Horace Greeley, The American Conflict: A History of the Great Rebellion in the United States of America, 1860-65: its Causes, Incidents, and Results: Intended to exhibit especially its moral and political phases with the drift and progress of American opinion respecting human slavery from 1776 to the close of the War for the Union. Volume II.

[376] path was not irradiated by the sunshine of Hope. And now its heart was swelling with joyful trust that the enemy it had so long confronted was soon to be met in mortal strife where every circumstance of position and local knowledge would not tell in that adversary's favor.

Lee's army had for a few days traversed south-eastern Pennsylvania at will, burning railroad and turnpike bridges, breaking up tracks, severing telegraph wires, &c., &c., as was to be expected, and levying contributions on the country, though rendering a very general obedience to Lee's order,¹ exhorting and enjoining his men to abstain from all wanton destruction or of damage to private property. Col. White, with his cavalry advance, had reached the Susquehanna at Wrightsville;² where a bridge over the river was needlessly burned to prevent a crossing. Gen. Ewell that day occupied York, whose Burgess (David Small) went out several miles to meet him and surrender the borough, which was promised special immunity in consideration thereof; but was, immediately upon its occupation, required³ to furnish, in addition to liberal supplies of food and clothing, $100,000 in cash, whereof $28,000 was actually raised and paid over, with a good portion of the creature comforts likewise required. If this levy of money on a defenseless place, which had in all things evinced a meek and quiet spirit, is justifiable by the laws of war, it is difficult to see how the unsupported charges of rapacity and extortion leveled against Gen. Butler's rule in truculent and venomous New Orleans can be plausibly condemned or complained of.

J. E. B. Stuart, with a considerable proportion of the Rebel cavalry, was watching on our left flank when Hooker crossed the Potomac, and crossed himself⁴ at Seneca soon afterward; moving up on our right so far as Westminster; burning 17 canal boats, also a train of 178 army wagons, laden with army stores, and picking up quite a number of our officers who were hastening to join their regiments at the front. From Westminster, he made his way across our front to Carlisle, which he found evacuated; and, hastening thence on the track of Longstreet's infantry, was in season for the fray at Gettysburg; whereon Lee, on hearing that Hooker was across the Potomac in force, had hastened to concentrate his whole army.

Hooker was preparing, when superseded, to strike heavily at Lee's line of communications, which would of course compel him to concentrate and fight; Meade changed the direction of certain corps, moving more to