The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1862-07-13
0 a y Cumberland Gap, ana
enes Along nc.

"A Indianapolis Journal.
From a private letter Of an officer in
the SD regiment to friend in this city,
we extract the following glowing descrip-
ton Of the scenery along the road TO,
and at Cumberland Gap:
The road lay In glens Of the most
picturesque beauty, and over hills, steep,
lofty, heaven kissing; as old Hunter says;
the rocky bedded streams, clear, cool,
dashing, and dancing down'the mountain
sides; the rock-ribbed bluffs, the pines,
and hemloclls, aud every species Of de
ciduous trees, iringinggirtiug and crown
ing all away, away of; the blue hill
tops, like the waves Of a great ocean con-
gealed as they were dashing in their
widest moods, and around, at your feet,
the exquisite shrubs, the mountain lily,
the ivy and the laurel, scarlet, pink,
white, blushing through the bushes, form
constant panorama 70 the eve of the
wanderer. Without exaggeration | will
say that the ivy, towering evergreen
resembling the laurel, is the very prctii-
est Towering shrub / ever saw; LIST, The
colOrs are varying from the deepest pink
to pure white, shaded from edge TO cel-
ter; I'd, The flower is in punches, like
the snow ball or lilac, each one large
enough singly for bouquet; Sd, The
fragrance approaches, bat is fainter than
the lilac 4th, The Towering season be-
gan six weeks past, and II is in bloom
now. The shrub grows TO the height of
eight or ten feet, at the largest, and is
often from two to four feet high. The
Oleander and the Japonica are TO my eye,
inferior toit The laurel is also most
beautiful Towering shrub, somewhatre-
sembling it, now in full bloom, The
mountain lily has three yarieties-a low
shrub two feet high, with scarlet flowers;
a higher one, four feet high, with yellow
flowers, and still taller one, six feet
high, with white and pink flowers. The
latter has the very richest odor Of the
pink, and for yards around il loads the
air with perfume. just imagine a wee
little plant, five inches high, nesting
among stones and leaves, shedding from
its snow white petals the concentrated
essence Of the Mignionette. But ! have
only stumbled along,and have not seen a
quarter of what can be found in one day,
about ten days ago we crossed the
great Cumberland Mountain. Our ascent
commenced at sunrise, and at two in the
morning we were at the foot on the OPP
posite side The moon was full, the air
was as bland as the early days of June
in this mild climate are, the sky without
a cloud, the wind hushed, and all ma
ture in repose. The silent trees which
overhung our steep road scarce whispered
of our passage, and the rafting creek
trotted Otto the galley below, keeping time
with the thousands of swarming soldiers
whose feet battered hastily and strongly
upon the rocks As we reached the top
the moon went into eclipse, which had
become total as we reached the base. But
as we gained the summit a sight burst
upon us unequalled before in my expe-
rience. Down and away TO the right and
left lay PowelPs Valleyspread out like a
garden at our feet, the soft white haze OF
the moonlight, like a shadowy veil, just
shading the peaceful scene. The land OF
Beulah, TO the weary and foot worn pill
grim, seemed to smile no sweeter, and
spread out its lap no more kindly, than
this beautiful valley. We halted. II
seemed as il at length we were out Of the
wilderness. Then we wound our way
down, The moon gradually becoming OBJ
scured as we descended,an when We got
TO the bottom il was dark. A gray, hazy,
orb hung over the scene, no enemy was
there, and we laid down under the oaks
TO rest till morning.
al have never beheld grander scene
than now surrounds our camp. The elf,
towering into the air on right aud left
their green crests, the distant mountains
the city Of tents, the mounds, ramparts
rifle pits, forts, and magazines on the hill
sides, the clambering soldiers, their busy
preparations for living and fighting, The
martial music, the long wagon traini
trailing aud tolling like great white spot
ted serpents away of on the mountain
roads, all go TO make up the scene which
takes me back TO the days when thI
Crusaders went into the far lands amonl
the Judean Mountains, or Walter d.
Montreal encamped his Coudottieri OF
the valley Of the Apprentices"