Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1863-06-30
From the ,,vindicator.l

tool ~ editorial article. entitled ssThe Good
Old Way.,' which occasioned me much surprise.
When the enemy were marching trlumpnantly up
the Valley, driving the small band OF veterans
under Stonewall Jackson before them, who, on
account of the paucity of his numbers, was COM
pelled RS to leave the main road, rereating to
Port Republic, thus leaving, as it was thought,
the town of Staunton at the mercy of the inyad-
ers the writer of that article did not show, at
that most opportune moment, even desire to
defend his home. When we were standing firm
" and defending his property and home at the
lpense Of some of the best blood in our army,
where was he ? Leaving his printing Office and
property he fed at the first approach of danger
| to Lewisburg, (not from fear of the enemy, but
simply of fighting IN defence Of his home, as the
enemy occupied the section to which he fed,)
where he remained until forced back by the con-
scriptIon act and fear Of the confiscation of his
property as an alien enemy.
| 1t is said that doctors rarely practice what
they preach, and in this instance, Judging by his
acts, ssthe good old way' when Tarleton threat
ened, which ne preacnes, would not be has good
| old tcGy."
This much I have thought proper to say in re-
ference to the editor Of the Spectator who so I'M
Justly assails officers who did their duty, and
who stood at their post, when he so shamefully
fled to escape fighting for has and his neigh
bor' homes. 1t may be proper to add that the
writer, although from another State, assisted in
the defense of this same EDITORS hoEae in that
remarkable Valley campaign, and is still
June 19-1t. A SOLDIER.
| ~ The above is the anonymous
communication, signed "A Soldier" the
absurd charges Of which we noticed
Hast week, and promised to notice them
further, as well as the author of them,
lie he would have the ssmanliness to an
lnounce his name.0 This he has not done,
land has, therefore, relieved us Of any
obligation to notice them again; but,
as the editor of the "Yindicator" has
given them q1asa endorsement, and
has eli bis pledge to send the "re-
futatiKn Of them to the identical set of
readers the charges have gone to-" we
have concluded to notice them more in
detail, and with as much seriousness as
the ridiculous and absurd characters of
the charges will admit. We publish
| the whole commune cation, that our read
ers may see that we meet every propo-
, |sition it contains fairly, squarely and
fully.
| We will present in the order in which
they occur every proposition contained
; in the communication, and will notice
: them in the same order.
/. 1t is inconsistent in us to recon
! mend organization for Home Defence,
f because we did not 60 to meet the en-
, envy when they were driving Stonewall
Jackson and his veterans up the Valley.
2. That 'sthe enemy occupied the sec
ton to which we fed"
Il 3. That we were "forced back by the
! Consumption act.
J, f. That we feared the 'sconfscation of
our property as an alien enemy"
5. That he makes these charges a.
f gainst us because we "unjustly assailed
officers who did their duty"
6. That he, a soldier from another
State, assisted in the defence of our
home. IS
f In reply Il the foregoing. charges, we
lsay-
/ /. At the time to which he refers,
when the 'senemy were marching trium-
phantly up the Valley" driving jackson
and his army before them, there was no
organization here, and, as consequence,
no citizen thought of going to meet the
enemy. Gen. jackson and his army left
the Valley road at Harrisonburg and
marched to Swift Run Gap-a gap in
, the Blue Ridge mountains. 1t was tho't
| here at the time that Jackson was on his
way to Gordonsville. The enemy were
lin full force near Harrisonburg, and
there was not soldier between this
place and that to offer any resistance to
their march to this place. Because we
, did not 60 solitary and alone TO dq1;ue
back the aohoZe Yankee army, or else Sur
round them and take them all prisoners,
/ he thinks it extremely and strangely in
consistent In us now to recommend or
E ganization for the purpose of meeting
pIundering parties of the enemy if they
ishoald make their appearance in this
q section of the State. As we said last
week, he seems to think that we possess
in our single person the military prov
ess of Achilles multiplied ten thousand
n fold, which is rather more than we real
t y possess. If he had been half as good
i a soldier as he gives US credit for, the
J "enemy would never have marched tri-
umphantly up the Valley, driving Stone
, wall Jackson and his veterans before
them" Upon his principle, it would be
) impossible to establish any organization
for Home defence in this county, as none
could join consistently save those who
marched to meet the enemy at the time
to which he refers, and as none did so,
! none could join such an organization.
: 2. The enemy did not occupy Lewis
burg when qoe aoesat there, on the con.
| trary it was held by considerable Con
+ federate force under the command of
Brig. Gen. Harry Heth, and the enemy
: were not in any force, nearer than the
Kanawha Valley.
3. We noticed last week the absurd
ty of the charge that man who was
within the lines of the enemy where the
) conscript act is of non effect could be
: forced back by the CONSUMPTION act''
+ into the Confederate lines where alone
: that act could effect him in the slightest
: degree. The man who leaves the lines
r of the enemy to enter the Confederate
5 lines, shows, by that act, that the econ
scription act' has no terrors for him.
4. The fear of the "confscation of our
: property as an alien eaaenay never enter
: ed into our head, and we suppose such