The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1863-10-13

Having recently come to this county,
propose to give some account of my trip lol
the benefit of your readers. You are awar,
that the cars now run only to Milbon, whicl
makes some twenty miles n ore of staging Il
Lcwisburg. Nevertheless one can make tht
trip from Staunton-by way of the Bath
Alum aud the Warm, Hot, and Healing
Spriugs-in thirty-six hours. These water
ng-places, aud especially the one from which
this letter halls, present, as you may sup
pose, i striking contrast to their appearance
before the war. Then, even out of the spring:
season, they afforded evidence Of tie ga,
crowds which had but lately throngcd them
now, they vie with the surrounding noun
tains in 4 solitude which is painfully op
pressivc. For i couple of days the Hot
Springs was an exception to this remark, be
ing the scene Of a large sale of personal pro
perty, the premises having recently changed
hands at the price of 100000 On this oc
casiOn bidders were present from the re gion
around and even from Richmond, and fIrni
turc was sold at fabulous prices.
The mere springs-gOer, who fre1uents
these watering-placcs to escape the heat q
the lower country, t" whiri in a fashionable
throng, or to use the healing waters, what
ever other object he may secure, cannot fully
appreciate the true beauty and glory oil
mountain scenery. To do this one must
spend the first days of October amid tht
mountains. Then, and then alone, do those
grim piles attire themselves with gorgeous
ness which might betit an Eastera Queen
For man To die is to become lOathsome, bu,
Nature is most beautiful in her dying hours
And this is specially true in the mountains
Certainly nowhere else is the alltumnaI
foliage so varied and so glOrions in its hues
Whetheritis due to the popularity of the trees
Or of the climate, do not know; but Though
| have often iii Eastern Virginia enjoyed the
scenery of autumn, ! have never witnessed
such glOries as now surround me. Yonder
is a tree which is not unlike large bouquet
Its symmetrical form is varied with emerald
and golden, and purple. Methinks giant
need not desire better bouquet to present to
his lady-lOVe; but he must be huge one,
indeed, for the tree towers with a majesty
scarcely inferior to its brilliant beauty. And
look ut yOn mountain side. 1t is Il wall OF
foliage OF every hue, and looks as il dressed
with myriad flowers. Well may the clouds
be excused that they have come and nestled
so lovingly on its crest. At every turn yOu
have 4 scene the same, and yet new am
but Il poor word painter, but he who has
painted these mountains has varied and am
pie colOrs, and has made such pictures rs to
be appreciated must be seen. How lavish
the power which creates such scenes in these
solitudes, and to pass away even while one
gazes nj them in wonder and admiration
AS passed the scene of the Dry creek
fight, ! could see in the trees and houses
and fences the evidences Of its spirited char
acter. A very intelligent lady at the toll
gate, who witnessed the whole, showed us
where the different forces were stationed,
and described the events with considerable
nava!te. From the accounts of prisoners
the intention Of the enemy was to destroy
the White Sulphur. Yon will perceive how
narrow was the escape when tell you that
the enemy had advanced from Callaghan's,
the road behind, and had gotten
within q mile OF Dry creek, when our troops
came into the turnpike at Dry creek by the
Authony's creek road, quite unaware that
the enemy were in AIch close proximity
Had they been few moments later the enc
my would have passed, and probably would
have accomplished their 1icndish purposes
AS il is, L few OF them are here as wounded
prisoners. Everybody out here expresses
chagrin At the escape OF the Yankee force.
They had 10 open the road which they had
blockadcd, their ammunition was exhausted,
they were weary and dispirited, fully expect
ed to be captured, and had white flag ready
to haul up at the first approach Of our men,
Every one is asking why Imboden and Whar-
ton did not come up.
] have been out US far as the Blue Sulphur,
the seat of new college. 1t escaped the
ravages OF The enemy who visited il, but has
been sadly injured by some Of our own
troops. Notwithstanding the main building
had been burnt the year before the war, Col.
French suffered his cavalry to barn FENCES,
negro cabins, the flooring from the pavilion
over the spring, and even the rails of large
number of bedstcads, the posts being used
to picket the horses with. Such Wanton de-
of the property of Il suffering insti-
tuition of learning cannot be too severely rep
rehended am glad to know that the Gen
eral commanding is determined to put the
seal of condemnation on such conduct.
learn that it is proposed during the war to
pay for theproperty, and have the institution
ready to GO into operation when peace comes.
Rev. Mr.. Walton is now prosecuting success
fully in Greenbrier al agency for the college.
You are probably aware that Gov. Wise earn
estly recommended the Blue as the seat Of 4
great Western Virginia College.
have been exceedingly gratified at the
spirit OF this people. There may be some
Unionists in Greenbrier, but they are in Il
miserable moral and numerical minority. On
tne other hand, the loyal citizens are erect
with hope and courage. asked a good many
what they thought OF the new State. The
reply generally was, at is impossible" Two
officers, at different times, used substantially
this language: ''Were peace declared which
the division Of the State, the
fighting would still go on. l would still
tisLt for nv home and my freedom" Noble
say /. Never must Virginia con-
sent to her own ACKNOWLEDGMENT. Never
must she give up the coal, and oil, and iron,
aud salt, and the rivers with which Western
Virginia atounds Then were she inl;eed
shorn of her strength and gipry. The idea
is preposierous. We must prevail, or be
overcome. If We are overcome we lose
everything. five succeed we will claim our
own. am thankful that Virginia and the
have thus declared, and special
" ain proua that she who has suffered most
has the least thoughts of abating her claims
The people, too, are walked up on the subject
of resisting raids, and venture the predic-
tion that II the Yankees again penetrate this
country they viii not only meet stern, or
panized resistance, but be bnshwhaeked as
they never have been before during the war.
Frnj, THROUGH this region is abundant.
The soldiers here can have for the gathering
what those in Eastern Virginia could not buy
for their wages Everywhere one sees The
ioa,.c,t apple trees, and witnesses The opera
tions of cider-.naA ing and boiling appi' hnt'
ter Nor vii, these sweet-toothed farmers
safer from the fall OF VIckslrnrg. They
have their apple molasscs, their spaple sugar,
and their Sorghum, and it Il indeed pleasant
tn zee them thus cheerinily and earnestly
returning to the simple, aelfreliant habits OF
their forefathers.
have noticed and admired one feature In
the relations between the army and the peo-
pie here. The soldiers, to a very great cx.
tent, are employed by the citizens at liberal
wages to do their farm work. This has been
q great accommodation 10 the latter and
great benefit to the public, In the present
Scarcity 0t labor and II provisions, while
to the soldiers II has afforded relief from
the eunui Of camp life, and has supplied
many Of the comforts and pleasures Of home