Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-11-03

IcompIsiping fellows, passed from the dar-
inc skirmish and fierce shock of battle TO |
the steady suffering of the hospital and the
accomplishing endurance of wounds and
sickness, which is so marvellous to all
whose duties have brought them among the
hospitals of this war,
MERRY SOLDIERS.
But the cavalry men 1t seems as II the
step had broken away between the sublim-
ity of New England & soap and water, and
the righteousness of Yirginis's dirt and
raggedness-fo such cute, sensible, ragged,
0nwashed, unkempt, patriotic, noble New
England and western men surely never eye
lighted on before. "Their washerwoman
had neglected to call for several weeks, and
the last batch of lines she forgot to bring
home" remarked one, amid the haw'haws
of his comrades.
These men had had their horses shot from
day to day during the long brilliant msne1'
yres of Sheridan, and were hurrylng back
to Harper's Ferry for new ones, aud then
'tHurrah for the front again !" They were
all merry and talkatiYe, and had just been
drawing their rstions. Their tattered blue
uniforms were stained with mud. Some OF
them were loaded down with saddles
blankets and brides, with carbine shin
ing like silver, or a sabre like polished
some felt, with many horse-bite taken
from the rim; caps-some with Visors, some
without, showing many hole or sabre out,
crowned their uncut hair and immense
boards. .ar
l sat down in the cold air among group
OF these men, huddled about one of the coal
fires, which were kept burning like col
liery all day long, over acres and acres OF
ground. Their aPPetites were OF a klna
to excite the terror of clearinghouse
keeper, for they demolished raw pork aud
hard tack with gusto, in the free wind
Homemade humor seasoned the repasti
and little smoking cups of coffee gave a
relish that Dives himself would have pur-
chased ct great price.
Some were too hungry to wait for coffee
and washed down their "grub" with mud
dy Virginia water. dangerous proceeding
L thou ht, considering the growing cold
ness of the weather. "Butter," they saidI
'.they were out Off. There was a gaunt
fellow at my side "fghtiug his battles
over" and in the course of his narration he
was now and then corrected by some man
among the squad. He was telling me
about the skirmishes attending Sheridan's
movements, "Ah," said he, "When we
drive the pickets in there's music for you.
We go at 'em on charge. Yipl yipl zip!
Lord, how the men do yell, some of us get
popped over, but the 'Johnnies' skedaddle;
and then comes the main force at our heels
and support u.s." 81 know" said l. "You
do2" said he. "Oh, yes; I've been in the
service; l know how the MIME bullets go
Zip, zip, Zip and how the shells scream"
"Bully for you'll" said the gaunt fellow.
"Ah, yes" said 1, "those are the times that
kill or cure man; if there is anything in
him it comes ont; and there's no friend so
II II. L,
field after field of battle, and tried him and
knotV him." "True as preachin', sill" said
one over against me; and then they asked
me where / had been in service, and l
told them and come into full communion
at once, for they had been over the same
ground. "Old Sheridan" said another,
'the's a gay boy, any way: By gracious,
how he wakes old Early. Then look at
him last Tuesday offering one Thousand
dollsrs for that other gun If we would only
take it, to make up the dozen with. He's
the kind Of man for me-"
WHY THR VALLEY WAS CLEARED.
asked them about sheridan's orders to
clear the Valley. "Well, " said one, 81 tell
you, tits pretty hard. We get orders to
i clean out a section. The Captain, he picks
his men )" there they all grinned y The
knows pretty we'll who to take, and then
we get orders to burn every barn, every
stack of grain, everything except the
houses, and then we start the people. We
go out in squads of ten or a dozen, and
the way we ride is caution. You see the
most Of 'em's secesh families; the women
are Union-to man" winked he, sand
their husbands, and brothers, and SONS are
in with the rebs; but for all that its hard
when the women come out on their knees
crying and praying, and the children
clinging to 'em."
"But," said he, ats good deal harder
to go along a road, apd right along by the
side of the woods, to find your own broth
er hanging to tree, with his ears, his
nose. and his lips cut off as did mine last
week I" "These DEVILS" said he, "if
they'd only come out In clear day and fight
us as we do them, and not murder US, they
never would have had their country cleared
out as we have been forced to do" This
man had diary kept for two years in
which the events of each day had been
entered.
War is terrible thing, we all agreed {;
hat there are greater evils than that even.
/ UNIQUE EQUrPAas
1 had to leave these groups and attend
to business. After cherries morning,
noon found me ready TO leave. picked
my way among theG curious collection of
j old arEs drawn by means of harm esses
patched with rope and Irvine, and horses
of the "Gothic" order ofarchttecture, put.
ting to blush team which once saw in
Eastern Virginia, aud which for incongru-
ity has ever held high place in my re-
membrance. 1t consisted of mule and
an OK in double harness, attached to a
heavy cart, with the negro driver riding
the or, which was also saddled. This
light and elegant equipage had hitherto
been without rival, but now was forced
to hide it's blushing honors. ' ~ '-
The railroad, new built and surrounded
with tons and tons of heated and twisted