The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1864-12-09
Correspondence of the y. Y. Evening Post.
How we are Restoring the Unien.

MARTINsBCRG, Va, Oct. 20.
A visit 10 this town since Sheridan began his
operations in the Shenandoah Valley Is pecui-
arly interesting Tho place is now held as
military post by our forces, and lis population
IS largely increased by the arrival of refugees
tanned between thros and four thousand inhabi-
tants. Yesterday forenoon after obtaining quar-
tars through the assistance of some military
friends, / sailed out for look at tho town.
4 PICTURESQUE SCENE.
Darkness was near 1T hand, and the sight
was picturesque in the extreme. Over space
OF fifty acres or more, were spread in unique
clusters, hundreds of families in the valley Of
the Shenandoah. The government had furnish.
ed them with the soft, bitumiuous Cumberland
coal, which abounds in this region, aud each
little family had lighted pile winch burned
bright but smoky, like blaCksmith's ERE; and
around it were grouped the few ARTICLES of house
hold gear, which, ike the children Of Israel,
they had carried with them from out Of Egypt.
They were scattered over chests, in the lee of
bureaus, or behind barricades or tables covered
with Old quilts or tattered blankets, with NTH
ing bat the angry sky above their heads and
the bleak cold winds whistljug around them !;
the women with children Of tender years, Of
ten with babes at their breast; the young girls
and boys, and feeble old men--for there werc
no young OF able men in their groups-crowd-
ed over the iitlul blaze Of these fires.
One woman nursed a little babe carefully
wrapped in an old shawl, nnl her daughter at
her side held another just about rs small.
asked her-for they were not displeaseG at ques-
tons, and waited for no introduction-''i the
babes were twins?' ''Yes," said she, ''nine
weeks old,' and she screened the wind from the
face Of her child with her shoulder; ''we had
to leaves seventy families all came away al
time Me and my children came with them
"How many children have your" said |. -Four
children, sir; my eldest girl is twelve" ''Where
are you going p "We don't know, SIR
The country was lighted up with fires, and
the smoke and dampness reflected the light till
il seemed that a vast city was spread around.
| strolled from group to group.
Sheltered by some old boards piled against
the ruins Of brick wall, | stumbled on the first
case of ''misccgenation' 1 ever saw. Facing
the frs stood black Coaso man Of herculean
proportions, dangling in his arms a beautiful
biue-eyed girl, with curling auburn riuglets
The delicata spiritaellc look of the child--which
was about two years old-attracted mi atten-
ton.
presume it had been his masters and asked
him whom it belonged to? ''Col. Grey was my
master, sir: belonged to de rebel army, he did,
sir" WELL" said /, chow came you TO bring
away this child eds Is my child, m;.ssa-my
own child, sir Dere's my wife and my other
children, sir" and sure enough there at his side
sat woman perfectly white presume she
was of the ''poor white" class She was nurs-
ing little mulatto babe, and two other chill
drrn of various shades were playing with the
fire. and this completed the family.
A woMAN's STORY.
Farther on was seated on an old chest anotli-
er woman Niobe in her distress. II GU look
very sad, maam,' said /. 'sYes, and feel so,
I,too, slr,' replied she SBut I've got through
crying long ago. sir; I've no more tears to shed"
! 500 you com from the Valley2' sfYes, we are
all from the Valley" ''How farf" ''Nigh fifty
miles reckon We came. Why, we were rich" +"
continued sic; 1--WE had nice farm, good
house and barns, and let me tell you what we
had. We had nine head Of young cattle, we