History of York County Pennsylvania, Volume I, Part 74

Author: Prowell, George R.
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: J. H. Beers
Number of Pages: 1372

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EARLY'S DIVISION AT YORK.

In the narrative found in a preceding page, General Early is entering the borough of Gettysburg. In some cars at the station his troops captured provisions which be- longed to the Twenty-sixth Pennsylvania Regiment. This did not satisfy his de- mands, so he made a requisition upon the borough for money and supplies, which the authorities were unable to furnish. He wrote this requisition while mounted on horseback in front of a store on Baltimore Street, of that borough. Gordon's brigade encamped for the night of June 26, in and around Gettysburg. The other three bri- gades bivouacked for the night at Mum- masburg, a short distance northwest. of the borough. After destroying about a dozen freight cars, General Early started with his division toward York. General Gordon with his Georgia brigade of 2,800 men, with Tanner's battery of four guns, moved eastward over the York and Gettysburg turnpike, passing through New Oxford, Abbottstown and bivouacked for the night in the village surrounding Farmers' Post Office, in Jackson Township. His troops pitched their shelter tents in the adjoining fields. General Gordon lodged at the resi- dence of Jacob S. Altland, a building which

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THE CIVIL WAR

in 1906, was standing along the turnpike, Gordon authority to make any arrange- near the centre of the village.

The Army of the Potomac under General Meade on the night of June 27, was concen- trating about Frederick, Maryland; most of the Pennsylvania militia was stationed at Harrisburg and in the lower end of Cum- berland Valley. At York were the Pa- tapsco Guards, sixty men, the City Troop of Philadelphia, and Bell's Cavalry which had come from Gettysburg. These with about 200 convalescent troops from the United States Hospital at York, were or- dered to Wrightsville by Major Haller, evening, and after reporting the result of commander of the post. their conference, a feeling of relief pervaded the town.

On June 15, a public meeting Committee was called in the court house, of Safety. presided over by David Small, chief burgess. Robert

J. Fisher, A. H. Glatz, Samuel Small, Daniel Kraber and Philip Smyser were vice-presi- dents, and David E. Small and David P. Shultz were secretaries. In compliance with a resolution adopted at this meeting, the chief burgess appointed a Committee of Safety composed of the following fifteen men: Frederick Stallman, William H. Al- bright, Gates J. Weiser, David E. Small, John Gibson, Erastus H. Weiser, Thomas White, Jacob D. Schall, W. Latimer Small, Colonel D. A. Stillinger, Colonel George Hay, George A. Barnitz, Frederick Baugher, Lewis Carl and Joseph Smyser. This com- mittee was empowered "to make any ar- rangements that they may think proper for the protection of town, county or state."

After a conference with the

Conferred Committee of Safety and a hazards.

with number of leading citizens of York, Chief Burgess David Gordon. Small, Colonel George Hay, W. Latimer Small, A. B. Farquhar and Thomas White on the evening of the 27th drove up to Farmers' Post Office and held a confer- ence with General Gordon. As the town was without defence, this committee met Gordon for the purpose of finding out what protection to life and property would be given by the Confederates when the town was occupied by them. General Early, the commander of the Confederate forces ap- proaching York with three brigades, was then going into bivouack near Bigmount in Washington Township, a short distance east of East Berlin. He had given General

ments satisfactory to himself about the en- trance into York. Gordon was a soldier by instinct, and possessed many excellent qualities. He was a native of Georgia, and at this time was thirty years of age. The conference he held with the committee from York, proved to be entirely satisfactory. He declared that he would destroy no per- sonal property and that his soldiers who were under the strictest discipline, would not disturb or molest the citizens. This committee returned to York the same

For several days a throng of human- itv had passed eastward across the Susquehanna for protection and safety. Many citizens for the same purpose had followed these refugees. The money de- posits, bonds, certificates and other valuable documents in the York Bank and York County Bank were taken to' Philadelphia, and deposited in financial institutions in that city. The valuable effects belonging to the banking house of Weiser Son & Carl had been removed to Easton. The valu- ables in the York postoffice were conveyed to Lancaster on June 27.

