Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1864-09-29

Tnree hundred aud ninety i've wounded from tpe
battle near Winchester on Non lay lasr we're brought
% il CITY the Orange osrs Sunday night. The An
bulance Commit ee met them at the depot and un 3
~ late hour we're engaged in administering to their
comiCr'.
s1ry prisoners cent By Euly, arrived here last night.
Among them are 6 nun ,ef of Swamp Dragon" in
CHAINS.
TIE, FAZAL VALEsY"-ITS BA7TLEMARKS
AN,rtbera correspondent, descriong military affairs
in the Shenandoah Valley which he APPLY styles, 80 far
as It applies to the YSnkee my, the fatal Valley"
ostakss him5eE pen painting Of is scenery and its
his oric battle msTks:
The ruined manse the time-Worn entrance to an old
estate the lonely roads aud rocky ianesses, the re-
mantle streams and shadow parEs that have mention
W irsgc revolutionary ales-s are here. Here, too,
ara the cret places, spoi'nt ou;othe-Eay retreats,
ID r. the bold and sometimes c'Wsrdy, guerrilla loves
e. make his home Here, above all, are the battle
marks on field and toresJ, aud dwellings, which many
family will keep unrspaired for the view and meditation
4 its desceI dants. The maiden with LIVER; the
ma den without q lover the maden sho has lost her
er, have each dNel' e. and the lovers themselves
Union and T bel-for there are both-sIe here, the
trrmer lex as the o. % eted leaves in Vallsmbroa
Wnois loved an olg them all it would be hard to tell
rnese maders not Of the softss az have sad b.
tore and y any are the n who have had 1t TO say TO
themselves since tus war began ut Ia easier TO give
than TO receive"
Treating upon what he callI the guerilla system, he
thus to show that the sCons Of the highest
families In Wig MA are prominent among those Who
compose the famous guerilla bands Of the Cumberland
and Bloc K dse. he says:
Compared With other parts Of the Safe, the She
naudosn Valley IA Inhabited by comparatively few
'poor white people" soil is for the most part d.
vited into estates which have descend by in
herl,ancs from remote generations; and during late
years, tho vsgabOtd sons OF decaved gentry, a.
Ways Astounding IN regions where tiled or tolerated
"nO9iity" have held lengthy sway, were not fsE in
this. TIE livelihood OF these young men-Who were
geCsrl edCoAd to no pIoeEs on and were too proud
or too lar 10 work at any thing eseWas got by pecu-
Lar rleaus. Provided with horse, gun, and pair
Of saddle b3gs not veil stocked with articles Of
year they 70 ged ON mansion 20 farmhouse, visiting
for a living; or, forming In parties when game was
plenty made the mountains their home To these men,
W5o5s reckless Wanderings had made them familiar with
every bypah and secret retreat OF the valley aud the
hdshtt tie var WE5 a most Welcome opportunity aud
70 them above s others, tho guerilla system owes
origin end its success. The hazardous necessities oil
such life made them energetic, and what was aimless
Vagaboudism before, has been transformed into O
Wild and vigorous pursuit.. The gangs OF AosDy,
GInor, Inbcden, and MoClusland-the former
mora Independent and notorious than all the
names OF Wh1ss sEts are known through
,u; Virginia. Several have been cpured behiLd
whose roUgl attire brorz,d features, and shaggy,
besrds the m nnerJ and habits Of gentlemen born and
bred" have shoae forth unmftlkably. confess 10
having heard Of few instances where the ind lenoe OF
uch Ten has done anyihi to make the deeds Of their
CON plnians less ruthless All the Gi3tocrnlc blood Of
tue csnfgdoacy could rot suffice to environ the his
iory Of their ma cues With rumentc interest that
Bcud vail the naked fot5 Of robbery ana murder that
have been so often proved. Familiarity With crime
breeds cold contempt its hOrrOrs. There ere men
Amongst the. banGs-plGb or aristocrstc, which,
ever Is nothiDg--vhO do the work OF hortor5 with
boGs, that only becom6s Tui1an. Ole Of these men,
named M0blsis, long notorious is marked among that
class who dive handsome trade in the clothing line
BY suipIl the dead ard the living among our SOL
diers. rsggeIs outside the lines Of troops posted in
tho valley have frequently been stripped by this fellow
Of every article on their persCps and then magnSni-
mously returned camps with instructions TO tell
her commanders that "they had met Aoblas."
According to this ingenious and rather romantic
writer 20 would be induced to bslievs that even b..
fore the war these sons Of The first families of Virginia
sho we're TOO proud and TOO lszT to work, had
7,r.ed the great Valley into highway Of murder and
rapire such as We are ted 30 the ban6it of the APP
pennies or the sinister inhabitants OF Cslabria.
After his sketch Of Men and Manners" he proceeds
to de c 63 the land marks Of the Valley:
There is one Village in the Shenandoah Valley
brcu which the UUlpn amy always passes, play ing
tho tune OF 40 John BFOWD" That village lie Onates-
town remember the fret time the army entered it.
Az the very threshi Of the man street all the bands
al ent DO oie began one BY one that fantss 10 straD-
The forenoon vas calm, but cloudy The streets OF
the town lily peoped at the bes snd, as the mu-
20 Of that song tW,l cd, timed to the tramp OF
the g ouaands of soldiers who were 'mNrch-
n OF" up tn Valley in pursuit OF the rebel army III
h,a ID bGl the heads ct the windows draw SUI
len!y N Wihn sight was the court house where John
Br wn wss tr-d and within bet shot stood the tr
rrereou John B,Cwn's pdY, before 'mouljered 10
the g,ouud" va hung. Tbs residents, some how or
anosuer, DID nos like to be remembered Of these &C.
curreuc,s in this way.
The aaue Of WAshinE ton is not infrequsnt 10 the
Valley. ung Blahrod Washington, a reatve Of the
origt al Washington by Gesc'nt is member OF the
rebel cavalry ulcsr ROzssr. female member Of the
Washington family said TO be- the nesrest relative OF
The hrss President now living, ia the vile of gentle
uan named Packard, whose residence the building OF
which also 6a,es back 70 he Revolution the scene
Of pernaps the 8harpest portion OF the fight which
TOOK place here on the 2l't oil August. The sharp
shooters Of General Gouys division occupied the house,
which was sheed by the rebels. Nine shells penetrated
tha ytls and tsral storm Of bullets ragged about IL
for several hou th3 entire family of Mr. Packard, to-
gstusr win three yOuog ladies (NUsss Washington,
Iieces OF Mrs. Packard occupying the cellar at the
! time.
: He thus descrb the dwelling which he tells rs Is
Ger airly "sight to beholG":
Examining be r, ar well, from which direction the
eneml's shots we're fred, ore cannot discern spot
where human body could have placed itseH without
being hit Every square foot OF brick has been Clipped
by bullet and every shell that struck pierced the wall!
| en- he Toe interior s q scene Of desoation. shell
exploded In almos. every room and the marks OF hui
e entering through the Windows are seen In the walls