Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1863-03-06
The Valley.

especially attract the attention Of the
authorities at Richmond.
Her sons were the first to rush to
arms, after the secession Of Virginia,
and the most liberal, in their gratuit-
Gus, voluntarily and bountiful contri-
buttons to the cause of the Confeder-
acy. The mothers and daughters en-
ulated, proudly emulated, the deter
mination of their husbands and broth
ers, by their noble efforts in providing
comforts, having babe them farewell
with characteristic cheerful sadness,
conjuring them not TO return to the
comforts Of home,. until the foot of tho
invader had been driven from the his
toric and sacred soil of Virginia.
Every conflict within her limits hal
sadly and heroically attesteA shevaloro
her people-the soil Of every battle
field has been enriched by the hes
blood Of her offspring, freely poured
out as a ibation to the cause the
have espoused and an attestation o
their devotion to liberty. s'There i
no sacrifice she has not willingly
made no suffering she has not en- |
dured. She issnow bending wnder Opt
pressions too harassing to bear recital
From Staunton to Harper's Ferry thd
hand Of desolation and carnage mark
every acre Of her fertile valleys, fields
laid waste, fences burned, dwellings,
RACED to the ground, hearts stricken
and universal blight and mldew pre-
vailing. At this moment the devoted
people Of the fair city Of Winchester
are drinking the bitter dregs of the cup
Of oppression and misery. Fair faces.
accustomed to wreathe with smiles and
light with joy, are now clouded with
sadness, grief and fear. White hand
kerchlefs that waved a gladstone well
come toour army are draped in mourn
ing. Every deprivation that the mine
Of man can conceive possible, in thi
age and country, is heaped upon then
Houses pillaged, families driven to th
winds of winter for shelter and CON
FORT fort virtue outraged, and a brutal SO
diery permitted, without let or hir
drance, to revel and riot in the miser
and restitution Of as pure virtue an
as proud patriotism as ever adornd
our race. Whilst these heart-rende]
ing scenes are being enacted, what
being done to stay them?
Let the action of Brigadier &c
Jones, the commander of the forces
the Valley, answer. He has rested
luxurious qsietuds, between fifty
seyenty-fve miles up the valley, and
there remained since the second time,
in December, he was driven out by an
inferior force, without firing a gun,
until an indignant popular voice forced
him to move.
It is true while Gen. Jones lay at
New Market, he made a demonstla-
ton towards Moorefeld, but history
will never record more disgraceful
finale.
There is scarcely a soldier in his
command or a citizen in the Valley,
who Wilt not agree in this adjudgment,
and who does not feel mortified at the
bare mention Of this expedition.
Yet Gen. Lee must have been adj
vised that it was an eminently success
ful expedition, as evidenced in his re-
marks as published in a recent
order Of Gen. Jones, congrattsla-
ting his brave troops for their SUCCESS
and gallantry on that occasion. The
commander Of the forces in the Valley
fell back froua Winchester with force
Of 5000, before a force Of not ovel
1900 of the enemy, and, it is rumor-
ed, reported thereupon that Winches-
ter was occupied by number of thou
sands whereas, not more than 200
cavalry came III, remained an hour.
and fled frightened to death. The
next day Gen. Jones returned.
We mention these circumstances.
not to- create an undue prejudice
against Gen. Jones, but to call the at
tention Of the Government to the great
suferinss Of our valley people and one
of the causes thereof.
He may be q man Of courage and
may as Colonel have conducted HIM
self CALAMITY f; but he certainly does
not possess the qualities necessary tc
a successful commander, as witnessed
in the Moorfeld expedition It is due
to the Government is due to the