The railroads in southern Pennsylvania were taken possession of by the govern- ment. Colonel Thomas A. Scott, in charge of all military railroads, was then at Har- risburg, and had ordered all trains and en- gines removed to Columbia, and requested that the bridge should be defended at all

On Sunday morning, June 28,

Gordon shortly after. daybreak, General Enters Gordon, with his troops, one bat-

York. tery of four guns commanded by Captain Tanner, began the march over the Gettysburg turnpike toward York. The advance reached the west- ern end of Market Street, about 10 o'clock, just as the church bells were ringing for morning service. The excitement in- cident to the presence of an armed force of veteran Confederate soldiers caused the side-walks, windows and doors on West Market Street to be filled with people. Only one pastor made an attempt to con- duct religious services; but when the audience heard the music of a Confederate

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HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

band playing "Away Down South in Dixie," the devout clergyman dismissed the congre- gation and they too went to see the enemy marching through town. Near the head of the column rode General Gordon, a hand- some young man with a dignified bearing and courteous manners. He halted several times as he came up the street addressing the people and assuring them that although his soldiers wore tattered clothing, they were gentlemen and would harm no citizens.

Some time before a flag, thirty-five order to give him directions how to enter

Flag

feet in length and eighteen feet York on the following day. We had orders

Taken

Down. top of a flag pole which stood in Centre Square, between two mar-

ket sheds. It had been floating to the breeze in that position for a period of four days. When General Gordon approached Centre Square, he halted for a moment, then directed one of his aides to ride forward and pull down the American flag. Within a few minutes this banner was pulled down, and the southern soldier, folding the flag, placed it on his saddle, and rode out East Market Street, with the advancing column. (This flag had been made by patriotic ladies of York.) Its future history is unknown, but according to the version of a southern officer, it was placed on an ambulance wagon and taken away. Another flag was floating from a pole, twenty feet high, in front of Pierce's book store, on the north side of East Market Street, near Centre Square. This was also taken down by a Confederate officer, and carried away. General Gordon and his brigade marched on through town, and halted along the turn- pike, two miles east of York. Here they cooked their dinner, and rested about four hours.

Early at Bigmount.

On the morning of June 27, General Early marched from Mummasburg through Hunt- erstown, New Chester, Hamp- ton and East Berlin, and bivouacked for the night near Bigmount, in Paradise Township. The first brigade, composed of Louisiana troops, was commanded by Gen- eral Harry Hayes; the second brigade of Virginia troops was commanded by General John H. Smith; the third brigade, made up entirely of North Carolina troops, and previously led by General Hoke, was now in command of Coloney Avery. Early and his

staff occupied quarters for the night at the residence of Mrs. Zinn, on the farm later owned by her son-in-law, Clement B. Trim- mer, of York. In 1892, at his home in Lynchburg, General Early related to the writer that his officers and himself partook that evening of one of the best meals that he had eaten during the period of the war. Continuing, he said :

"Before retiring for the night, I rode four miles down to Gordon's headquarters, in

wide, had been unfurled from the from the commander-in-chief, and from General Ewell, in whose corps my division served, to enforce the strictest discipline among our soldiers. We were not permit- ted to pillage or destroy any private prop- erty. Gordon already had held a confer- ence with the deputation of citizens who had returned to York, before my conference with him. I returned to my quarters at the residence of Mrs. Zinn and slept soundly that night, believing that within twenty- four hours I would have crossed the Sus- quehanna with my command, sent Gordon on a raid toward Lancaster and Philadel- phia, and with my three brigades joined Ewell with Rodes' and Barnes' divisions in the vicinity of Harrisburg. These were my expectations when I arose from my bed on that beautiful Sunday morning. Just as the sun was rising in the east, the bugle was sounded and we took up the march toward York, passing a short distance south of Davidsburg over a wide road to Weigles- town, leaving Dover to my left. Some of my troops scoured the country, and gath- ered in many horses needed for our cavalry and our officers, for our own horses were tired and many of them nearly worn out. At Weiglestown I despatched Colonel French with a portion of his troops, about 200 men of the Seventeenth Virginia Cav- alry, to the mouth of the Conewago Creek. French was instructed to burn the railroad bridges which span the two branches of that stream near its mouth. They accom- plished this purpose early in the afternoon. A detachment of the Pennsylvania militia (the Twentieth Emergency Regiment), then guarding the bridge, skedaddled across the Susquehanna just as French's troops arrived. The cavalry late in the afternoon reported to mne at York.

