Summary:
In this August, 1864, dispatch, Confederate Cavalry General Bradley Johnson
reports on the actions of his men in a July and August raid into Pennsylvania
and Maryland, including the capture and burning of Chambersburg.
Lieut. Col. S. S. PENDLETON,
Assistant
Adjutant-Gen.
Near Mount Jackson,
August 10, 1864.
COL.:
In obedience to orders headquarters cavalry, Valley District, on the 28th of July I reported to Brig.-Gen. McCausland with my command, and was by him ordered to cross the Potomac at daylight at McCoy's Ferry. This I did, and marched after crossing the river on Clear Spring. Here there was a small force some 300 or 400 strong of Federal cavalry, which Maj. Gilmor, with the First Regiment and Second Battalion Maryland Cavalry, promptly drove five miles toward Hagerstown. Thence we moved on Mercersburg, which place we reached at 5 p. m., Maj. Sweeney, Thirty-sixth Battalion Virginia Cavalry, driving a small force of the enemy's cavalry before him out of the town. The command here fed, and at 9 p. m. we moved on Chambersburg, which place we reached just before day. My advance had skirmished all night with a party in front and on the outskirts of the town, being fired into with canister from a field piece. Our further progress was delayed until broad day disclosed the weakness of the enemy. Brig.-Gen. McCausland ordered me to send in the Twenty-first Virginia, Col. Peters, to occupy the town, the Thirty-sixth Battalion, Maj. Sweeney, having preceded it as skirmishers on foot. After remaining in the town some three hours, he ordered it to be fired, which was done quickly and in many places. As soon as it was fairly burning we moved on McConnellsburg, which place we reached at 5 p. m., this brigade in advance, and went into camp.
At sunrise next morning, Sunday, July 31, we moved on Hancock, we in rear. Brig.-Gen. McCausland then directed me to send Lieut.-Col. Dunn, Thirty-seventh Virginia Battalion Cavalry, by way of Bedford toward Cumberland, to arrest hostages. I ordered Col. Dunn to make the movement, but returning to McConnellsburg he found it occupied by three regiments of Federal cavalry, and properly returned to his command. I then directed him to remain with me, reporting the facts to Brig.-Gen. McCausland. Reached Hancock about 1 p. m. and stopped to feed, while Brig.-Gen. McCausland demanded of the town authorities a ransom of $30,000 and 5,000 cooked rations. At the request of the authorities, who were known to me to be Southern men, I explained to him that the whole population of the town was only 700 and without moneyed resources, which made that amount absolutely impossible to be collected. At the same time I advised them to get every dollar they could raise and pay it. This, I believe, they proceeded to do, but the enemy coming on us before anything was completed, I was unable to receive the money, as he had directed me to do when he moved off his command on the approach of the enemy. The latter gave us but little trouble and was easily checked. At 3 a. m. we stopped at Bevansville, where we unsaddled and fed, and at sunrise moved on Cumberland, Brig.-Gen. McCausland in advance. He engaged the enemy about 3.30 p. m. Monday, August, 1 two miles and a half southeast of Cumberland, and my opinion being asked I agreed with him that the force displayed, with the position and unknown country, made it inexpedient to attack. We withdrew, and this brigade in advance moved on the Potomac at Old Town. We reached this point about daylight Tuesday morning, August 2, and found the enemy, after burning the canal bridges, had posted himself on a hill between the canal and the Potomac. I immediately attacked in front with the Twenty-seventh Battalion Virginia, Capt. Gibson's, and Eighth Virginia, Col. Corns, while I threw the Twenty-first, Col. Peters; Thirty-sixth Battalion, Maj. Sweeney, and Thirty-seventh Battalion, Lieut.-Col. Dunn, all under charge of Col. Peters, over the canal by means of a quickly built bridge and attacked in flanks, at the same time opening my two pieces of artillery vigorously on the enemy. He was driven across the Potomac at once, where he took position behind the railroad embankment, a strong block-house on his right and an iron-clad train of cars, a battery, three guns in each, covered with railroad iron at each end, and four cars iron-lines and musket-proof between the two. The first shot from my artillery drove through the engine-boiler, the second through a port hole, dismounting a gun, and the third dispersed the men behind the railroad embankment. Closing up on the block-house, I demanded a surrender, and Col. Stough, One hundred and fifty-third Ohio, with 80 men and officers and his regimental colors, surrendered to me. Thence I immediately moved to Springfield, where I camped on the South Branch. Here we rested during the 3d August.
I am, colonel, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
BRADLEY TO JOHNSTON,
Brig.-Gen.
Bibliographic Information : Letter Reproduced from The War of The Rebellion: Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series 1, Volume 37, Serial No. 70, Pages 354-356, Broadfoot Publishing Company, Wilmington, NC, 1997.
