Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1863-07-17
From the indicator,

Good Old Way" which occasioned me
much surprise. When the enemy were
marching triumphantly up the Valley, dri-
wing the small band Of veterans under
Stonewall jackson before them, who, on
account Of the paucity Of his numbers. was
compelled (?) to leave the main road. re-
treating to Port Pepublic, thus leaving, as
it was thought. the town of Staunton at the
mercy of the invaders, the writer of that
article did not show at that most opportnne
moment, even desire to defend his home
When we were standing firmly and defend
ing las property and home at the expense
of some Of the Best blood in our army,
where was he? Leaving bis printing Office
and property he fed at the first approach Of
Danger to Lewisburg, (uot from fear of the
enemy, but simply Of fighting in defence Of
his home; as the enemy occupied the.sec-
.ion to which he fed, where he remained
until forced back by the Consumption act
and fear Of the confscation of his proper
ty as an alien enemy.
| Itsis said that doctors rarely practice What
they preach, and in this instance; judging
+, by his acts, :'the good old way when
| Tarleton threatened, which he breaches,
would not be has ''good old aoay."
This much I have thought proper to say
in reference to the editor of the Spectator
who so unjustly assails officers who did
their duty, and who stood at their post,
when he so shamefully fed to escape fight
ing for has ocn and his neigh5or' homes.
Is may be proper to add that the writer, al
though from another State assisted in the
defense Of this same editors home in that
remarkable Valley campaign, and is still
A SOLDIER.
June 49,.
The above is the ANONYMOUS CON-
munication, signed "a Soldier" the abb
surd charges Of which we noticed last week,
and promised to notice them further, as
we'll as the author of them, if be would
have the '.manliness to announce bis name. y
This he has rot done, and has. therefore,
relieved us Of any obligation to notice them
again; but. as the editor Of the ''Vindiea-
tor" has given them quasi endorsement,
and has given his pledge to send the ''re-
futation Of them to the Identical set of read
ers the charges have gone to-" we have
concluded to notice them more in detail,
and with as much seriousness as the ridicu-
! lous and absurd characters Of the charges
will admit We publish the whole COM
munication, that our readers may see that
we meet every proposition it contains fair
ly, 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.
| /. It is inconsistent in us to recommend
organization for Home Defence, because
we did not 60 to meet the enemy when
they were driving Stonewall Jackson and
his veterans up the Valley
2. That 'the enemy occupied the section
to which we fed
8. That we were ''forced back by the
Conscription act"
| 4. That we feared the "con6scation Of
our property as an alien enemy.
5. That he makes these charges against
US because We ''unjustly assailed officers
who did their duty"
9th. That he, a soldier from another
State, assisted in the defence of our home.
In reply to the foregoing charges, we
say
/. At the time to which he refers, when
the "enemy we're marching triumphantly
up the Valley" driving jackson and his ar
my 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
It was tho't here at the time that jackson
vas on his way to Gordonsville The enc
! my were in full force near Harrisonburg,
and there was not soldier between this
place and that to offer any resistance to
4 their march to this place. Because we did
not 60 solitary and alone to dyive back the
whole army, or else surround them and
take them all prisoners. he thinks it ex-
tremely and strangely inconsistent in US
now to recommend organization for the
purpose of meeting plundcring parties of
the enemy if they should make their ap-
pearance in this section of the State. AS
we said last week, he seems to think that
we possess IN our single person the mill
tary prowess Of Achilles multiplied ten
thousand fold, which. is rather more than
we really possess. II he had been half as
good soldier as he gives us credit for, the
'senemy would heter 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 de-
fence in this county, as none could join
consistently save those who marched to
meet the enemy at the time to which he re-
fers, and as none did so. none could jain
such an organization.
2 The enemy did not occupy Lewisburg
when zoe ,oent there, on the contrary it was
held by a considerable Confederate force un-
der the command ofBrig. Gen. Harry Heth,
and the enemy were not in any force, near
Ell than the Kanawha Valley
8 We noticed last week the absurdity
Of the charge that man who was within
the lines Of the enemy where the conscript
act is of nor effect could be forced back by
the CONSUMPTION aet.' into the Confederate
lines where alone that act could effect him
in the slightest degree. The man who
| leaves the lines of the enemy to enter the
! Confederate lines. shows, by that act, tina
the transcription act has no terrors fol
him.
4. The fear of the stconfscation of oul