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THE CIVIL WAR

"Soon after leaving Weiglestown, I des- sheriff's office, next to the last room on the patched Hayes' and Smith's brigades across west side of the building. There was then the country north of York to the Harris- burg turnpike. They pitched their tents around the Codorus Mills (Loucks') about two miles northeast of York. They planted their cannon east of the mills, along the hill- sides, overlooking the town, and threw up some earth works.

Enters

"I moved into York at the head of Avery's brigade of North Carolina

York. troops, and with them took pos- session of the Public Common, where the hospital buildings were stationed and the Fair Grounds, southeast of town. A few cannon were planted on an eminence (Shunk's Hill) southwest of York. My object in placing the troops in these posi- tions was for the purpose of being ready for a sudden attack of the enemy."

The appearance of General Early on the streets of York created a great deal of in- quarters, without any notification to the Committee of Safety or the chief burgess,

terest among the citizens. As a result of the conference held with Gordon the night he ordered the Court House bell to be before on the turnpike, a short distance east rung. of Abbottstown, all fears of destruction of A crowd of people soon assem- private property were allayed. The char- acter of General Early was well known to Meeting. some of the citizens, and every movement he made was observed with the closest scrutiny. Early was a soldier by nature, somewhat rash in his methods and at that time as well as in later years, was a pictur- esque personality. He was tall in stature, but not very erect in form. He wore a suit of gray, faded and somewhat discolored from a continuous march of two weeks. His long, shaggy beard was untrimmed, and his broad-brimmed felt hat showed evidences of long use. He rode a black horse, which is supposed to have been captured after he crossed the Pennsylvania line. Along the left side the animal was branded "C. S. A.," meaning Confederate States Army.

Accompanied by his staff, he passed through West

a long, high desk facing the entrance door from the hall. When General Early entered this office, he was accompanied by his adju- tant-general, John W. Daniel, of Lynch- burg, Virginia, then a young man of twenty-one, who the following year lost his leg in the battle of the Wilderness, and later in life served for twelve years as United States Senator from his native state. Colo- nel Daniel took a position in a high chair behind this desk and at the direction of his commander, wrote out a requisition, which Early afterward made upon the town. The provost marshal occupied, as his headquar- ters, the register's office, on the east side of the Court House near the front. It was nearly two o'clock when General Early had entered the town. Soon after he took pos- session of the sheriff's office as his head-

Calls a bled in the court room. The leading citizens of the town entered later and occupied seats within the railing in front of the judge's desk, and on two rows of chairs on either side of the room, used by the petit jury and the grand jury when court was in session. This was a peculiar meeting, for neither the county commissioners nor the chief burgess knew its purpose. The president judge of the county courts was one of the last to enter the room. He walked up the aisle and took a seat within the bar. The room was now filled to its utmost seating capacity and many persons stood in the aisles along the sides of the room. Without any signal the tall form of General Early, accompanied by his provost marshal, entered the front door and passed down the aisle. He pro- ceeded to the rear of the court room with side. Assuming an air of dignity, he

Headquarters in Market Street to Centre his sword and field glass dangling at his left Court House. Square and asked for the chief burgess, David Small, ascended the three or four steps and took a with whom he held a brief conference. His seat for a few minutes behind the judge's object in calling upon the Burgess was to desk. make a requisition upon the borough au- According to the rules of war, he had supreme authority in the borough of York. He had not declared martial law. There thorities for food and provisions for his soldiers. Then he proceeded to the Court House and took up his headquarters in the was no occasion for him to issue such

