> That is one of the theories. His command apparently found out that day, in Oxford, from a newspaper, that Chambersberg Pa. had been burned.

Chambersburg had been burned almost a month before Oxford ... in fact, it was burned almost two weeks before Smith ever left Memphis ... so I'm sure Smith found out from plenty of Northern sources that Chambersburg had been burned before he left Memphis.

I see other people claim Smith burned Oxford in retaliation for Fort Pillow. Are there any first-hand accounts that give a reason for the burning?