Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1866-05-12

g. The following extract is taken lrom
g work lately published, entitled "Surry
ol Eagles Nest" written by John Eston
Cooke, staff officer TO SIonewall Jackson,
o. The commencement of the war:
The Ruined Church and the Stranger.
| entered the great Valley of Virginia
through Ashby's Gap, on May morning
which rendered tie scene inexpEessIbIy
lovely. The Shenandoah glIded away
beneath The mOllled arDs OF the huge
sycamores upon It's banks. with murmuT
ss soft and sweet as the distant iiCRling OF
silver bells; green fields extended on eve
ry side; aud in the ives, rose The blue
rampsrlo Of the MasslnuIton anu Great
North Mountains, as beuu,Itul and IRAN
onil as some happy dream. Ii was hard
ID realize lha, war would ever stamp his
red ho0f upon this Already, all loneliness
and repose; or that the day would come
when the ,hrea, Of Federal commander
would nearly be carried oui. that" crow
flying over the region should be Obliged
20 cary his own rstirns."
And now as ] enter upon new scenes OF
ny memoirs, beg leave 10 notify the
kindly reader that shall endeavor here
after 10 entertain him with something
more interesting than my private feelings
Why should | inflicl upon that amlabe
personsee a long and lschrymose para
graph all shout the heavy heart which
friend Of his bore away from 1.-The Oaks
-ou describe The tragic emotions OF iha!
unfortunate individual a, the prospect OF
seeing his sweetheart marry his TIval
Alas human life is 20 full Of these On
lucky affairs, that think The less we hear
Of them the belrer !
am therefore obdurately "resolved TO
be gay," and am resoluely determined
that, if possible. not a SINGLE wall OF an
guish shall be heard from the hero OF
these memoirs. Is not life comedy,
and The music lively ? Reader mine |
who write have seen both good aud bad
fortune in my time and i, has always
seemed best 10 me 10 bear the first with a
modest, the latter with courageous
heart.
So we pass away now from these days
a,"The Oaks From the mast the long
s,ream,rs wave farewell TO the liile bark
that ehded across our course, and has dis
appeared. Bon uOyage! fair May Bev-
erley May the sea be smooth before
you! You and 60 different ways
Turning 10 the night a, Berry's Ferry,
passed mansion picluresquely Per1bed
upon hill with background OF woods,
around the portico of which. | remember,
some young ladies were trailing sweet
brier rose in full blossom. All this was
the very opposite of war-a1d YET lived
to witness hot 6gh. upon that very lawn
and /" see The spring grass dyed with
blood.
My horses were fresh. and Iexpecled
to reach the nelghburhood of Harper's
Ferry before evening, but, when in the
vicinity of Charleslown, found The sky.
which had long been threatening, sudden
ly indicate The approach OF a storm. A
huge bank OF black cloud. against " whicb. |
from time TO ume, vivid flashes of hph, |
ming shone, like fiery crack in the dark
mass, sdmoplshed me cf the weliing
which awaited ne unless found shelter;
anu very soon those heavy drops which
are 'he Skuml>hers thrown out by an al. |
'a"c''g tempest. began 10 psller on the
leaves.
| looked round for some shelter. bu,
sa" no house anywhere. In clump nf
trees however few hundred Yards from
the road rose The runs of An old cbnrc,.
and 10 this FASTENED. dismoun,no and
taking refuge within. jus, as the stern
burst. The ruin was almost roofless: bu,
projection over The altar-pls furnished