were full of interest
and feeling to us. As an instance, at Chambersburg
we were placed upon an ammunitions wagon,
or limber train as they called it. On inquiry,
we were told the box in which we were seated
contained percussion shells. When they began
to drive at such rapid speed over the rough
pike we asked the driver if there was not
some danger of the shells exploding from the
concussion that must of necessity take place
among them from the jolts of the wagon, to
which the driver replied that they did sometimes
explode from hauling. A short time after we
made this inquiry one of the wheels of the
cannon carriage just before us run off, and
came down the big gun with a crash. This mishap
was soon repaired and on they went with increased
speed to make up for lost time. It is impossible
to describe one's feelings when every now
and then the wheels would run over the stone
piles on either side of the road, placed there
to be broken for the road.
At times
we were enraged at the inhuman wretches and
we were secretly plotting and wishing their
entire destruction; at other times we were
trying to prepare ourselves for the exit into
eternity but in no case could you feel willing
to comply with the Christian injunction, "pray
for those who despise you." Though apparently
on the verge of the spirit world, we could
not help wishing that a just retribution might
soon fall upon them for their wickedness.
Though in their hands we did not hesitate
to tell them that we hoped that they all would
be killed or captured before they reached
the river.
As they
were wending their way up the south mountain
we had a suitable opportunity to inquire into
the probability of the shells exploding from
the concussion caused by the hauling. From
various intelligent persons among them we
were sure that the shells were not capped
and could not be exploded in this way, so
we made ourselves easy for the future on this
head. As they passed along between Millerstown
and Emmetsburg a two-horse carriage was met
carrying a gentleman, lady and children, a
family we suppose. The gentleman was taken
by force, despite the cries and pleading of
the helpless mother and children. Ever after
this, southern chivalry made boast in vain
of their gallantry and sense of honor. There
no doubt was the flower of the so-called southern
confederacy committing an act, which even
barbarians would scarcely have done.
During the whole route from Chambersburg to
the Potomac river, which, according to our
calculation the way they went was near one
hundred miles, they stopped to feed their
horses only once neither did we get any regular
meal to eat with them. It is true they did
give us some of the edibles they extorted
from the people along the way. Bread and apples
were our principle diet till we got near the
river, when they captured a two-horse wagonload
of ginger cakes and crackers, which were intended
for our army. This of course was a feast of
good things.
