Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1864-03-08
NO. A.
TO THE FARMERS OF AUGUSTA,
ROCKINGHAM AND SHENANDOAH

A
i ROCKINGHAM AND SHENANDOAH
> | would like to talk an hour with each Of
yo u, but as that can't be, address you thus
on are ali boslly engaged in preparing your
Spril 'g crops. This is right, and urge you t.
the m. st strenuous exertions to raiss to the full
extent o. your means grain, hay and vegetables
There is b ut Cne serious obstacle In your way,
and that is the possible inter-, Nrepce with your
farming operations by the public oemy during
the early Spring months think tber. are well
iounded apprehensIons that this greatVallev Viii
be subjected to plunderiug raids before' a., =
IN orn-plantln time. If the enemy come bo ,n;,i
seeA 70 destroy your farming operations and re-
sources by stealing your horses bnrniT,. a"u re-
implements, and kidnapping your negroes 'Iur a1
TINS can be prevented, and think will ha IN
| The presence Of an adequate force for vopr
lection, pTocsded il can be subsisted IN po1 roO
midst. As regards ample provision for the man
1 nave no apprehsnsions, but the defepca Of tbie
Ya!ley requires large cavalry force, and to
maintain 1t the horses must be fed. I know that
the Valley people have, this Winter fnrn;sbad
an enormous amount of army supplies and tIot
there ie general scarcity of Grain and lono for.
ege; out, believe, there is still q enfscia-ov, n
carry your stock safely through the Winter On
diminished allowance and to spa.e epcuob nv
Iletie cicse economy to support theValleg tro0ps.
Ia - IiAly uays irofn THIS time your caft3e sheep
your horses can do the same, and SO can ours
IL Is OF the utmost Importance to you and the
country that the Yankees shall bs kent from
pianderlng yon during these sixty or ninety
Gays. That can hardly be expected to ba done
uniess you can feed the cavalry and artil-
Ieiy horses. We cannot haul feed from the up
per country, 70 or 100 miles, to Fesd our horses
wnen on duty to the front. I rnieht possibly
OBTAIN supply by eending my Q1arGarmasters
10 your barns and cribs with orders to take
whatever they might End bat if this is done
you VIII think yourselves outraged In many in
stances. The Qua-ter:nsaters viii be- cursed
and shall be denounced Ii on tie other hand
supplies cannot be hed at all, and tho troops are
Obliged TO fall back on that account, end the
aDkees ride over your country, steaiizg and
as they sc, and living off lho very
supplies we could Dot SET, shell 90 cuTsed from
one spd o< the Vali9y TO tia o1heE for falling in
my duty, and the GogeEnEaeTa1 will be blamed
ZOE ST alleged i14iH9Tonee to vcur eafsty and
welfare. Now Gon'6 want to cen1 increasing
officers to barns and c9Tn-oribs, to your hay
Dows and gaTrets, for i is tbs gaost uDDleosant
Task ever bsya 70 perform, nor DO intend TO
fall beck too fGr to afford pFeteetioa unless / am
ordered to DO SO, Or forcsd By dire ne3@ss;ty.-
10 rneet the whole difficulty and sar1aeaas it,
.hink you hsvo bat to cot in concert, and act
promptly. Ihaye plsn to submit to yea, and
Peg that you earnestly consider it. It is this
u each neighhOrhOoa let souce energetic patriot.
C man immediately Inopnt his horsa and zee his
ascertain from each one,on close
calculation OF nis y7arts fcr the next so days,
1ovy many poonds Of hay he can epare-how
many STOCKS OF foddsr he can lss go, end how
many bpsesls Of corr C- oats he can diaDose of.
Ii no can't spare a ton, perhaps he csn G hslfa
,on CT nag o. fodder, or i that would run him
100 close, be Woald hardly miss 800 pounds
In the same way Sry his corr. No cne hss
moral right to hold on to or months provis-
Ef.D- 81 T,l1-o ~.
sons for coed hsFvest, and have fsith in the
army and our caIse, and show his faith by
piIGbing" 8 littte. Let the names of ell who
can spare us . little be ga1t 10 me by tie loIh
Of March Nth ssatsIaeIs Of what they oGn fur
nsh, and will aa7a the negey and wagon to
each Eouso 70 pay for ard coll9at Il. L q Wsg~
On can't be loaded sc one house it lnsy DO at two
or three, and the aggregate, aEa sure, win sup
ply our wants. Thus iE1pFessinents viii be I'M
necessary good telling viii DO preserved and
ard proraotsd--the troops will % sust2ned-
the farmers end our wives sld cail2-3n, hope,
will 30 protested, and, wish tie blessings OF
Providence, Cnr armies, which arc never low
spirited o. tlespoaGing, viii, fralY believe,
this yaar, drive tha daetaCdly chi hated invader
beyor.d car borders, and establish our future
pe@oe end naaigagin OFF present jnaa2 7adeace.--
Tha distinct proposition I have submitted may
seala 10 many 8 eE1ali affair, bit assure yen IL
is 8 sross inpoTtenG oas, aai afzecta yea more
nearly, 7SSESos, ,tlea SoE Gre %"'-'
or no psas.ar too sEi-ai' g -. / oonsids
aticn nr"-- .or the earnest consider
lily man, which eo1tribates TO orr suo-
cess. an eos9 OF caDo2ge is Of more raal value
70 Us noW t.lan would ba shin lead &C the rich,
est epioes OF India. would rather Geo a spare
load OF hay in one Of yoar barns than rosewood
OAj9ksring piano in yonr De-!cr. and wopid
ratba2 eola7i5ed 20 esnd for so shocks Of corn
than to attend, at one of year houses, the most
sumptuoGs entertainment OF even tho halcyon
days Of peace. "a little here aad little there
viii furnish ell need Then, again, 1 appeal
to you, ss yonr fellow-citizen, TO cid your ooun-
Try In the Hammer proposed. If yoa cannot
see esch Other dnring che s9eek, confer to"
gether on Sunday at chnreb. 1t suseiy can
not DO desecFation of the most holy dag and
place to hoip forward q cause so sacred as that
we are fighting tor.
j. D. 1MBODEE, Brig. Gen1,
Oornd'g Valley District.