was received by Rev. S. J.
Niccolls, Presbyterian pastor, written on an envelope with a pencil:

REV. MR. NICCOLLS:

Please write my father and give him my love. Tell him, too, as Mrs.
Shoemaker will tell you, that I was most strenuously opposed to the
burning of the town.

B. B. BLAIR,
Chaplain, and son of Thomas P. Blair, Shippensburg, Pa.

That there was a most formidable opposition to burning the town in
McCausland's command was manifested in various ways. In the morning before
daylight, when McCausland was at Greenawalt's, on the turnpike west of
Chambersburg, a most boisterous council was held there, at which there
were earnest protests made to McCausland against burning anything but
public property. McCausland was greatly incensed at some of his officers,
and threatened them with most summary vengeance if they refused to obey
orders.[6] Many, however, did openly disobey, and went even so far as to
give the utmost publicity to their disobedience.

The Order to Burn Chambersburg.

Captain Fitzhugh exhibited to J. W. Douglas, Esq., an attorney of this
place, a written order, with the name of Jubal A. Early to it, directing
that Chambersburg should be burned, in retaliation for the burning of six
houses in Virginia by Hunter. The burning of Chambersburg was therefore by
an order from one of the corps commanders of General Lee's army, instead
of the work of a guerrilla chief, thus placing the responsibility squarely
upon the shoulders of General Lee. We have in support of this the
statement of Rev. Mr. Edwards, Episcopal 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 property
in Virginia by Grant, Meade, and Hunter, and that the account was now
squared.

Retribution.

Several of the thieves who participated in burning Chambersburg were sent
suddenly to their last account. An officer, whose papers identify him as
Major Bowen, 8th Virginia cavalry, was conspicuous for his brutality and
robberies. He got too far south of the firing parties to be covered by
them, and in his desire to glut his thievish propensities, he was
isolated. He was captured by several citizens, in the midst of his brutal
work, and was dispa