Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-10-11
The Situation in western virginia.

The GGLe Wiag extract of private letter from
soldier of Gen. GEE'5 army in Western Virginia,
gives graphic picture ca Grr energetic campaign
in that quarter:
To tell you any thing both new and trge E-uSs be
to give you little of the Hnwrtten histoy OF our
Northwest campaign history written for the
most papt IL the pallid cheek and wasted frame of
the hospital, yet contained as well in many a name
less wayside grSve aus shapeless mound where
are contained many who Aqbts ct least battle
dss4g.
Tie 5iyisien of the srmy,to which, was attached,
that entered FygaSt's Valley River, has met with
one long series Of obstacles TO success undue expo
sErs, want hard msnnsl labor, l5iRed Fiih the in
action that is the terror Of camps Finally after six
long weeks of enGapB4ent st Valley Mountain, We
moved forward to the attack, l6HfdeBt from the
meanest camp follower TO Lee himself, 6 great
victory after which we should chant 70 t-ii11Rbs
st Grafton, and then on to Baltimore indeed LG
ring gave out as the watchword-"Hell. Heaven. or
Bs'umors" THIN what do you think we did
Truly, we marched ASogt twelve miles, drove in
some pickets, thIeS Up littie eHtrenchment, and
6EdiHg that the officer OF brigade or sSue of his
subOPdInstes, had failed on Cheat Mocntair, orr
generals cohfesged their elaborate and magnificent
plan had failed, and fsiFly trrned tail and ran
out of the countrywide still 6slEa and cheerful,
apparently Loring cursing and swearing, and
crashing his teeth Gillian still untiring, energete,
f4sEy and useless.
TRen Lee mounted his horse and rode over to
KanswIiE, 20 a9d, perhaps, the cook too many to
the preparation Of tie coup which Floyd see med
well able to attend to. He let orders behind him
for Regiments to follow hiE3 aEa tta rest to
fall back from Valley Mountain, where sSaFTGri9n,
on account of the roads stared them in the face
Accordingly our troops took up position on Pix
Mountain, twenty miles this eide of Valley Moaa-
tai.i a4ir2ing in their retreat many articles and
the Yankess ere now able, as far Sc we are con-
cerned to penetrate twenty miles farther than two
months ago. Meantime is3ay Of our Regiments
are almost disorgaiIz through SICK an break
down. The Warm. the Hot, and the Healing |,
Springs are become hospitals, and Sho roads
are everywhere lined with the sick, and
often marked by Gle fresh sod that presses on
the dead All Shsse eylls and / hope they
abound here more than eIseWheFe, pake me turn
sgain and again to examine those theOFies Ehioh !
We have so often discussed to the great and even
good to be brought to US by war; |
scrutinize aS Try them in every way, if they will
stand; and than ks to or theories, or our selfde-
ceptiOn see no reason yet &c d2lbt that instead |
Of mourning we owe thanks for OEF soes eslam-
ty, which shall teach US to cling together, which
. i'll bring us back to natural wants and sensible
pxpen3it4re WbIch viii force most of US to subOF-
linate onr %shes to par duty, to sink self in eoun
ry, and which shall [the suA, Ga1 substance of ally
marx in its woe and travail. the hour OF nations
firth. WheR we are grey headed, yen and will |
ONE day rejoice over the great gplf which these |
hing will have fixed between US and eur enemies.