converging at what was called the " Diamond," about the centre of the town. A battery of four small pieces occupied an eminence, which occasionally threw shells over the city, which, I suppose, was done to intimidate rather than harm.
TRIBUTE OR SACRIFICE.
When the men had arrived at the objective point, the citizens and City Council were summoned before General McCausland, and Ad- jutant-General Fitzhugh read them the order of General Early, levying a tribute of $100,000 in gold or $500,000 in United States currency, for the burning of property by the Federal army in Vir- ginia. This little pamphlet I mentioned above, written by Rev. Dr. Schenck, has this to say on this point:
" Captain Fitzhugh exhibited to J. W. Douglas, Esq., an attorney of this place, a written order, with the name of Jubal Early to it, directing that Chambersburg should be burned in retaliation for the burning of six houses in Virginia by Hunter. The burning of Cham- bersburg was then ordered by one of the corps commanders of General Lee's army, instead of a guerilla chief, thus placing the responsibility squarely upon the shoulders of General Lee. We have, in support of this, the statement of Rev. Mr. Edwards, Epis- copal clergyman of Hagerstown, who was taken as a hostage after Chambersburg had been destroyed. He was brought to General Early's headquarters at Williamsport, and there paroled to effect his exchange. General Early there informed him that he had directed Chambersburg to be burned in retaliation for the destruction of prop- erty in Virginia by Grant, Meade and Hunter, and that the account was now square."
They seemed to think we were jesting and bluffing. They asked for time to consider, which was understood by our men to gain time so that Averil and Couch could reach there. An hour was granted, at the expiration of which they (the citizens and Council) announced that that amount of money was not in the town, and they would not pay it if they could. A detail was at once made and ordered to fire the town, and in one hour the business portion of the beautiful city was blackened, smoking ruins. The main part of the town was enveloped in flames in ten minutes. No notice was given, except that if the terms of the order were not complied with, destruction would be the result. This little book or pamphlet, which I have quoted from before, says:
