The Placer herald., 1865-02-04
ROMANCE OF THE SHENANDOAH.

a correspondent with Sheridau's army.
writing from the Shenandoah valley SAYS
What is ordinarily called the summer
campaign is now safely over in the valley.
It's brilliant scenery and achievements are of
the past. Full Of triumph--ful Of incidents
terrible and beautiful, set in landscapes for.
ever glowing, forever chauging-its memory
sweeps in upon the soul like vision of the
unreal. Over how many miles Of marches
in the night and in the day, thought goes
back 10 claim touching acquaintance with
scenes and faces that 800 bv, % by." By
mountains clad with the imperial robes Of
snmmel; y streams that sang anew the
songs Il Wei! loved rivers in the North: bv
villages and cottages beautiful in the early
spring, but desoated now like all this land;
oyel fields and through forests; under the
cloud aud under the sun, our banners have
aoated to victory after victory, and at last to
rest.
TIE Shenandoah valley is a very vale Of
romance. Nothing il the history OF the
war at all compares in vivid, tragic uteres,
with some ot the events which have been
Identified with the marches Of this army.
The secret story Of the last summers cam.
pa'gn has lever been, and perhaps never can
lie, fully written. is as yet too nearly
identified with the Interests Of the cause in
this quarter to lie d7scribed at ALL and the
Wal must b. safely oter before some Of the
most startling facts viii ever be generally
known outside Of official circles.
GUERILLA WARFARE.
The guerilla system is one Of the elements
IN the web of romance which the war has
woven in the valley Barbalous and terrible
as this warfare is fast beconing 1t has had
in the pasta .bough ii scarcely yet retains
-ao air Of chiyaIry that duIIed the edge Of
its horror. While the majority of men be
longing to the bands Of AIosby. Gi.mor,
McAie!, and the resi-, are simply full biooded
iulhans, bent on murder and piunder, there
were some among them who attached them
selves purely rom motives Of revenge for
family insults and tosses, aud few from
motives Of duty, as they understood the
term. Others did it out Of deviIry-harem
scareIn Youngsters badly bred, badly gov
erned, and lacking anything save the desire
to be 10 Il row. One of tie last named sort
was picked mp at Milwood when the Sixth
corps marched through that -ace IN Octo-
be-. lie was boy Of about eighteen years
home on leave and quite unaware OF the
vicinity Of our troops until lie was surprised
in tie house Of his aunt by a couple of
United States Soldiers A saucer, more un
concerned young scamp il is impossible to
name He was boy, certainly, after Mos
bv's own heart.
The sons Of some Of the most prominent
people IN he valley are gaeri!as. One of
the descendants # a.hington-Dushrod
Wa>hiu2ton-is a member Of one of these
hauds. Lawyers, physicians an! men of
wealth are sid to belong to them. They
are an o}la podrida Of all sorts OF characters,
and it is for this very on-that their
members belong to every class of society
and have relatives or friends in every place
in the vai!ey-that the movements and some
times the plans OF this army have 50 often
become known to the enemy. Winchester
and Marinsburg are infested with their spies.
1t has been considered necessary since the
late descent Of Mosby's uen close upon the
pickets Of the latter place, to establish a
system OF security savoring Of those pre-
vaihng in the wars OF Europe. Nearly every
street in DAalt.nsburg is now barricadad, and
no person can walk the street without the
counteIsign. Il will be understood from
these facts we have to contend in this region,
not alone with an enemy in front, but with
an enemy III the rear, annoying y formidable,
because all his movements are made in am
bush.
Very few rebel families are without rep
reseutatIve either in the guerilla bands or in
the regular rebel cavalry. There have been
instances during the recent battles where the
enemy's officers and men have been shot
dead upon their own grounds, within sight
of their own homes. Colonel Marshall, who
was killed in the cavalry fight along our
front less than week ago, fell within mus
ket shot Of bis children--beautifu children
who were being petted by some Of our
own officers upon the steps Of q stone NAM
sion near Newton, at the time. A son Of
Mrs. Davis, very prominent secession lady,
residing Just this side of Newton, was in the
same fight, ard twice within hail Of bis old
home--which be had not visited for two
years-without being able to reach it,
MANUFACTURED REBELS.
The women Of the valley are among the
most thorough exempIars Of the agency of
local warfare in altering and Transforming
human character. do not propose to mar
the general tone of this review by any very
closely logical d'scussions else | might VEN
tpre upon a classification Of facts which
would have the force Of self-evilence in Illus
traling what | mean.
The one chief and mournful truth is this:
that whereas, in the beginning, the powers
that be might, through consulting with the
interests and feelings of the residents Of the
Shenandoah valley, have secured the practi
cal sympathy Of that whole region to our
side, they have, by persistently neglecting
and abusing them, SO thoroughly alienated
nearly all the people that not one spark Of
interest or feeling remains to impel them