burg. About seven o'clock I went into town....

"General Stuart sat on his horse in the centre of the town, surrounded
by his staff, and his command was coming in from the country in large
squads, leading their old horses and riding the new ones they had found
in the stables hereabouts. General Stuart is of medium size, has a keen
eye, and wears immense sandy whiskers and moustache. His demeanor to our
people was that of a humane soldier. In several instances his men
commenced to take private property from stores, but they were arrested
by General Stuart's provost-guard. In a single instance only, that I
heard of, did they enter a store by intimidating the proprietor. All of
our stores and shops were closed, and with a very few exceptions were
not disturbed."

This was certainly not like the usual behavior of soldiers on foreign
soil, and the incident at once illustrates the strict control which
General Stuart held over his men and the character of the men
themselves, largely recruited, as they were, from the higher class of
Southern society. Though Colonel McClure evidently felt that the lion's
claws lay concealed under the silken glove, he certainly saw no evidence
of it in the manners of his unbidden guests.

Return was now the vital question before General Stuart and his band.
Every hour of delay added to the dangers surrounding them. Troops were
hastily marching to cut off their retreat; cavalry was gathering to
intercept them; scouts were watching every road and every movement.
Worst of all was the rain, which had grown heavy in the night and was
now falling steadily, with a threat of swelling the Potomac and making
its fords impassable. The ride northward had been like a holiday
excursion; what would the ride southward prove?

With the dawn of day the head of the column set out on the road towards
Gettysburg, no damage being done in the town except to railroad property
and the ordnance store-house, which contained a large quantity of
ammunition and other army supplies. This was set on fire, and the sound
of the explosion, after the flames reached the powder, came to the ears
of the vanguard when already at a considerable distance on the return
route.

At Cashtown the line turned from the road to Gettysburg and moved
southward, horses being still diligently collected till the Maryland
line was crossed, when all gathering of spoil ceased. Emmittsburg was
reached about sunset, the hungry cavaliers there receivi