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Burn it to the ground! After witnessing nearly two years of ruin and destruction across Virginia, Lee's hardened warriors must have been tempted to retaliate by pillaging and burning a swath through Pennsylvania. But Robert E. Lee knew better. Pressure for peace talks was still strong in many Northern cities, so it would not do good to turn public opinion any further against the Confederacy. On June 22, 1863, Lee issued General Orders Number 72, admonishing his troops to avoid destroying private property. The order, however, did not stop "Ol Jubilee" Early from burning down Thaddeus Stevens" Caledonia Iron Works near Waynesboro.
