Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1863-07-06
JoRDAN's SPRINGS, NEAR WiNcHEsTER, !

Editor Sp1T3C OF the Age:-Ine oaltlo-
Geld is the worst place on earth to learn the
truth. It's excitements and confusion are SO
great that few men can be found upon it, or
about it, who are ableto state what they saw
or what they know. / wrote you on the 10th
inst, as it were, amid the smoke and confu-
sion of the battle field of Winchester. The
smoke and dust nave since been blown away
and We begin to see things as they really are.
Our captures of military stores and equip
ments have been greater than / had believed
when I wrote you.
Gen. Milroy's trunk containing his private
papers fell into our hands, and the Dragging
hero, himself, escaped only at the head of a
lew cavalry by taking to the woods and fields,
and abandoning the roads.
Considering the strongly fortified position
they occupied, the yankees made but a cow
ardly defence; but poor fellows, they had
nothing to fight for, and were only obeying
the behests of a tyrant.
| have been much amused. at an anecdote
[ heard related since the battle. Some time
past a daughter of Gen. Milroy's was present
at a party in Winchester, and. the bold and
daring character of Stonewall Jackson was
introduced in the conversation. Miss Mil
roy, not liking the prominence givenSo the
hero of so many famous fields, impertinently
threw in the following remark, which seems
to bear the characteristic of the genuine
yankee: Il have understood that Pa IS the
only General in the Federal service that Gen.
Jackson is afraid to attack" The character
of Milroy in Winchester has been that of an
unprincipled tyrant if he had been taken,
and his fate had beer left to the ladies. of the
town, he would no doubt have been doomed
to the gallows without benefit of clergy
The fine family residence of Senator Mason,
who is now in England, which was built OF
stone, was by order of this despot, pulled
down and the materials used ia building the
Notifications, which, he afterwards lacked the
bravery to defend. Several fine churches
met at his hands a fate nearly similar, by the
seats and floors being taken out and used for
making stalls for his horses. Winchestel
groaned under the heel of the tyrant for many
people that rejoiced in soul, body and spirit
they were the people of Winchester on tn,
18th day of this month.
On Wednesday of last week q severe bat
tie was fought between the cavalry forces c
fthe two armies near Aldie, without being de
%cisive; the loss was heavy on both sides. ]
was renewed on Sunday near Paris, in whic
we took about one hundred prisoners, and tn
yankees were compelled to fall back. Sine
then they have been -aniet in that dire
tor. Our wounded and sick are all bein
brought to this place where the hospital
established. We have about eleven hundre
here at this time. In the battle of last SUI
day, the savage barbarity of the yank.
character was displayed in its true colors.-
A number of our men had been taken by tt
enemy and were quietly in their possession
By a charge of our cavalry it became app
rent to the yankees that their prisoners woul
!. be retaken. To prevent this, they resolve
: to murder them on the spot, and prom pit
! undertook the fiendish work with swol
/. and pistol. Several Of North Carolinas sol
: fell martyrs in this diabolical massacre e. A fe
J only survived to tell the mournful tale, b,
: sadly mutilated by wounds. To-day | ha,
!. N. c., who has five sabre Wounds on the hes
!, and face, givenin the effort to murder him
Il cold blood when he was a helpless prisoner
Il I trust the poor fellow will yet live to reco
: nize the day of coming vengeance.
g 1t. Gen. Ewelrs corps has crossed in
. Pennsylvania, and seems To be moving upt
: Carlisle and Harrisburg, the capitol of Il
y State. Gen. Lee, with the forces ofLongstre
and A. P. Hill is following up in supportll
10 distance. Joe Hooker has had so much du
Is thrown into his eyes that he does not kne
~ what to do, or where to go. At the late
accounts his main body was hanging abo
q Centreville, in order to cover Washingt
re city. He must now either defeat Gen. I
le OR be. defeated. No body here doubts t
at results. "Chambersburg, Pa, surrender
quietly to Gen. Jenkins. At his comma
T. the militia brought in their arms amount
re to several wagon loads. A part were sc
IS back to Winchester, and the balance bro
10 up or burned in the streets. Dur troops
ne how doing a COED work, in gathering
= horses and cattle and sending them over he
tn About 1000 horses, and probably over t
at thousand beeves have already arrived. II
is upon the principle of taking an eye
Ia an eye, and tooth for astooth." Yet l ht
~ our men never will sink themselves to
,s low level of the yankee character by robb
n6 ] LalnlacS and childron Of thair Z