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HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

orders. He had entered the town without thousand pounds fresh meat, or twenty-one thousand pounds bacon or pork. any resistance and had thrown a cordon of defense entirely around it. The soldiers Following this was another requisition signed by Major C. E. Snodgrass, division quartermaster: Two thousand pairs of shoes or boots; one thousand pairs of socks ; one thousand felt hats; one hundred thou- sand dollars in money. who had fought under him for nearly two years wore suits of faded gray. As they were now in a land of plenty, which had not been laid waste by the ravages of war, Early intended to assert the power vested in a leader, commanding an invading force-the After Early had made these requisitions, the Chief Burgess arose from his chair and stated that, owing to the fact that the citi- zens had removed most of their goods and provisions across the Susquehanna, it was impossible to comply with his demands. advance of the Army of Northern Virginia, numbering 80,000 men, all of whom at this time had entered the boundaries of Penn- sylvania. When Early called this meeting, General Lee, at the head of two of the army corps, was at Chambersburg. The re- Two or three members of the Committee mainder of Ewell's corps was at Carlisle. of Safety endorsed the statements already Early did not know that Meade was then

made. In reply to these remarks, General concentrating around Frederick, Maryland, Early spoke in commanding tones, stating with the entire Army of the Potomac. He that he must have these provisions and the rose from his chair, and addressed the audi- ence, every ear giving the closest attention. There was breathless silence throughout the entire room.

"I have taken possession of your town, by authority of the

Addresses the Confederate government. My

Audience. soldiers are tired and worn out. could be obtained, and the same afternoon,

They need food and they need

clothing. My soldiers are under strict dis- cipline. They are not permitted to destroy private property or harm any citizens. Guards have been placed around all public buildings and hotels. Saloons and beer- shops have been closed. You are living in a land of plenty and have not suffered from the results of war, like my own countrymen down in Virginia. I want my requisitions filled at once. If you do not comply with my demands, I will take the goods and provisions from your stores, or permit my soldiers to enter your houses and demand such things as they need for assistance."

The condition of the people A at this time was one of the greatest suspense. They did not yet know what demands he would make. The requisition bearing

Requisition.

Thornton, commissary, was read as fol- lows: One hundred and sixty-five barrels of flour, or twenty-eight thousand pounds of baked bread ; thirty-five hundred pounds of sugar ; sixteen hundred and fifty pounds of coffee: three hundred gallons molasses; twelve hundred pounds of salt; thirty-two evening.

clothing, or he would permit his soldiers to take them. He then retired from the room and went to his headquarters. Before the meeting adjourned, a number of leading citizens were appointed to pass through the streets of the town and solicit all the money, provisions and wearing apparel that this committee turned over to the quarter- master, Snodgrass, the entire requisition for commissary and clothing that General Early had demanded. He expressed him- self satisfied with what they had done and commended them for their promptness. But they could raise only $28,000 of the $100,000 which he had demanded. This did not satisfy him, but the committee were permitted to return to their homes and the commissary sent the supplies to the troops encamped at Loucks' Mills, on the Public Common and the Fair Ground. The meat was cooked over large open fires. A bakery was opened in one of the buildings of the United States Hospital, on the Public Com- mon. All the soldiers partook of a hearty supper.

General Gordon, who had encamped for a few hours about two miles east of town, in the signature of Captain William W. obedience to orders took up the line of march to Wrightsville to take possession of the bridge across the Susquehanna. In the evening of June 28, General Early rode down to Wrightsville to take in the situ- ation and give instructions to General Gor- don. He returned to York the same

4II

THE CIVIL WAR

Early took his meals and lodged at the Metzel House, later Hotel York, a short distance west of the Court House.

During the forenoon of the following day, he rode with his staff to different places in the town, visited the camps at Loucks' Mill, on the Public Common and the Fair Ground, and received news from reconnoitering parties which had been sent out to the south and west, to find out if any Federal troops were approaching York. He had no communication from General Ewell, his corps commander, then at Car- lisle, since he had taken up the march from Gettysburg on the preceding day. The position of the Army of the Potomac was still an indefinite factor to him, and he waited with eager interest to receive dis- patches from General Stuart, commanding the Confederate cavalry corps, which was then moving toward Westminster, Mary- land, east of the Potomac army, and was expected to join him in the vicinity of York.

Demands

About 6,000 troops now held the town. These, together with

the Keys. Gordon's brigade, numbered about 9,000 men. That was the rank and file of Early's division during this campaign, before they entered the battle of Gettysburg. On Monday morning, Gen- eral Early sent for Robert J. Fisher, presi- dent judge of York County.

"I want all the keys to the Court House," he stated in commanding terms.

