The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1862-04-23

| where our army Is stationed, and vhs wish to
return to their homes.
/ Al Woodstock fosnd L. d. F. Peore, fer
mery Of the Republicans Office, who was much
surprised to see NE. The next morning, mount
ed on good horse, in company with Mr. r, i
started for Edinburgh. the place where our ad-
vance lay, in hopes that nigh, there zee a live,
| fighting rebel. As we neAred the village. the
sound Of cannon informed US tha. something
was going on. We passed through the village
and made our way in the direction Of the bate
,es, but they soon ceased firing. the rebels hAv-
| ing retreated from their position. The rebels
| occupy one side of the river and our forces the
other, and every day they practice throwing
shells at one another for amusement No one
| has been injured on our side by this practice,
although it has been kept up every day for
couple of weeks, and probably 10 one on the
side Of the rebels.
After looking around Edinburgh for an hour
or more, We s-tlaced our steps for Woodstock,
riding home through drilling rain which made
heavy attempts to turn to snow. Arriving at
our quarters we made ourselves as comfortable
as could be with hard bread and bacon, and cot.
fee sveetened with good sugar, and favored
with horse HAIRS dish that must be tasted to
be fully rcalized-after which We walked out
short distance to see the town and to find Ere
by which to warm.
Very few men are lief. in this vicinity, and the
ladies' remind me, in their looks and appearance,
of the song which the beys sing in camp, which
reads
'There sad hearts in Dixie they hear the Yankee
drum,
And We go marching On" &c.
l have not seen but oEe woman in this section
with smiling face, and think that smile Was
caused by my asking her if ''shs didn't want TO
marry" In this section . great many Of the
negroes have left, some Of them going with our
army as cooks, servants, teamsters, &c, and 9TH
ers striking out to some new country for them
selves
The next morning, Tuesday, bid farewell to
the boys, and started for Winchester on board oil
a suffers wagon, the rain storm Of the previous
day having turned to snow. About IL o'clock
We arrived at Strasburg, stopped and took din
nsr, got rid Of another pestilence note, aud went
on our way rejoicing. About o'clock We ar
rived at Winchester, put up at the "secesh" ho-
tel, and waited the departure o. the cars for
| IIarper's Ferry, which WAS 70 be at . o'clock in
fast, started for the railroad depot, and ascer.
tanned, upon arrival there, that no trains would
leave that day, and perhaps not the next, in con-
sequence of the train OF the previous day hav-
ing run off the track and cut up divers and sun
dry bad freaks, such a. smashing up cars, tear
Ing up the track, &C., &c.
| Here found gentleman. who, like myself,
was in great hurry to get back into the land of
plenty, and We readily struck a bargain to ac-
company each ether to harrisburg, on the Bal
timore and Ohio Railroad, % miles distant. We
started out and had not gone far before ascer.
tanned that he was from the .land of wooden
autmegs," and was following up the army with
travelling bake oven, making pies, cakes, &C.,
for the soldiers
| "hake-oven" stopped aud ruled up his p nts
and then We went in ike old soldiers l found
him good match for me, and We waded the
mud and streams at rapid rate, and, turning
the four mile post, found We had been out only
an hour and three minutes. After travelling six
miles We were overtaken by a couple of four
horse teams, Of whom We begged = ride to Mar.
tinsburg, where We arrived at O'Clock P. NJ.
Tho country along this road was strewn with car
wheels, railroad iron, spikes, tools, machinery,
&C., taken by the rebels from the Baltimore and
Ohio road at Martinsburg, and attempted to be
carried to Richmond by overland
At Martinsburg We stopped at the o. s. Ho
tel, kept by H. Staub Son, as good Union ner
as can be found anywhere in the States. From
the clerk of this hotel, Mr.. W. Ii. Hasletise,
learned great deal of the destruction of prop
erty in and about Martinsburg by the rebels
4s locomotives, about 200 freight and passengs,
cars, 5000 tons Of coal, and other property were
burned here by them, together with all thu
bridges they could reach. The machine shop.
of the railroad were emptied Of their machinery
aud the turntables destroyed. Ten of the loco
motives are still here, the balance of them hav
ing been taken away to be repaired.
This county gave a majority of goo against So
csssion, and as consequence the inhabitant
were subjected to all manner of insults and abu
ses for their loyalty. At the hotel in this city
found good accommodations and enough to eat
and it was the only place found in this sectiol
that seemed like home
RI At o'clock Of the next day I started for tn,
depot to take the train for Washington, and at
ter waiting until in the evening, 1.-THE train be
| ing hours behind time,) got fairly started
D All along the road, for about Ave miles, are th
ruins of cars strung along the track, and At on
/ place noticed As many As fifty coal hopper
thrswn down q steep smbankment into streau
below.
q Everything through this section of countr
Was destroyed that could be, and nothing re
/ mains that does not show, in some manner, tn
marks Of their villainous hands.
q The country through this section was cevere
d with snow 70 the depth OF six inches or more
r which strongly reminded me Of what saw whe
at home. This 10 by far the largest tall of sne
= that has visited this section in long time, Q
1 though they frequently have light SHOWS i
' April.
v In the due course Of time We arrived at Ha
"a per's Ferry, and BY the light Of the moon ",
- able to sea the ruins Of the Oov~rcc,ont h,,;L