Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-10-01
Corr-.pondence % the ST. ouis Republican
The Track OF the War i'm virginia.
" asuINGTpy Sentember 9

Nv trip was necessarily short and hurried. but
it brought To view enough 10 convince me no sec
ton nf country WIS ever so scOurg by civil
warfare a. that ptrt of Virginia living between the
PptOmic and Rapprh innOck. They told me
that "a see the worS, | would have To 90 beyond
Bull Run Mountains but cannot conceive
more Appalling picture OF universal rum than
IN II on this side Perhaps the magnitude OF an
exiendei survey may increase the heart-rending
appreciation. but it L. impossible 10 retize a
scene OF more utter ruin than IN ,Ikel the path ct
m, bret jpuraev. The deva-tel section extends
from Frederick sburg to the Shenandoah VALLEY,
aud from Washington westward to the Blue
Ridge including the counties of Fairfax. Prince
William Sraffurd Fsuquier. Lpudon. Jefferson
Berkev. Ere Ierick. Clark, w 'rren. ami Cuuep
per Six different times has all this vast terri
tory heen overrun by the c'n'enlng armies or
the Union AMI the rebellion. and the blight aud
de-truciinu marking it To day will require the la
or and i'm u ement of half century of peace
tU reuIoNe.
In twenty FIVE miles travel outside of the
W ,shington fort fications not stalk OF growing
corn ia Ia be seem aud Wild paSturage for h. rse
cannot be Obtained without Yelling miles from
the m in road; and il is the same feature all the
wav To the Rtpp,hannock Cultivated farms
are nowhere To tie found. excepting in interior
valleys of the Bull Run mountains, and even the
small family gardens are often wanting. Fences
We long since been burnt. and the farming
lands, which once t.emed with luxuriant crops OF
corn wheat, and tobacco. are now oversrown
with wee.is and brush. untouched by the pillow
and unviolated by the stock which Onre grazet
i'm countless numbers upon the surrounding hills
Ii is along this rotd that the srenes of deSoia-
tor seen ia their most painful aspect. The
common highways are worn and IN rked almost
be, ond travelling with vehicle. and the bridges
are washed away: while the railroads running
north towards the Shensndoah N,llev present
every feature OF ruin and decay bridges and cul
verts are DESTROYED; here AID there the debris OF
"a disas.'ed locomotive smashed train piles
the track, with the lung. ank grass growing anil
the ruins: rails are missing. and others have been
displaced: emhankments have been wa-hesl away
leaving long gaps ia the structure; ties and
sleeper< are rot,ing and grass grows uxuriantly
between them
All the mansions of the once weIlthy people
are deserted by the original occuu~nts and are
now occupied by soldiers. or bv poorer ciaS~es OF
white. who have been deprived OF their own
sheltering roof By the cruel exgencies of war
/ Along the roads. occupied houses are the excep
tons. The maiorty are deserted. plundere and
/ dilapidatei while frequently nothing remains 70
/ mark where they once stood except solitary
/ chimueyS surrounded by heaps OF ashes and
charreI timhers
The ruins of an old mill presented one of the
most interesting sights among the mnv TO be
seen Ii stood i'm the valley ct a little stream
coming down from the Bull Run Mountains. ant
wis the only structure 10 be seen IN view oi tivs
miles. The land around had evidently ONE beer
we'll cultivated but wa~ now fence eSs ani over
grown with weeds Near by it the blarkened lie
bris of what once the house of the proprietor
. and a short distance above was the u-e eSS II n
with its 6rv race All tine We ttherb .arilng hae
been stripped off, well as the shingles, and IL
wooien m ,chinery lay sc entered around while
The huge wafer wheel-top pond, rous 10 he re-
moved in r spirit of waniOn des rurtiOn-stll re-
tanned its upright position There II stood
skeleton of b re ribs sleepers ana rafters, typic
Of the deSolation and destruction overtaking th'
once blooming valley echoing 10 rs huSy hum
The immense destruction of timber j. anothe
feature All along the roads can ne seen tn
s,hes and chsrred rimhers of camp fires an,
hivouacs. and IN some places the standing woods
are deSirove IN large districts hy the nre. W TIA
the fte has left the has flushed The whole
elevated country presents the anne rance OF
vast abattis Much ut this timber was centuries
old. and vas the prde OF Virgins owners /
will never be replaced
The number OF graves i startling TEXTURE
They are seen every where along the road; the,
fill the woods dot the hillside ana hurrhen tn
NHHel-s'ineilnle> SlhglN, theh mo or 'hiee W
Cether then d gems aud sometimes hundreds
in the vicinity of the battle fields Turn whcl
way YOU choose. 90 where y"u will. Won will hn'
graves Go INTO the old gra. eVsris OF the Vir
einia peaple and YOU will find Union and south
ern soldiers sleeping with the ancestors ot tn
rebes Turn IF the rord Ia re 'ch house. an'
YOU will find graves in the lawn VI front Sto
a, the we'll for wtter. and YOU can see graves a
YOU drink aud dive into the woods in search o
spring sud YOU will 6ud mtnv graves betpr
Won succeed They sre everywhere. IN counties
numher- and tell appalling tale of wars lie
structiOn OF human life
Father DAMON, one OF the most celebrate
re,ivali-ts in America is holding a series Of re
ligious services in the Irish Catholic church 8
New Albsnv. He preache~ four q mes every DAY