June 18, 1863, The New York Herald
The Harrisburg Telegrams.
HARRISBURG, June 16 – Midnight.
Two of our reporters have just returned from in front of the rebel pickets, who are picketed forty-seven miles from Harrisburg, at Scotland Bridge, which they burned this morning.
A party of fifteen set fire to the structure.
The rebels are encamped at three points around Chambersburg, and are thirty-five hundred strong, under General Jenkins.
The rebels say that a brigade under General Rhodes is coming, and that they have seized two hundred horses to mount their infantry.
The rebels have fifteen pieces of artillery.
This morning a skirmish took place in the town between some rebels and some men from Carlisle Barracks. No lives were lost.
General Jenkins has ordered all the stores to be opened.
The rebels made prisoners of seven citizens, but injured no private property.
At Scotland Bridge the rebels spared a warehouse and two cars merely on the statement that they were owned by individuals.
They seized the flour mills near Chambersburg, and have placed a guard over them.
Today the rebels were three times drawn up in line of battle, expecting an attack from our forces at Harrisburg.
At Greencastle matches were arranged so as to set fire to the government property at a moment’s notice; but no property had been burned up to noon today.
Citizens were allowed to leave Chambersburg at first; but permission was afterwards refused.
At this late hour it is only possible to state that every appearance indicates that this raid of the rebels is only one of a usual character, and does not design any attack upon our cities, their object being to obtain horses and forage.
Additional artillery is on the way here for our fortifications.
The rebel force in Chambersburg have sent a special messenger to their forces in Greencastle, asking for reinforcements, as the Union forces have fortified and are supported in great force.
The rebels have, therefore, formed in line of battle to receive us.
Over five hundred government wagons, with government stores valued at $20,000, accompanied by contrabands and refugees, arrived here from Martinsburg today.
They left Martinsburg at four o’clock on Sunday evening, travelling very fast. The horses are very much jaded.
The refugees represent that the rebel attack at Martinsburg was by a force of four thousand mounted riflemen – a detachment from the main body of the rebel cavalry, which numbers from twelve to fifteen thousand.
General Milroy held this force at bay with but five hundred men until the government stores and wagons, which were the main object of the attack, could be got off heavily loaded. They succeeded in escaping all pursuit, and are safe in camp here. The drivers are nearly jaded out.
HARRISBURG, June 17, 1863.
The aspect of affairs to far as can be judged by the reports from the border seems to be this: –
The rebel force occupy Hagerstown and such other points as leave them free to operate either against Harrisburg or Baltimore.
Apprehensions are entertained by the people of Altoona and other points on the line of the Pennsylvania Railroad that the rebels will strike for the West, and then go back to their own soil by way of Pittsburg and Wheeling.
The fortifications constructed on the hills opposite Harrisburg are considered sufficient protection for the city, and an offensive movement on our part is not unlikely.
The panic is over here, and the people are disposed to underrate the danger of the line of the Shenandoah becoming the seat of war, though there is high authority for stating that such an attempt may be made by General Lee.