The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1862-04-24
Our urArmpGorrtsponornts
Correspondence Of the News.
Letter from Gen. Shields Division.
EDINBURa, SHANANDoAH Co., VA. |
Anril G 1862

cations to my friends induced me to
write to them first, which left me no
time to fulfil my promise to you, until
now.
The Highland Ne,os has been receiv.
ed in camp and is read with anxiety and
interest by the "Highland Boys" In
fact, your correspondent, on receipt of
the Ne,os, stations himself in a conve-
nient place and reads to the "boys" "the
Metcs from HOWE" It would 'do your
heart good" to be with US then. How
the "boys'" eyes dance aud beam with
pleasure at the mention Of some we'll
known and familiar name or locality
A truly brave and noble man loves his
home and its associations.
We have driven the enemy thus far,
and have halted to rest and recuperate,
preparatory to another forward move
ment," or rather chase.
The rebels were very badly whipped
at Winchester, and their losses during
their retreat have been considerable.
This place-Edinburg-is on the Ma.
nassas Gap Railroad, and on the Win
chester and Staunton turnpike, and it is
thirty two miles from Winchester and
sixty miles from Staunton. This is the
best portion of Virginia, and is called
as you are aware, the Valley of Virgin
ia. The Shenandoah River passes thro
the valley and empties into the Poto-
mac River at Harper's Ferry. The soil
is a rich limestone soil peculiarly
adapted to raising wheat; the Shenan-
doah "Bottom" is 6rst-rate corn land,
which makes this Valley the granary
of Virginia. The face of the country
is gently undulating, fine, rolling table
land, and rich level bottom land or val
| Us. But the VALLEY" is neither rich
er nor more productive than our own
, Highland, and adjoining counties. -
The farms are not in as high a state o.
improvement as would be expected, for
which we may thank the Institution o
slavery.
The inhabitants Of the valley, where
we expected to find the "most inte ligcn
aud refined people in the world, are
as a general thing, conceited and iguo
rant; ignorant to that extreme that sur
prises US all. They are all, of course
secessionists. The men are blind fol
lowers Of their political leaders, having
no minds of their own; and but very
little energy, except to retreat aud ge
out Of the way of our troops. The wo
men are a set Of petticoated fools, will
but little deoency or refnem 1nt; if they
are possessed of much of either of thos,
qualifications, they take precious gooC
care to hide them underneath SON,
coarse taunt or joke about our soldiers
But they get better than they senC
sometimes.
Jackson's pickets are in sight, ant
cannon are booming every hour. Th,
enemy is supposed to be fortified abou
two miles beyond Mt. Jackson, which i
eight miles from here. If such is tn
case, you will hear of another battle il
very few days, and with great results
The next time we 6ght Jackson, it will
be with sufficient force to surround ant
capture him "body and breeohes." " w
don't know the exact force of the enc
my, but we estimate it at from fifteen t
thirty thousand men.
l would give you detailed Oecouu
of the battle of Winchester, but sup
pose some of my friends have handle
you letters frO& me, containing all
knew "about the fight"
We have splendid weather and ar
anxious to Ego ahead" and get into "Ol
Virginia" where some of US may get
sight at the land Of our ancestors, Q
"Culpepper Courthouse" and elsewhere
One, who professed to be one of tn
upper-crust ladies in this vicinity, yer
gravely Informed me yesterday that sh
Guessed dat de Soudeners had don
glib up, bekase, dem fellahs dat wa
toatin' the cannon told her dat dey WI
badly whipped" I"guessr they ha
better "gib up" the sooner the bette
for them
The rebels stripped this country con
pletely, not leaving enough for the W,
men and children to live on thre
OF months. Our army must nscessari
/" take forage, so, that "between us" the
will not be anything left, not even
fence rail.
of The Virginians are now roaping
very large whirlwind, which may det
them from sowing winds hereafter. Th
10 war, and the irruptiOn Of cur troops il
to the South, may be termed the grea