The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1864-02-09
A JOURNEY IN the TRICKS OF AvselLt.
| tcoRRRsPpSpkNcE or THE RICHNaSp DISPATCH,

raid In November 10 notice some facts illustrating
the cruelty and barharity Of that incursion of the
enemy, not before brough, to light.
Avcfi'i's November raid amongst the mos,
unscrupuous ard the most destructive Of private
property which have taken place In Virginia. In
HIS marc II towards Salem We hear tf nothing espe
eiaiiy interesting until II emerged from the Ale
shanies at Calahan's the famous old :, and at the
base Ct those mountains. This point they had
visited several times before, always helping them
selves to some Of the moVeabes and supplies there
ahoets' In uieir advance and retreat on this ex-
Pec'tioh they iei Mr.. Dixon the proprietor, little
save BIS land and houses. Proceeding rapidly up
Danlap's creek, they entered the Sweet Springs
road a, Crows, that other famous stage sand OF
other days, where tho traveller was So eager To
pause ever sure of most plaIabie and refreshin o
rap1st, Of which veBiSnn was a usual dish. The.
venerable and far famed keeper ot the inn died
some TWO years since and left il IN the hands Of his
widow, who still resides thsre She has son or
TWO In the war, and WAS stIif offering in limited
manner, Fest aud food for the trayeiicr-her means
Tor that purpose being, like those of all other pub
Iieans in the narrow valleys of the AlcghaLes
greatly reduced by the war. The main body of the
Yankees paused FOR the night there and literally
cleared The establishment OF everything SO ,ha,
there Is no longer mouthtul for man or beast and
the traveller gncs hungry and tired by piace
where in other days ii was lever known that T. bed
or meal was d snied him. No appeals could reacb
the merccs of the Yankees. Horses provender
meat everything was taken from the aged widow .
The next theatre Of their exploits was at the tw o
Sweet SprEgs--,i.e Red, now owned by Mr. kel-
ley, aud the Old Sweet, by Mr.. Oliver Beirne
The valley just at these springs is of the richie.
in the weHd There was more forage here than
the invaders could consume or carry away. They
used and took all they could, iacy did of grain
Mr.. Kelley was killing hogs as they came up, aud
,hee found scatold filled with fat hogs already
tutcheTed 10 their hand and these they helped
themselves TO at once. They took all of MI Kel-
iey's horses and mules, his wagon, a n ,gro boy,
and some of his gearing, wantonly cutting up that
belonging to his carriage and all that they did not
carry off. Gen. hvcriI', however, put guard be
fore the entrances t. the houses and kept the lie
from inifuding into them.
Mir. BeiTne was treated with singular brutality
His houses were ransac kcd-ilis stores pil.aged-
all his meat Several thousand pounds) taken-ali
his liquors and wines appropriated by the plundef-
ing s0dery-his watch violently taken from his
person-al his horses carried off His place was
well stripped OF all that the Yankees desired or
could convey away.
Continuing their march rapidly, they picked up
several horses at yCs, and appropriated the most
of Mir. kyic's gram. His negroes refused to fol
low them.
Their worst OF brutality were perpe,ratcd
mt Mrs Scots, another ri The good mountain iui!s
ef oden time Mrs. =. il II true Southern woman,
and has Two or more SOUS in the army Year be
tore last the demands OF our soldiers, in pass
ing over the road by her house, mountain us and
Iny populated as it is, We're such thai all her
supplies were gone before the year was half
pIrd, and in the last spring her losses OF cattle for
The want OF food very heavy She gave
freely and patfi0tically rs long as she had it. IA
v0red BY the seas0ns and her own ensrse-, she
succeehed In laying up liberal supplies OF ami
bacon last iali; and these Averi comp ettly swept
of-leaviHg her not pound (Out at i,0Oo poundsl
ot meat for her large family, and no corn. Her
fences were burued-hcr yard paltngS included
leaving fcr house Ia tie open road. Fhe boarding
was t0in from her granafy aud burned. Two coal
black soldiers sat al hcf rIahO ani played WHILE
the cnlnHlu paused Tor res. and piundCr, and her
aa,lGr furniture was piled up in Tie ward ana
burned Not satisfied With ali this, they took from
The beds all the covering save u >caut supply iUr
lyyo beds, ami this all thar was left, most
iscIeGcnt season, 10 the Wi6oW and her family,
including several tau.heTsl
fu the family Il oyai and courageous. Fl Is
refreshing To their cheeriJiness amidst thrjr
dissolution, | saw them aud coavcrsed with lhei.i,
and can say from " hal knew that tiI"if conluct
amidst their trials n0i only entities thom Ia the Gp
plIIlst uf tiIUiT country, but II should cause the
blush Ht shame 10 the checks OF those weak
kuced and despouding mien whose hearts sink with
every reverse, while they have never seen
NV aud never felt his cruelty. The eldest daugh-
ter, a maid stout Of heart and arm being imhued
by mountain HE with more of physical force than
IL IL uaI tor her seX--hefenled herself from tie
rudaneas ofa Yankee suhaitern, and punished hun
10 boot H. solicited Il ring which she wore, and
being refused with proper contempt, ha seized her
to Wrest il from her; WhereHpon she tOrcibiy with
drew her hand from his grasp ard kicked him
down stairs. Some may say this was nwoiuaniy.