"For what purpose ?" asked the judge.

"To burn the county records."

"That would be barbarous. You prom- ised that you would not destroy private property. These records are essential for future use and should not be burned," was the response.

"I want to burn them as an act of retali- ation, because the Federal army some time ago burned all the deeds and records in the court house at Fairfax, Virginia."

At this point, Judge Fisher made an earnest appeal to the soldier standing in front of him, begging that he should desist from this intention, and leave the records of the York County Court House alone. His appeal produced an effect upon the there," said the General.

General, who said,

"Is there any property then, in York that is contraband of war?"

"Nothing that I know of," drily replied the judge, "except some cigars made out of Pennsylvania tobacco, raised in York County."

As the reputation of Pennsylvania cigars, generally known in that day as tobies, was not very good, Early shrugged his should- ers and said,

"No, I think we will not rob you of them."

What General Early doubtless meant by demanding the keys to the Court House records, was to impress upon the citizens of York, the necessity of raising more money, in compliance with his requisition. Heed- ing the appeal of the president judge, he re- turned to his headquarters in the Court House, where he issued orders and sent out communications to his brigade command- ers. What he really wanted was more money. His officers and men had plenty of Confederate script recently printed at Rich- mond, but it was almost worthless even in the south. His men were instructed to pay for everything they obtained in the stores and shops with this kind of money, but what Early wanted from the citizens of York was United States currency notes, popularly known as "greenbacks."

During the day various rumors

False were circulated in reference to Rumors. the conduct of the southern soldiers, but these stories were nearly all unfounded, for the officers en- forced rigid discipline. A story had come to town that the Louisiana brigade, en- camped at the Codorus mills, had ransacked the mills and had thrown the flour and wheat into the mill race. . The firm of P. A. & S. Small at this time operated the mills. Samuel Small, jr., called upon General Early and stated the rumor that had come to town.

"It cannot be correct. My troops dare not waste and destroy the wheat and flour or tear down the buildings. Go out your- self and tell General Hayes, who commands this brigade, that his men must obey my orders.'

"But I cannot go alone," said Mr. Small. "Take one of our horses and ride out

"I have a horse of my own concealed in a stable back of the Morris drug store, on East Market Street. If you will protect

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HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

me, I will ride that horse out to the camp and interview General Hayes."

Then the adjutant wrote out a pass which reads as follows:

Permit Samuel Small, Jr., to pass to Loucks' Mill on the Codorus to procure flour for the C. S. A.

By order of Major General Early. WV. G. Galloway, A. D. C.

"Colonel Snodgrass, my quartermaster, will accompany you part of the way," said Early.

Soon afterward, Samuel Small, Jr., be- tween Colonel Snodgrass and the colonel of a Louisiana regiment, rode out East Market Street, and down the Loucks' Mill road to the Confederate camp. When they arrived there, it was learned that the rumor about throwing away the flour and grain was untrue. All that had been done was to confiscate some of the flour and send it to the improvised bakery on the Public Com- mon, where it was made into bread, under the direction of the commissary depart- ment. The flour which the Confederates took at these mills was paid for, but not in

The man was Rev. Samuel L. Roth, a Mennonite minister of Jackson Township, who recovered his horse the same day from General Gordon. The two men met thirty the greenbacks, which had been given to years later in the Colonial Hotel, when General Early, but Confederate notes to the Gordon came to York to deliver a lecture on the "Last Days of the Confederacy."

amount of $8,000. This money sometime afterward was sent to officers of the army from York County, then in Libby prison at Richmond, Virginia, for use in buying provisions.

Soon after noon, Early called at the resi- from demanding the money.

dence of the Chief Burgess, on South George Street, near Centre Square. His sword hung from his belt on one side and a revolver on the other. When he entered the parlor, he said,

"The money I have asked for

Demands must be raised."

More "Our people have very little

Money. money here. They have sent it away. It would be impossible for our committee to raise $75,000," replied the burgess.

ued his demands for the balance of the money.

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History of York County Pennsylvania, Volume I, Part 74

Author: Prowell, George R. Publication date: 1907 Publisher: J. H. Beers Number of Pages: 1372

Author: Prowell, George R.
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: J. H. Beers
Number of Pages: 1372