Franklin County: "Confederate Officer Who Burned Chambersburg Dies," by unknown, January 28, 1927
Summary: Obituary for General McCausland, the Confederate officer who ordered the burning of Chambersburg.
Levied on Hagerstown, won Battle at Frederick
Point Pleasant, W. Va, Jan. 23
Brig. Gen. John
McCausland, 90, one of two sole surviving general officers of the Confedrate Army, died at his home at McCausland,
near here, while asleep last night.
The veteran of the gray legions, whose pride was that he had never surrendered at last to the encroaching weakness of old age, which took toil of his naturally rigged phyique. He had not been ill.
Conspicuous In Maryland Raid
Although his name was linked with incidedts in several important conflicts of the Civil War, his share in the defense of Lynchburg Va., and his command of the raid which culminated n the burning of Chambersburg, Pa., probably are the most widely known of the activities of the man who was called from a professorship in the University of Virginia to command troops of the State to which he gave allegiance.
General McCausland was a conspicuous figule in the raid through Maryland in July, 1864. He levied tribute of $25,000 from, Hagerstown, won a cavalry fight at Frederick City and made the first attack at the ford of the Monocacy, across which he drove the Federal forces. Joining in the demonstration against Washington, D. C., the daring commander actually penetrated into the town of Georgetown, but was compelled to retire before Federal reinforcements.
Virtual Exile For Years
In his later years General McCausland insisted that his military service was not given to the Confederate Army but to the Army of Virginia. After the war so bitter was the feeling over the burning of Chambersburg that McCausland left the country a virtual exile and for several years wandered about Europe and Mexico before returning to settle on the rich river bottom lands which he developed into some of the finest farms in this region.
He was born in St. Louis in September, 1836, the son of a native of County Tyrone, Ireland.
Bibliographic Information: Source copy consulted: Kauffman's Progressive, January 28, 1927
