The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-02-10

Messrs Editors,-A copy of the Richmond
Gispatch which bought short time since,
has revived in me that "cacodthes Scrtebndt
which formerly induced me to contribute 10
its columns. Indeed, the sight OF your
familiar paper, in its old a1ae beltn dress, made
me forget for a moment the awful scenes that
have .ranspired since / troubled you with Il
note Of correspondence ANA yet what
change has come over the spirit OF our dreams
since those halcyon days of yore. was then
a resident of q neighborinS county TO your
city, and il makes my heart bleed TO think OF
it's desolation. Those who We're won't 10
welcome me in princely homes, now meet me
in dependence and penury. The churches
wherein we worshipped have been burnt II the
deadly carnival of war. The very SOIL Is
enriched by human bodies, and the landscape
is disfigured by human skulls
But ii is useless 10 dwell upon the past;
desire TO tell you of things that are now occur
ring in the living present, ana Ill TINS. my
mountain home. This was the scene Oh the
disbanding of the last of the Confederate army
in Virginia, being that under command OF
General Echols. Stoneman, by cunning
piece of strategy, had deluded General Echols,
and passing rapidly through North Carolina,
came suddenly on 10 the Virginia and 1ennes-
see railroad, striking il at Wytheville and
Central Depot, and then rapidly passing down,
he destroyed nearly every bridge ana cattle
guard from here 10 Liberty. He then passed
UP into Patrick and Henry, and again into
North Carolina. Echols, i'll the mean time,
followed on down the railroad TO Big Spring,
where, finding no one 10 receive his sword ana
parole his men--having already heard OF Gen
eral Lees surrender-he returned, with
instantly depicting ranks, 10 this place, ana
disbanded. 1t was one of the saddest scenes
that l ever witnessed-the dismantled guns,
and broken wagons, and general debris OF Il
scattered army.
Our people were long in recovering from the
demoralizing effects of such scenes !; but now
they have quieted down into the stern duties
of practical life. Last fall larger business
was done here than ever was done before The
war. The loan of some of the gold in our
bank 10 the stockholders had replenished, 10 a
limited extent, the empty pockets OF our peo-
pie, and all the necesSarieS OF life being III
great demand our stores were crowded for
months with anxious purchasers. But now
the money is exhausted, and sad, indeed, is
our condition The last wheat crop was an
utter failure, and the cattle were not as plen-
Lful, under the impressment system, as before
the war. The hog cholera, also, has ragged
almost universally throughout this section
stll, II we can stand ii until another wheat
crop, we will be hopeful for the future. The
wheat is not very promising though yet, iii
this grand country, so prolific of blue grass
and famous for fine cattle, with few negroes,
and these gradually passing away, no Migrants,
no freedmen bureau, or "nigger Chist, rs il
is facetiously called, and no Yankees. hope
that, under the smiles of q kind Providence
we will Yet weather the storm and con tnue 10
be the grandest portion Of this grand old Com
monwealth.
We certainly have here the finest water
power anywhere 10 be found, and an mex
haustible supply of coal, and iron, and copper
and lead indeed, of all the minerals. The eli
mate, too, though seemingly harsh is unu-
sualiy healthy, and the pure mountain air is
more bracing than brandy. And, then, if the
Iairoans from Salem 10 Harrisonburg, and
from Lowry's TO Danyillc, should ever be con
eTucted, can see no reason WHY ALI the re-
sources OF this delightsome land should not he
Iapiaiy developed, and make 1T the garden, snot
OF THIS whole country. There is n shirt nj
energy IN the people that will soon racnnar.ta
tnelr broken fortunes. The springs viii saoo
DC Ieopensd Indeed, the ALLEGHENY. and ~
naps the IeiloW sulphur, this summer INA
thus the Ola Times Will come again and pras
perffy Will lavish its golden BLESSINGS of haaY,
and plenty upon our peaceful land ''h
But Tor the CALLING, irritating harshnes. :, ma
venom OF radicalism in Congress we u,onIa
Boon settle down 10 quietness aud repose Ri
even now some of our best men and oldss,
ciuZehs are contemplating a move to Mexico
meeting was held on yesterday, that being
court day, Tor the purpose of raising funds TO
send oui an agent 10 examine and report.
This looks like action and IL may be, after all.
that God intends 10 scatter Southern Chris.
uans into that land, as he sea tered the Hugue.
nots all over the world by the relentless per
secution OF France, and give up the Union as
ne did France, 10 Romish bigotry and into.
ieTance, and 10 wild, and wicked, and ruinous
ihhaenty. We shall see, IL we live long
snougn and the millennium don't come this
ysss' Yours, u,