Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1862-03-13
ErOIn Cnnt. Drnkn'S (nmnanY.

FAYETTEVILLE, Va, Sunday, March ., 1862.
FnEND EsrILi.--lfany o. my Ohio friends were
to ask me what the chief production of Western
Nr-inia is, and particularly Of the section in
which | am lCcated would unhesitdtingly and
most truly answer--Mud not mud in its simplest
form, but mud of the muddicst and most complex
nature in comparison to all other muaS, it is mud
in the superlutive degree. To form vague
idea Of the condition Of the roads, thoroughtares,
&C., here, YOU have only 20 vista pig.sty in De.
ccnber, then conceive it to extend over Il greater
area and the picture will suffice fora shabby rep.
rcscntation. We talk of mud, walk on or rather
in mud, live on mud, we don't eat it, and, by
consulting the papers, we find mud to be the
principal topic the war only excepted. The man
who can navigate the streets without pair of
high topped boots don't live here, for, be it known
that the "Sacred Soil" is in a partially liquid
state, and is "luying around loose" general "
BY The way, don't see anything so sacred" in
this "soil" but am rather inclined to think that
most person. here, soldiers particularly, would
prefer shaking it from their feet" than ether
wise Talk rs much as you will about Cotton
being King" down in Dixie, | am authorized to
contradict such rumors, and state that "Alud is
monarch and most despodc one, too. How
ever, the condition of roads could not be expect
ed to be otherwise whore supervisors are minus,
and civil authority delunct, where the rains are
Poor, iadcd, dccrept horses and mules compose
our trains. and the defunct bodies of the poor
brutes often noticed by the dside, attests
plainly to the hard lot Of the animal whose un.
lucky stars have consigned him to labor in this
unhospitable and drcary country. Capt. Skiles'
company being detailed some time ago to repair
roads, &c., in town and vicinity, took in hand the
construction of side walks the plan of which
might be recommended, not only because of its
Ittf .
tai. 1t consists of logs, II or Is inches square,
laid lengthwse, thus rendering it less unpleasant
than formerly to promenade through town ,pr1vid
ed, You 90 single file, one Objectionable feature if
there were any pretty fcminincs here, but there
are none or If you don't meet any one, when one
is obliged to switch off into mud.puddlc; or if
You don't get tight and lose your equilibrium, in
which case You would be most likely to leave
the imprint of your fair proportions in accOmno
dating mud near at hand but this latter can
hardly be clusscd amongst objections, when Sut
lcrs, a sort of men. vultures, charge dollar Il
pint for common rotgut, and aggravate the mat.
ter by labelling it Brandy, and selling it only on
the order of Il commissioned officer, ardent spirits
being "contraband," ;" but which however cSm.
missiOncd officer can get, not because he really
has any more authority than have, but it is done
on Tie principle, suppose, that a.pair of shoulder
straps dimnihcS man, and hata drunken officer
can better preserve his dignity than a common
soldier who occasionally wants to celebrate an
event, and INDUCES little accordingly. Some
people at home appear to entertain the notion
that common soldier is devoid of dignity, or
any characteristics which appcrtain to Il rcspccta.
BILE citizen, that he a mere machine to be moved
at the will of his SupcriOrs, who get all the praise
for heroic deeds and brilliant dashcs which others
performed unrcc gnilcd Quite recently Co
lnmbus paper in noticing the arrival Al Camp
Chase of some prisoners, stated that they were
taken by Col. SClmmln: when the truth is Col
Scammon wasn't nearer than 30 miles when the
prisoners were taken. it being all done by a squad
of soldiers under charge of Sergeant Of Co. f.
23d Regiment. 1t is true, a mans Individuality
is almost swallowed up when once n soldier, while
Col. or Capt, Somebody is so highly spoken of,
nothing being said of Corporal or Private Smi Ii
or Brown who did the work. While admit the
necessity of good, moral officers, at the same
time, it must be confessed that good, moral, dig
ulcd soldiers are impcralvely demanded i'll order
to make an army brave and successful one.
or such is our army principally composed hun
drcds and thousands Of good intellect are enlisted
in the cause and are serving in the ranks and
in fact, the flower" Of the North Is actively
engaged in dcicnsc of the country. | mentioned
Suffers, but in NJ very complimentary wa be-
cause think, asa class, they lily deserve such
notice, although there may be some honorable cX.
ceptions, but we're not blessed with them here -
An individual who has for sale only such articles
that, at home, would be condemned a. vely inie-
riOr ones, and for which five times the usual price
is asked, and if the buyer demurs, the seller is
ins)lent and unaccom violating in manner because
he has no fear from competition, | can view
aim in no other light than an arrant knave and
swindlcr, who coOlly rObs soldier, while his
family at home is suffering for the neccssarics of
life. Such characters will hardly compare favor.