The New York herald., 1862-11-07
NEWS FROM THE kARAwRA VALLEY.
Our Charleston Correspondence.


Of Sah in Our Possessiem-Suppaes IN the vaiey-ihe
7owm Of CAa,ieson-pescviTtiow Of the Vaaes-is
I Mineral WeaHh-Ethnology Of Ge Peofle-The Valley
Gue1ilas-7hc Moccassn Ra~e9s-7he Politics Of ts
People of The VGiiey, dc.
The rebel army their retreat from here, took the
route the Raleigh Court House II said that
the rebel General Echos fully informed 10 the
numbers, Of regiments and commanders q Geners
Coxs army, which the Of their retreat They
have doubt fed to some Of the numerous mountain
passes separating this valley from Eastern Virginia.
whore they win make stand. II Is stated by the town
people this place that the rebels well supplied
with artillery, having less than four FIVE full bat
eros, besides numerous siege guns Ia thought that
General Echos' command will be reinforced In the
by General Floyds Virginia Legion OF eves,
numbering ten thousand mon with the usual pro-
portion of cavalry and artillery. 1As would swell their
numbers TO respectable size.
General Cox has pushed q strong column In the
direction Of Gauley bridge, the road pursued BY
the rebels In their retreat. This forenoon the column
reached the salt works near Maiden, and found
large quantities Of salt packed by the rebels and ready
for transportation The sancs Of this district the pos
session Of which deemed Of much Importance to
the rebels are in possession The machinery for
producing and manufacturing salt found uniniurod
and will be put In operation Immediately for the account
OF whom 1t may concern. The salt ready for shipment
after keepag enough for the use OF our army viii be
transported 10 Ohio and elsewhere Tho rebels, while
they possession Of the sanes cs improved their
opportunity secured large quantities of salt which
they sent To Eastern Virginia.
Wha. the plan or policy OF the rebels Is in regard TO
the possession Of the great Kanawba valley no one here
can divine. doubt much whether they seriously
occupying 1t tho ensuing wnier they
obliged draw ali their supplies from Eastern Virginia,
mountainous country of nearly two hundred miles
T. keep army large enough TO hold the valley. oc
cupy any portion Of IT. would be next 10 impossible The
val ey has been stripped OF almost everything, aud
nothing be obtained except little forage, and
the supply Of that viii out. AS said before
cannot how the psope Of the valley Can keep body
and soul together this winter unless they receive aid
from the favored regions. Their agricultural pur
suits the last season were neglected. PctTeen the
vaolang movements OF the two armies state OF inse-
curity existed which had the effect to drive away
the bes, agricultusts of the valley Hence the crops
have been unusually small. When army arrived
hero yesterday 1t discovered that the people were IN
half famished conditions sugar, butter, meat. bacon
and clothes up to fabulous prices and very scarce.
cannot quote prices, out they were up to the Richmond
| standard.
The town or Charleston s eligiby situated a bluff Of
land the junction OF the Great kanawha and Elk rivers
Ia ordinary times contained about 800 inh ibapts
engaged in agricultural manufacturing and In4ing Pdr
suits The place shows evidences OF being thrifty
village; but the dcsoatng hand OF war has set rs blight
| upon it, and It's commerce, its wealth and enter
| dapdated appearance. The Is surrounded by a
Gordon Of beautiful hills, skirted with fertile farms,
sufficient spare the Of the people
OF the district From the town extended view cf the
high hills peer above tho rest ON these the rebels erect
several forticatons commanding the city and its
proachcs but they never stopped 70 dispute our entrance
the city Many Of the inhabitants Of Charleston
peciaiy the young men, havo cast their lot with the
rebels Those who remain either too lazy to identity
themselves with the rebels afraid Of Yankee bul.
let's. Since army entered the they loud in
their professions Of devotion to the Union, but allow
1 wide margin for the sincerity of their sentiments.
