The Burning of Chambersburg 1865 Edition

1865 account of the burning of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania by eyewitness Rev. B.S. Schneck, printed by Lindsay & Blakiston of Philadelphia. The 76-page book is hardbound and in good condition with a strong binding. On July 30, 1864, Brigadier General John McCausland and 2,800 Confederate cavalrymen entered Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, rang the Courthouse bell to gather citizens and read a ransom demand of $100,000 in gold or $500,000 in Yankee currency or else the town would be burned in retaliation for the destruction committed by General Hunter in the Shenandoah Valley. Even if the citizens of Chambersburg wanted to meet the demand, they could not. With the Stuart’s raid in 1862 and the invasion of the Army of Northern Virginia in 1863, residents shipped their valuables out of town. Banks, also, transported their money to safer places. The townspeople knew Couch telegraphed Averell and stalled for time. As soon as McCausland realized the ransom demand would not be paid, he gave the order to burn the town. The firing of the town began about 8 AM and by 11 AM, the Confederate forces had all left Chambersburg with ten squares of properties in ruin and 2000 residents homeless. The destruction was massive.  Flames destroyed more than 500 structures leaving more than 2,000 homeless. A scarce account. 

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 Inventory Number: HIS 112