Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1864-05-06
A TRIP UP TIE WINTER
RETREATS TO THE MOUNTAINS
ENCOURAGING PROSPECTS-MOSB
IN aPpENT0N

From Orange Court House, through Madi-
son county, over the Blue Ridge and up the
Shenandoah Valley to Manassas Gap, is, under
present circumstances, a journey calling for
an amount of endurance on the part of the
tourist that none, save, perhaps, the traveller
from nec0pty, would be ready to undertake O
second time The " in9uisitige traveller" in
which category Of items the correspondent is
included, unless he desires to ac9uaint himself
with the eSac. point between the passablc and
impass&ble in civil engineering, or is content
with noting down, for the benefit Of science,
the maximum amount Of hard jolting the hui
man cOrporosity ea9 sustsin, will scarcely be
compensated for his labor. Merging, however,
into the "sentimenial," he soon forgcts bodily
annoyance in the invigorating breath Of spring
that salutes bis city>fevered brow, the sight of
lovely valleys stretching in quiet pensiveness
between tho purple mUuutaine, wreathed In
their perpetual mists of blue, through which
now CLEAN in the sunlight patches and strips
Of snow on rheir reaks and about their upper
slopes. Thursday waaed through snow three
feet deep on the public road. Here winter
had been driven into his stronghold, and
showed no disposition to surrender to the host
| Of cleaning rays pouring over his entrench-
ments, or to the balmy south wind, 1.-THE in
sidious sapper of spring. busy undermining
his outer works. 1t was evident he would
s3ou capitulate, but still ca the 2lst of April,
be Was 'every inch king"
How wonderfully recurerative are those
rich valleys CT Virginia. The camp fire seems
but to warm tho soil into fresh productive
ness and il the round shot turrow the wheat
springs in ioyiu! resurrection. Rountiful na-
tuIe has been ceaseicssly as work healing up
the wounds which bavoc ''stormng across the
war conyulsed earth" has left in this region
cc her fair .ace and the labor has demanded
her curnirgest skill--for not once, but many
times, have the peonle fel. the painful truth
OF tbosa words Schiller puts into the mouth
cf Octavius-
TODAY the wandering soldier comes
And builds wi canvass his light town,
Tomorrow look the host h 5 marched awsy;
nesd ~ 4 churc yard lies the ranped keaneld,
AID wasted Is the hsrves OF the year"
With all :hcir trials, however, the people of
the Valley are not dishoartened The broad
belta, green with wheat almos. ready to ned
to the Spring hreezes, and the wide stretches
Of noadow and upland, marked by the track
of the busy plcw, bespeak an enegy in the
farmers which will realize the most abundant
harvest known here for two years past. Tie
absent latoc finds a surprisingly efficient sub
stitute in the old men and boys, and not un-
frequently nra the 6eids adorned with faces
anu forms that inspire the passing soldier,
trudging along the highway, to degree that
proclamatons from headquarters cannot OK
cite, and which stimulate, in the hour OF need,
beyond the teumpets note or the rolling drums
that "beat to battle where be staEds."
r. lort 10
ton in Richmond, by reason Of which the price
Of overy purchasable article is rendered so
enormous are exhibited in the country where
the Richmond quotations are taken as the
standard of value for all commodities, the ele'
ments Of scarcity or supply not governing save
az they rule in shat city. From this stand
point Of observation it ID apparent to know
hog great an extent this fact operates to the
depreciation of the currency, the presumption
being rea enable that the evil permeates IN
like manner through all portions OF the coun-
try. =,
The opinion of tue people in the Valley with
reference to the Spring campaign is not e1-
pressed in boastful anucipations but quiet
conviction possesses them which partakes
more of the nature Of n popular premonition
than Judgment based on military data. There
is NJ feverIsh anxiety to hear the latest news,
which tho casual observer might translate as
Indicating spirit Of Indifference but which
really proceeds frouts complete and perfect
trust in the happyaS56alts Of pending events.
A portion of Cof. Mosby's command rode in
to Warrenton on Saturday, 23d inst. The
place had been evacuated by the enemy two
days previously, and possession was taken
quietly.