Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1863-09-16

/
= Weehiagten eosrssposdsat II he
\. teul) Rs1ablisep givss ~ Sells~-
- q1)Ais dsnsslption q che eoodi-
- oeaGsirs in thae pa<t Of Virginia
Hat has ts.n occupied By the army:
Ny trip was necessarily short aod
,ussisd, bet il brought to view enough |
70 convince me no section Of country
was ever 20 ssoorged BY civil warfare -
hat par. Of Virgins lying between the
Potomac aud Rsppshannock. They
Told me that TO see the worst ! would
aass 70 70 beyond Bull Rua Mountains,
bit cannot conceive more aPps Ling
picsnss Of universal ruia than that on
this side. Perhaps the msgoituds Of
A sxteoded survey may Increase the
bsass-rsnding appreciation, but it IL
impossible to realize . scene Of more
utter ruin than marked the path Of my
bsisf journey. The devastated section
extends from. Fredericksburg to the
Shessodoah Valley, and from Wash
lagoon westward to the B ne Ridge, in
Guiding the counties Of Fairfax, Prince
w lillian, Stafford, Fauquier, London,
s,s,n, BerkIev, Frederick, Clark and
CsIpspper. Six diffs,est timss hss this
vsst territory been overrun BY tho con.
tending a,m,es OF the Uoios and Rebel.
lion, aud the blight and destruction
marking il to-day will require the labor
and improvement Of half century Of
peace to remove.
In twenty miles travel outside the
Wss iogton Notifications, not stalk 4
growing corn 10 to be seen, and wild
psstusage for horse caunot be obtained
without travelling miles from the main
road; AID it is the same feature oil the
Wy to the Rappahanno K. Cultivated
farms arc nowhere to BE- found, except
in interior valleys Of the Bull Run noun
tsius. and even the small family gardens
are often wanting. Fences have long
sncs been burnt, and tho farming lands
which once teemed with luxuriaot crops
Of corn. whsat and tobacco, are now
overo,ows With weeds and brush, nn-
touch d by the plow. and unviolste1 by
The stock which grszcd in counties.
aumbe upon the surrounding hills.
II 10 along the roads that the scenes
Of desolation are seen in Their most pain j..
| ful aspect. Tho commoo Highways are
worn and marked almost hey ond trav-
| cling with . vehicle, and tho bridges
are washed away; while the railroads
running n. rth to ards the Shenandoah
Valley present every feature Of ruin an
,ecsy bridges and ouIverss are des-
,rov cd here and there the debris OF .
isabl. d locomotive or . emsshed train
piles the track, with the long, l"nk G. ass
growing amid the rnins rails are mis-
cling, and others are displaced !; embank-
meots have been washed away, causing
long gaps in the structure; ties aod
sleepe,s are rottiug, and grass grows
| luxurinnily between them.
All the mansione Of the once wealthy
people are deserted by the original oc-
cnpsnts, and are now occupied by col
diers, or BY the p ,orer classcs Of whites
who have been deprived Of their own
sheltering root by the cruel excigencc.
| Of var. Along the roads the occupied
houses are the exceptions. The major
lty are deserted, plundered and deisp'
lated, while frequently nothing remains
to mark where they once stood, except
solitary chimoeys, surrounded BY beap'
Ut ashes and charred timbers.
The ruins Of an:.old mill presen'ed the
noet interes ing sights among the many
20 be seen. 1t stood 10 the valley Of a
little stream coming down from the Bull
Rom Mountains, aud was the only etruc
ture to be seen in . view Of five miles,
The land around bad evidently once
,een cultivated, but was now fsnceles,
md overerowo with weeds. Near By
sas the blackened debris of what va.
nee the house Of the proprietor, and Z
short distance above vas the useless dam
with IT'S dry race. All the weather
boarding h.d been criE ped a, ~ vel
- the shingles, aud its wooden machin-
. y lay sca' tered around, while the huge
ws,er wheel-too ponderous to Do 70
moved IN . spirit Of wanton destruction
still retained its upright position
There it stood, . skeleton Of bare ribs
.lsepers and rafters, typical Of the desc
alton and destruction overtaking the
'nco blooming valley ecuoiug 10 it,
busy hum.
Tho immense destruction of timber il
another feature. All along the roads
can be seen the ashes and charred tim.
,srs Of camp firts and bivouacs, and in
some places the standing woods are de.
slroycd in large districts by the fire.
What the FIRE has left the axe he. fin.
i,hed. The whole elevated country pre-.
.eots the appearance Of . vast abattis
Much OF this timber was centuries old,
and vas the pride Of Virginia swners.-
It will never be replaced.
The number Of graves 10 startling
feature. They are seen every where
along the I'D they ill the woods, dot
the b llsides, and burthen the valley
sometimes singly. then two or three to-
gether, then dozens, and sometimes
hundreds-in the vicinity Of the battle
fields. Turn which way you choose, 20
~hetc you will, you will aud graves.
10 into the graveyards Of the Virgins
people, and you will find Union and
southern soldier sleeping with the an.
cestors Of the retels. Turn of the road
to reach house. aud you will find graves
on the Lawn 10 front. Stop 1t the we'll
for water, ADD you can see graves a.
you drink AID dive into the woods in