L Nc cth
striking and characteristic Tall muscular frames ciUn
gated faces high cheek bones aud low narrow foeheads
appear be the general characteristics Of the native in
hab,ans. They are hardy set, as all people OF noun
tainoas districts They pracced hunters, skilled
in the of the rte and shotgun and generally
sdcred dead shots. From this class Of men the cee-
brsted guerilla chief jenkins has selected his band Of
hanging rear and flank We may hear Of their in
novhtious line than desirable. Their know
ledge Of the country unsurpassed and there Ii not
but what they are familiar with There another rebel
guerilla organization OF recent formation which promises
to give considerable trouble Is called the Moccasin
Rangers" II ID based the farmers BY day and sol
diers BY night principle. They bound together by
aud children OF Union and loyal The
organization has made some progress In their fendsh
work and tins region mourns the loss Of several Of its
this organization, as gains In Importance aud numbers,
will be extremely annoying TO US We must have strong
cavalry detachments scouting in dercnt parts Of the
valley, which have not now, aud hang these 'Mocca-
| sin Rangers" at sight wherever found.
the Kanawha valley and river. That description, some
what synoptca, was comprised whin the area bounded
BY Point Pleasant on !ae Ohio, and Rcd House on the
former place 70 this town The hills and mountains Of
the valley abound with mineral wealth These mineral
lands have never been fully explored tho owners Of
them have heretofore observed japanese secrecy in
working them and have smassed immense va e. WHAT
known OF the richness Of the vasy obtained through
nature herself the very wealth OF the is
spontaneously exuded, so that all man has to do is 10
md lcks I'm nd hrse
coal, gypsum, petroleum, iron ore, iron pyres salt, lime
and frcesone. Tha land owners Of the valley
their estates by miles In breadth and length. Hence
the wealth ID vested in sort Of landed arsiocracy II is
an arstocracy Of wealth and not OF intellect Il no
marvel here 10 nnd rich men wofuy ignorant Of the es
merits Of English education and not few cannot
their names inteIsiby person from the North.
pressed with peculiarly ha sh doms Of the inhabitants
and the protean uses to which the English language
sappied. II you ask farmer how macy bushels Of
wheat he raises his farm he viii reply. "Right
of wheat you state point In which he acluiesces,
he win be sure TO say, 81 reckon" or Z" expect, od
The Ranawha river from the Red House TO this point,
is deserving OF attention The between those points
widens and parrows you proceed The shoots
chanueIssome made by nature and others by artiace
increase IN size and IN the rapidly OF the the
boat proceeds up stream The river margin s skrtsd
with great trees whose multiplicity and mtiform roots
exposed TO view the earth having been washed away
by fre hets. Here And there these trees ing
horizontally the river bank eod by decay and ready
TO be washed into the stream a the first rise o the river
On each sdo Of the river ridges of mountains
anu nils, Tor
rreguariiy aud muiirorm shades, add dig iy to the
wild scenery In the neighborhood of this tho hills
have been cleared Of their woody inhabitants aud applied
TO the Of agriculture Upon them is raised splendid
crops OF wheat corn, oats, barley aud ryeaordng in
ordinary times abundant fsod for the inhabitants this
vicinity.
The people here in the valley secessonsts heart
though they loudly proclaim their Union sentiments.
They say they are tired or war SO are II 10
deriu with what coolness and indifference the greater
part Of mankind commenced. Those who hear Of
Il al distance or read OF II books or daily journals,
hui hava neve ayil 10
minds experience, TO consider II splendid game
proclamation, an army, hattie and triumph. The
life Of modern soldier Is III represented by heroic fiction.
War has Of destruction formidable than the
the sword OF the thousands Of thou
sands who perish very small part feel the stroke
OF the enemy. ! mean those who lanaulah In tents,
amidst damps and putrefactionpale torpid spiritless
nth na rsn,is hand 10 soothe ,hs,r avinr s ,,s'os
length breathing their last breath finally placed under