The daily Chattanooga rebel. [volume] (Griffin, Ga.) 1864-1865, 1864-07-21
The Raids in virginia--virginIa W omen

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From the Richmond Examincr.1
The escape of Hunter to the Yankee den
in Western Virginia has already become an
old story, aud even the vcnscful eyes of those
who followed hard on his track OF dcsolation
and rapinc, arc turning to scenes Of new in
terest. Foilel in his cherished plan of break
fasting at the Norvcll House, and stealing
the spoons of the inhabitants of Lynchburg,
the hero Of the mcal-tub and the larder is
said TO be breathing out threatenings and
slaughter against the happy Valley, which
he did his worst to make unhappy. and which
will long bear the impress of his foul tread.
In his retrugudc march he left word with
some OF the people whom he had robbed,
that he was preparing Handsome trim
ming for our pursuing army"
Ii his present preparations arc not more
effective, the good people of the Valley, or ut
least those of them who have been spared,
may follow their usual ayocations in perfect
pence of mind Tho bolt of devastation is
broad enough: and within TINT belt the work
has been thorough enough, but still the
country has not been sown with salt. In n
year two, the landscape which has been
darkened by this cloud of war will be as smi-
ling rs ycr: and but for the binckcned ruins
of homestead and mill, no one could tell that
infamous outragcs had been done in that
fnirest portion of our fair Virginia.
Let these blackened ruins remain untouch-
ed. We are not IN artist, people as the
Yankees claim to be, we have neither the
taste nor the money for Gettysburg monu-
ments and mphitheatrical cemeteries. Our
dead heroes sleep sweetly I'm the bosom of
the old mother, whom they died to defend,
and in her poverty that old mother
has not decked their resting places with pre-
ci0us stones and miracles Of art. 30! we
want 30 battle monuments as yet. We have
monuments cnough-monuments furnishei
E Al.
mcnts brought by Yankee, enterprise to-
very Notwithstanding, made Of the hearth
stones themselves. Our new country lacked
the picturesque attraction OF ruins. We
have that attraction now, and in abundance.
The Ionion Greeks would not rebuild the
temples which their barbaric enemies des-
| troyed; they allowed the ruins to remain as
mute reminders Of the injuries which they
had suffered rs mute appeals to heaven for
vengeance. Let in like spirit refuse to
cffncc these memorials of our savage foes. In
after times it will be almost patent of no
blity to have ruin in the family.
Indeed it is not difficult to extract n grain
or two of comfort from every bitter dose
which the fortune of this war has presented
to our lips. The moral results Of those raids,
arinoyingand humiliatine as they arc, is inva-
ribly in favor of our cause. The Yankees
NAV find lukewarm Confederates, but they
| leave few behind them. The light of burn
| ing houses and blazing factories is not the
only light that marks their track. There is
n new radiance on the brow of every South
ron, new fire in every eye, fresh halo oi
martrydom around every head, a more fer.
vid glow Of patriotism on every breath. And
who that has seen can ever forget the noble
bearing Of our women /: the noble simplicity
with which they rehcarsed the outrages of
their visitans?
Many of them had nothing left, absolutely
nothing not grain of corn in the bin
not an ounce Of meat in the lardcr, not a
chicken in tho poultry yard, not IL vegateble
! in the garden, and yet they spoke not o.
themselves, but of our soldiers, and regret
ted their loss, not for themselves, but for the
sake of the libcrating army, and when they
said Us they did say with honest accent %
truth, that they had nothing to eat, they sait
so with perfect calmncss, rs if they wcr,
already angels ofGod, that had need o
meat and drink Ono could hardly pity ma
tures that had risen so high, that had taker
SO exalted degree in the sublime art of res
ignation. 1t seemed as if they were alread,
translated and did not require the fcot
which our men eagerly extended to then
from their own stores
If these were not to be piticd, the pcopl
'of the pretty little town of Liberty
wcro actually to be cnvicd. Such thrill q
of JOY, such cxultnnt happiness as they re
. vcalcd, seldom entered into the course of OF
dinary human life, and theiphylosophical loo
er on might wei! have asked whether it wa
not worth while tn have the Yankees for
, short time in order 20 enjoy the pleasant scr
saton of getting rid d@ffhem. However
must be observed that The delight of the il
habitants was notably heightened by the re
fection that. suudry dead Yankees lay sti
and stark on the green sloops outside th
town, that some little vengeance had bee
h taken for the wrongs which shey had snffe
| ed