ogan of
the Twelfth Illinois Cavalry, and the news spread with much rapidity.
But there was no strong force of cavalry available to check the
movement, and Stuart's braves passed steadily forward unopposed. Their
line of march was remote from telegraph or railroad, and the
Pennsylvania farmers, who did not dream of the war invading their
fields, were stricken with consternation when Stuart's bold riders
crossed Mason and Dixon's line and appeared on their soil.

It was hard for them to believe it. One old gentleman, whose sorrel mare
was taken from his cart, protested bitterly, saying that orders from
Washington had forbidden the impressment of horses, and threatening the
vengeance of the government on the supposed Federal raiders. A shoe
merchant at Mercersburg completely equipped Butler's advance guard with
foot-wear, and was sadly surprised when paid with a receipt calling on
the Federal government to pay for damages. While nothing was disturbed
in Maryland, horses were diligently seized in Pennsylvania, the country
on both sides of the line of march being swept clean of its farm
animals. Ladies on the road, however, were not molested, and the men
were strictly prohibited from seizing private property--even from taking
provisions for themselves.

Chambersburg, the goal of the expedition, was reached on the evening of
the 10th, after a day's hard ride. So rapid and well conducted had been
the journey that as yet scarce one enemy had been seen; and when the
town was called on to surrender within thirty minutes, under penalty of
a bombardment, resistance was out of the question; there was no one
capable of resisting, and the troops were immediately marched into the
town, where they were drawn up in the public square.

The bank was the first place visited. Colonel Butler, under orders from
his chief, entered the building and demanded its funds. But the cashier
assured him that it was empty of money, all its cash having been sent
away that morning, and convinced him of this by opening the safe and
drawers for his inspection. Telegraphic warning had evidently reached
the town. Butler had acted with such courtesy that the cashier now
called the ladies of his family, and bade them to prepare food for the
men who had made the search. That the captors of the town behaved with
like courtesy throughout we have the evidence of Colonel A. K. McClure,
subsequently editor of the Philadelphia _Times_, who then dwelt in the
near vi