Iits l,if Ert,s a
hands shr never fails to defend herself with The
b II sitans 81 her command. This young lady was
endowed by locality aud nature with a very timely
and effective means which she had the courage to
employ. She further proved her cdmaesS and de
ijt,, ration in the mORrnr Of danger and lite ent.
Confederate officer had just reached her mothers
house Il iiltic before the \ fanAees He utterly dis
credited all rum.rs oI Yankees, and assured the
family that there was danger. White he sought
tn al!ay their fears the Yankees rushed into the
house. The officer had large SUN OF Confederate
money for the western army, aud in his alarm
about place ii in his breast, when size snatched
il from him ard secrcttd Ii On her own person.
She thus saved $4,000 Of Government money -
The Yankees go 10000, Which the officer had In
another package. Honor 10 this young lady.
True courageous, and even cheerful amidst the
seyerest trials, she deserves honorable distinction
In times like tAese, which try alike the souls Of
women and men. Nome but the brave deserve this
fair.
cannot follow the r0u t of Avefill all the way.
only cite instances Illustrative of The brutal
ties of his raid. H. pioneered by some traitors
who had lived In Virginia. Among them two stage
drivers named Hall and Mooney, who had drive n
stages IN the mountains. As a sort of apology for
exccsSes al Mrs. ScOtts-Which even Yankees
though, needed some apolngy-it was alleged thai
Miss : had some time ago hung oul a Confederate
dag!
The main army turned TO the night below SCOTS
for Salem. A detachment OF 100 continued down
the Finca-tlr road 10 Il field near Craig's Greek,
some four miles, where iJG 4. =. horses were nj
pasture. They captured three ni tile guard that
had charge IF thsm aid set fire to an unoccGPied
dwelling to iiiumine the field so that they could
gather up the horses, it being midnight. En- route
his party plundered Major McCartney's house,
taking clothing, gold watch, liquor, horses, &c );
but having no transportation thty returned without
carving off much that required il
You know all about the doin2s at Salem, the
retreat JacksOns river and final escape VIA Gov
inglon. They continued their depreIatons with
more or less vigor in proportion to their time and
opportunities They departed in haste lost all htetr
,o1q0Rs and appeared finally in Pocaliontas county
without a single wagon. They burned no railr0ad
bridge on Jackson's river. They turned oil from
the Sweet Springs road a. MS Scoits In their re-
treat and moving up Barb0ur's crock Ut the foot
of Prices nountain crossed over the Rich Patch
into AIieghany striking Jacks0ns river three miles
above the railroad depot. They charged Colonel
Jackson's small guard at the turnpike bridge, four
miles above the depot crossed 1t, and burned IL be-
hind them as YOU know, aud continuing their
mayci, rapidiy through Covington burned also the
bridge over Jackson's river III that place. March
ing by Caahan's, they ielt the Niiite sulphur
road Two miles beyond thit stand ai Mr. Lock
hartrs. Taking to a mere bride PAIN, as II were,
thew fed across the mountain and reached Antbo.
nv,s creek In t.reenbricr, where they continued
ai, robhetips on that aud Lille creek probably As
much f,um necessity AZ inclination. The weather
was drsadfuliy incci1en,, and their trains ana
supplies were gone many were .ios,"'': ,;