Immediately after the Burning of Chambersburg, it took four weeks before the next issue of the Franklin Repository was printed on August 24, 1864. The following is from the front page of that paper. BURNING OF CHAMBERSBURG The main part of the town was enveloped in flames in ten minutes. No time was given to remove women or children, or sic, or even the dead. No notice of the kind was communicated to any one; but like infuriated fiends in hell itself the work of destruction was con----. They did not have anything to learn in ----- horrid trade – they proved themselves e-------s in their calling. They divided into squads and fired every other house, and often every house ----- ----- presented any prospect of plunder. They would beat in the door with iron bars or heavy -----, smash up any furniture with an ax, throw ----id or oil upon it and ply the match. They ah----r invariably entered every room of each house , --ed the drawers of every bureau, appropriated money, jewelry, watches, and any other valuables and often would present pistols to the heads inmates, men and women, and demand money or their lives. In nearly half the instances they demand owners to ransom their property, and a few cases it was done and the property burned. Although we have learned of a number of persons, mostly widows, who paid them sums from $25 to $200, we know of but one case where the property was saved thereby. Mr. James Kennedy near town, saved buildings by payment of $200. The main object of the men seemed to be plunder. Not a hous escaped rifling – all were plundered of everything that could be carried away. In most cases houses were entered in the rudest manner, and no time whatever allowed even for the families to escape, much less to say anything. Many families had the utmost difficulty to get themselves and children out in time and not one-half had so much as a change of clothing with them.
Posted on: Sat, 20 Jul 2013 11:53:31 +0000
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