St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1866-05-24
LETTERS FROM THE SOUTH.
ifIa Ill ~ ~ I - =.
0auly River aud CarniNhx Ferry.
GLrsv1ILr, G. H., W. Va.

u
oauiy River aad CarninAx Ferry.
=. GLENv1LLE, C. H., W. Va. s.
"a April 18th, 1855.
= ED1roR DExooRAr.-The road from Glen
Vile, on the Little Kenawha, to Sutton, in
Braxton county. is mountainous and some.
what difficult. You leave the Kenaw III, and
soon come into the mountain gorges Of the
Fix, which runs southward. through Clay,
Brs4ton and Webster countries. Sutton Is
. small town on the Elk, aud Is the County
seat of Braxton. Thus far the country is
wild, abouudiug in small streamlets, lofty
hills, heavy wooded valleys, and picturesque
scenery. You move slowly along on horse.
Lack. nox up steep precipices, and again
down long water courses; guarded on ei-
ther hand, by rcck-browed sentinels, that
h"ye fEowned down for ages, - they now,
do upon Tie solitary srsveler. - : Z
Leaving Sutton. the road traverses the
most rugged part Of Braxton, winding over
mountains steep and wooded, by the heads
of -raviues. Now and then farmhouse
CLEANS out in the sunshine, from the toll
forest trees that line I'll the little streams.
A pleasant field IS seen, charmiDgly green
With tie rapidly growing crop. The lanes
are clean and smooth, and shaded by long
rows Of hi,kory and sycamore The re-
spectable looking old mansion, with its din
gy rock chimnies, standing firmly at each
end Of the house, and the plain, long, old
porch in front, and the blossoming cherry
trees, are nov, in full view; and you invol-
uatarily pause to admire the really pleasing.
comfortable and sttractive old homestead.
The scene is delightful. You have not seen
a human habitation or heard human voice
for the last twenty miles. The. wilderness
on the way has been almost frightful,
though always grand in the primeval gloom
and silence The noble animal that moves
along easily as the rock of the cradle.
pricks up his ears every few minutee, as
much as to say, and as mistakably as
though he spoke it, s.This isa dreary, if
not . perilous journey, But the instinct
is but for moment; and champing his bit
he takes hisgrider along With proud,
brave step; TO the foot of the west rocky
eminence. >....,.
Thus it has been for the last half days
ride. till this tasty, we'll appointed planta-
tion meets the eye, suddenly. felt that
the man in the, garden was my friend, and
would be glad TO SCENE, whoever he vas,
~ g 49,. 80
locke, and l certainly felt that was his.
''Ho! over there, will you tell me if this
is the road to Carnifax Ferry! I have been
riding how since morning. and this is the
first respectable habitation have met with
sinceI left the. .Ke. ..awha and. want to
know if I am n the right way to Carnifax
Ferry ?" .<-.E,,Ss7 5t@.
''0h yes, stranger, this is the right way
to Carnlfax Ferry. -Gsuly river, where the
Ferry Is, il but short iistance now. You
win come to Summerville first, tho County
seat Of Nicholas 'county aud Carnifax Fer
~ is just beyond"
"Thank you, my good friend. you are
very kind; and now will you allow me to
ask how long you have lived here in these
mountains. 1t appears to be very wild
country; but you have a 6ne old farm, in
this valley, and l would like to know how
long you have been here."rH l9ta-! sSa4i>.}f :
"Certainly; but wont you 'al,ght? = !" q
merville y '>' '''' ~ .''s II / = - IS
-S*.Well then, was born here, sixty years
ago. My sfather who sleeps over there"
pointing 10 the corr er of the garden where
there was little wea, her-soiied picket pal
ing, ''settled here seventy odd years ago !;
lived many years at first by hunting; kill
ed many Iudians out in Poohahontas coun /
ty, under old Captain Floyd. and finally
cleared up this farm. He died only few
years ago, and am left 10 take care Of it.
It is a pleasant place to me; the soil is
good, the fruit trees do well, and it is but y
few hours ride out to Summeryille, any
how" -
The ride to Summerville is soon made.
A few old plantations lie in the way, with
dense tracts of woodland between. The
road improves, and the old court house is
very soon seen on the hill above the little
town. Here is . church, hotel, and two or
three dozen dwelling houses. From Sum
merville to 'Ga1ly river, the scenery Is
charming. The road is admirable to with
in short distance Of Csnifax Ferry. The
luOuuS"Au A0u&Oo OsOuS su0 "SAH0I AOOA Ak~
pine. Such ise the impression made, that
one almost says audibly. ''How grand p
and fancies he sees the timid chamois half
hid in the laurel or bounding along the
SUBMITS. and listens to catch the sound of
the Alpine horn, from the splendid eleva-
tions) and |undulations that beautity the
great sides Of the mountain range.
]&" BATTLE OF cARN1rAx PERRY. <G& + /
You viii remember having read in the
early part of the rebellion Of. the engage
ment a. Carnitax. Ferry f, General Floyd
had sentrenched himself strongly on the
mountain & near Gauly river, Rosecrans,
with nine thousand men, moved down, from
Charleston, about l. days march, with, the
design Of driving Floyd from the noun
'tain:'g Late in i the day, the Uuion; forces
began the ascent, Of. the mountain, led by
Rosecrans in person. They went, up, BY
the only way It was possible to 20 with
an army, and here Floyd had planted his
cannon behind formidable breAstu works. !. .
Floyd having but fifteen hundred men, Il
Was not believed BY the Union boys that
there would ,be eny difficulty in scaling the
rebel works, and either Dispensing OF cap-
turing the boys in grey. II took but s mo-
ment to show the fatal mistake. 8 & No SOON
er had the Federals, in nscolumns by com
|'panies, got within gun shot 1t short range,
thar, tha vhn1a artil1erv, nnenod v;th Aaod