Summary:
Pennsylvania Governor Andrew Curtin forwards a telegram to General McClellan
describing details of the surrender of Chambersburg to Jeb Stuart's raiding
cavalry in October, 1862. The telegram mentions surrender terms, Confederate
confiscation of horses, and behavior of the officers.
Maj.-Gen. McCLELLAN, Knoxville, Md.:
HARRISBURG,
October 11 1862.
The following received at 10 a. m:
CHAMBERSBURG, October 11, via SHIPPENSBURG, 7 a. m.
Governor CURTIN:
Stuart's and Hampton's cavalry, about 3,000 in number, occupied the town last
night. It was formally surrendered, on condition that private citizens should be
respected and property not be wantonly destroyed. They took about 500 horses,
including 10 of mine, but did not interfere with citizens or destroy anything.
One regiment encamped before my door, and the officers spent most of night with
me. They behaved very well, and talked freely about everything but their
movements. This morning they have just commenced to move toward Gettysburg, and
all about to move, apparently. They crossed Potomac yesterday morning below
Hancock, so that infantry cannot be with them. It looks as if they were on a
foraging expedition through Pennsylvania, by Frederick to Leesburg, or it may be
that the whole army is there, retreating, to provide supplies and replenish
horses and reach Richmond. The cavalry would not move farther from their army if
they intended to return by Hancock. Should anything else transpire to-day, I
will try and sent it to you.
A. K. McCLURE.
A. G. CURTIN.
Bibliographic Information : Letter Reproduced from The War of The Rebellion: Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series 1, Volume 19, Serial No. 28, Pages 71, Broadfoot Publishing Company, Wilmington, NC, 1997.
