June 24, 1863, The New York Herald
The news from the Pennsylvania invasion continues to be the most absorbing topic, and the intelligence today is exciting enough.
The enemy reoccupied Chambersburg at eleven o yesterday morning in considerable force. General Knipe, with his command, fell back to Shippensburg.
There were no signs of the rebels around Frederick yesterday. The train from there arrived at Baltimore last evening. The Union troops of General Couch’s corps were then in possession of the city.
The rebels gutted all the stores in Greencastle and Chambersburg, and robbed the whole country of cattle and horses. There appears to be very little doubt that an army of considerable force – of infantry, cavalry and artillery – is advancing upon Harrisburg. At seven o’clock last night the news was that the advance of our troops was entering the town of Carlisle, falling back before the rebels, and that the citizens were flying towards Harrisburg. The Eighth and Seventy-first New York regiments are positively stated to have arrived at Carlisle yesterday morning, looking well and in fine spirits. Yesterday afternoon the rebels, one thousand strong, were at Scotland, six miles nearer to Harrisburg than Chambersburg. The people were everywhere flying before them.
The rebels were said to be at Uniontown yesterday, which is only forty miles from Pittsburg, and consequently the excitement of the inhabitants of the latter place was intense. All business was suspended and the citizens were making anxious preparations for defence. They are digging trenches, extending for miles outside the city.
Affairs at Vicksburg appear from our intelligence of the 18th instant to remain unchanged. The fire of the enemy continues, but with little damage to our men.
There are no reports regarding the movements of General Hooker’s army. The President, General Hooker, Mr. Stanton and General Halleck, held a lengthy council of war yesterday, after which the latter started off on a visit to the army.
Our loss in the late fight at Aldie was very small compared with the desperate nature of the contest. One hundred and seventy-five will probably cover the whole number of killed, wounded and missing. During the engagement General Buford cavalry column operated on the right, and drove a large force of the enemy before them, capturing a number of prisoners, including two lieutenant colonels.
The loss of the rebels is most probably very much heavier than ours, though of course the exact amount is not known.
A detachment of General Pleasanton’s cavalry pursued the enemy yesterday beyond Aldie, and while returning they were attacked in the rear by a band of guerillas. In the rear guard was Mr. L. Walter Buckingham, the HERALD correspondent with General Pleasanton’s command, and whose letters have frequently appeared in these columns, hurrying on with his despatches. While the rear guard, so suddenly attacked, was attempting to overtake the main body, we regret to say that Mr. Buckingham was thrown from his horse and killed instantly. His body was recovered, however, and buried by his companions.
A despatch from Cincinnati last night says that the rebels who made the raid into Indiana on Sunday are still in that State, though their whereabouts is not known. It was supposed that they had pushed north of the Ohio and Mississippi railroad. It is reported that one thousand citizens of Indiana are encamped at Bloomington for the purpose of resisting the draft, and that they have pickets out for eight miles around the town.
We publish today a full account from our correspondent at Port Royal, S.C., of the capture of the rebel privateer Atlanta, or Fingal, together with the official account of Admiral Dupont, and an accurate description and history of the pirate herself. The privateers, meantime, are doing terrible destruction in our waters. The Tacony is said to have burned six schooners from Gloucester and three ships off Nantucket Island on Monday.