Augusta County: Malcolm Fleming to Fleming's mother, August 10,
1864
Summary:
In this letter, Fleming discusses recent orders, recounts the burning of Chambersburg, tells
of recent battle experience, reviews strategy, mentions life in camp, and describes the
experience of being captured by "Yankees," after having been turned in by "the negroes."
Fleming also writes about encounters with local citizens. Unfortunately, the letter has a large
number of illegible words and sections. Nearly everything after the first few paragraphs should
be considered "unclear."
Aug 10th 1864
War Moonfield
My dear Mother-
It has been a long time since I have had an opportunity of writing to you; & now that
our [unclear: prefent]
[unclear: myself] of sending a letter to [unclear: this] mail, I have time to
write only a line - Give to me before this doubtless heard all the particulars of our Maryland
& Penn; last, the burning of Chambersburg &c - To give
an abstract account of all our adventures meant consuming more time & paper than I have
to spare. [unclear: Nothing] exaggerated can be fair about the burning of Chambersburg
- we we who did not [unclear: fire] it could form an approximate idea of the horrors
[illeg.] this occasion. I [unclear: intend] this Town (& a beautiful
place it is) [unclear: with] a
[page 2]
stiff nect & stubborn
[unclear: breast], me, as much as I hate the Yankees, I could not stand it long.
Genl [unclear: McCausland] commanded his two Brigades (his own & Gen l Johnson's)- His orders from Gen l Early were to buy a tribute of one hundred thousand dollars in gold or its equivalent in Northern funds ($500,000) which money was to be paid to Gov. Letcher _Alex Butler & owing to [unclear: indig]nify [illeg.] for the losses [unclear: Nety] had sustained at the hands of the Yankees.
The citizens regarded this as an ample threat & [unclear: favorably] refused
to pay the tribute [unclear: voluntarily]
[unclear: Mc'Causland] at once ordered the city to be laid in ashes. The scene which
followed baffles all description. Shrieking children & panic stricken men &
women running
[page 3]
In [unclear: every]
[unclear: direction] begging assistance. I saw from a [illeg.]
[illeg.]
[unclear: reform] his [unclear: sick]
[unclear: mother]
I believe somewhat in the old Mosaic law - an eye for an eye & a tooth for a tooth, but when [unclear: somebody] is [unclear: shouting] for a [illeg.] I think we are going [unclear: wrong]
The most [unclear: objectionable] [illeg.] along the [illeg.] affairs was the [unclear: manner] in which [unclear: Miss] [unclear: Henry's] was [unclear: done.]
I think the [illeg.]
[illeg.]
[unclear: angled] I have been [unclear: observed]. Instead of [illeg.]
his [unclear: Army] was s[unclear: toked]. soldiers [unclear: moved]
[unclear: loose] upon private houses & then the orders issued to burn. As soon
as the citizens saw that [unclear: Mc'Causland] was in [unclear: coming] many
[unclear: appeared] to hope that proper to [illeg.] this be in [deleted: ] into [illeg.]
[illeg.]
[illeg.]
[illeg.] each man paid a ransom for his house.
[page 4]
[unclear: This] [unclear: worked] [unclear: to] [illeg.] all. This [illeg.] in which was lost sight of, & you [deleted: ] [illeg.] to be for my purpose Hate [illeg.] [illeg.] in many [unclear: victim] not [illeg.] [illeg.] [illeg.] [illeg.] [illeg.]
After this work of destruction, we [unclear: returned] slowly & marched by
[unclear: many] of [illeg.] & Gu[illeg.] and Maryland. [deleted: ] V
a
Company Mr [illeg.] - Old [illeg.] house from Chambersburg to V
a
was [illeg.] We [unclear: wanted] Yankee is not capable of the
Vandalizing I witnessed upon [unclear: his] life of the ma[illeg.] the [deleted: ]
[illeg.] without much opposition. [illeg.] loss in my [unclear:
Brig
] was not [illeg.]
[illeg.]
[unclear: fifty] from the Potomac [illeg.]
[illeg.]
