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[Page 2] McKinney, Everts & CO., Wholesale Grocers, Importers Teas, Binghamton, N.Y. Coffee and Spice Mills, Molasses, Tobacco, &c. -2- rested. I procures a coffin in Williamsburg in which the body was taken to new York where I accompanied it by Gen. Keyes’ order. The man who shot Capt. Hannahs was not a Lieutenant, as reported to you, but a private soldier. He was confined for a long time in a guard house in Yorktown and when tried was discharged for want of sufficient evidence. The inhab- itant of Williamsburg who alone could have identified him had left Williamsburg to join, so it was said, the Confederate Army. I have made the above statement in somewhat minute detail as Capt. Hannahs and the Capt. of the 6th New York mentioned in your letter are evidently one and the same. It is not surprising that an incident which occurred in a time of so great excitement should long afterwards be reported to you with some inaccuracies. Your letter states – “the fire began at five o-clock in the evening and the Confederate troops had retired early in the morning, be- fore ten o’clock.” If the dire began at five o’clock in the evening, it must have been the evening before I was sent by Gen. Keyes to Williamsburg as evidenced by the smoking ruins when I got there and also by the reports of the inhabitants. The Confederate troops had retired the morning of my arrival and at the time the fire began would naturally be in or near Williamsburg in readiness for their night attack on the 5th Penn. Cavalry. That regiment was driven so far towards Yorktown and so badly demoralized that no one of them can be supposed to have returned to Williamsburg to fire the college building. I have delayed replying to your letter of Nov, 27th in the hope of examining the depositions taken in 1867 contained in the Historical Catalogue of 1870, which you say I may probably find in the Lenox Library, but I regret not having found time to visit the Library. I hope you will excuse the length of this letter and will be- lieve it is inspired by a desire to arrive at the truth. You an readily believe that this whole affair left an indelible impression on my memory. I was 24 years old at the time, fresh from college, and felt a keen regret at the destruction of the college. I remain Yours very truly, E.P.McKinney