[illeg.] to a point among [illeg.] It and [unclear: Co]
[unclear: reaching] this place into the evening. [illeg.]
[illeg.]
[illeg.]
[illeg.]
[illeg.] proposed to use & [illeg.]
[unclear: came] our
[page 5]
[unclear: horses] for a few days. We found
nothing from the enemy being under the impression that their [unclear: horses] were
[illeg.] march broken [unclear: down] to follow us. In this we [illeg.]
[unclear: enemy] made mistakes. By making forced marches they came before us
[unclear: any] unexpectedly in the morning of the 7
th
about light. Our pickets were captured & [illeg.] meeting with any
opposition. The Yankees charged [illeg.]iple our Camp. So great was the surprise that
many men were aroused from their slumbers slumbers by the demand to surrender. [unclear: Gen
l
]
[unclear: Johnston] & myself were sleeping in the same room, luckily for him he
slept in his clothes. even with this [unclear: start] of [unclear: me] he would
not have escaped had not one of the men sacrificed himself by giving the Gen
l
his [unclear: horse].
You cant imagine my feelings
[page 6]
about this time. The
Yankees [unclear: marching] in my direction & shouting [unclear: us]
quarters [illeg.]
[illeg.]
[illeg.]
[illeg.]. Finding escape impossible myself & the [unclear: other] staff
officers [illeg.] to the [illeg.] of the [unclear: house] &
concealed ourselves behind some barrels. Before [illeg.] going to my hiding place I
handed my watch to the lady of the house. It was very well that I did for I had not been long
in the game before I heard the [unclear: hiss]ing of sabers upon his steps. the negroes
informed on us. In a few moments more we were Surrounded by about fiften (15) fiends &
their pistols pointed at our breasts. They first demanded my pocket book containing
[unclear: more] Six hundred dollars. Some little gold I had bought & my gold
[illeg.]. I gave it up thinking [unclear: which][illeg.] use.
[unclear: up].
[page 7]
I was then marched & countermarched until I had no
[unclear: stand] upon my feet. I [illeg.] appreciation. Gen
l
[unclear: Carville] to be allowed to go & attend our wounded who were suffering
[illeg.]
[unclear: kind]. After so long a time I was paroled & sent to the hospital -
upon this whole I went much better treated than I expected to be. I [illeg.]
[unclear: with only]
[illeg.] officer who offered me any [illeg.] cover [illeg.]. I have not
[illeg.]
[illeg.]
[illeg.]
[illeg.] or my [illeg.] I think probably he escaped & maybe
[unclear: carried off one of my horses]
[unclear: The] of him was certainly [unclear: captains] I estimate my losses at
between [unclear: three]
[unclear: &four]
[unclear: hundred] dollars. I am present [unclear: considered]
[illeg.]
[unclear: have]
[unclear: harm an enemy]. They [illeg.] about fifty [unclear: hundred]
Sc[illeg.] over an [illeg.] of six or eight miles. The citizens are
exceedingly kind
[page 8]
- lavish upon our men many kindness - I shall leave for [deleted: ]burg as soon as I am [illeg.]
[unclear: from]
[illeg.] here & if possible I shall [illeg.]
[illeg.]
[illeg.]
[unclear: Caroling] - My experiences with this [illeg.]
[illeg.]
[illeg.]
[unclear: America] has been not at all formidable so I suppose [illeg.]
[unclear: Mc'Causland] & Johnston are to blame for not [illeg.] proper
significance. [illeg.]
[unclear: in] killed [unclear: hundred] & [unclear: first]
[illeg.] will possibly [illeg.] four hundred (400) I have written [deleted: ]
[unclear: hurredly] & [deleted: much]
[illeg.]
[unclear: We are] I expected [illeg.]
[illeg.]
[illeg.] to the Core of [unclear:
Brig
] Genl
[unclear: Bradley]
[illeg.] Johnston & [illeg.]
[illeg.]
[illeg.]
[illeg.]
[illeg.] Valley District [illeg.]
love to all- In haste
Yr aff. Son
Malcolm
