Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1867-09-26
Some Notes of Our Late Trip.


attempting to cross the Fort and Massanuttin
Mountains in vehicle, or even on horre-back,
mot being SO unfortunate as to own either
in company with citizens of our town, we de-
termined to take s'Baldwin's Line" as that is
entirely reliable and never was known to in
jure any one by upsetting or other casualty
Taking an early start, we were tower the hills
and far away" long before old King Sol had
wheeled his burning chariot up the eastern
horizon: and at nine o clock reached the cee-
brated Chalybeate spring on the well known
Burners Springs" property, now owned by
our enterprising countymen, the Messrs.
Fultz, where I've discussed our lunch with a
zest that was truly refreshing.
This beautiful Valley, known as ssPowelps
Fort" $50 called from the fact that an Eng
lishman named Powell lived here more than
hundred years ago. in common with other
portions Of our county, has suffered some dam
age from the late drought; yet the corn looks
promising.
Imbibing hearty draught from this health
giving fountain, we soon reached the summit
of the Massauuttin, the dividing line between
the counties of Page and Warren and Shenan-
doah. From this point the traveller has one
of the most beautiful views that ever ravished
the vision of Natures most inspired deyotee.
Far away, bounding the horizon from east to
south, lies the Blue Ride with it's cloud capt
SUBMITS and numerous gaps; and winding its
serpentine course through Page Valley-here
pursuing its course at the base of the Massa-
muffin, and there touching a spur of the Blue
Ridge-runs the South Branch of the Shenan-
doah River The grand panorama Of noun
tain and valley, hill and dale, dotted with for
csts and farms, river and creeks and runs,
here spread out, is a theme upon which the
artist and the poet might exhaust their no.
blest powers. But we must leave this enchan-
| ting scenery to the Imagination Of those who
have higher appreciation of its sublimity.
Having recuperated our exhausted physical
energies, we descended to the Valley below,
| reaching the residence of our former county
man, MI Israel Is. Burner, at eleven o'clock,
having made the trip in five and a half hours,
including the time lost in resting and chatting
with friends. We were sorry to find our host
suffering from an unseemly carbuncle, and
/ especially as the interesting event elsewhere
! chronicled had to be deferred few days on
that account. It was but slight ''slip twixt
the cup and the lip however. Under the jul
dicious treatment of DR.. Compton, this infam-
mafory tumor soon ''grew small by degrees and
beautifully less" and our good friend has been
relieved IF SO aisagreeable companion At
ter refreshing the inner man at the hospitable
board of our host, we babe adieu to our trav-
cling companions and sought our friends -
Found them drying apples and peaches, and
otherwise proitably engaged.
we had the pleasure of grasping the hands
Of many Of the friends and acouaintances Of
former years, and reviving and discussing
many by-gone incident, bringing us back to
the happy days of youth.
Milford, or, rather, the locality known by
that NAME lies on both sides of Overalrs Run.
the dividing line between Warren and Page
counties Many years ago. when the writer
was boy, it was busy little village, having
distillery, store, blacksmith shop, tail
or shop, tavern, a church, &c. During the
late war several battles were fought here, and
long lines of breastworks still stand asmemen-
tos OF bloody struggles between the Confeder-
ates and Yankees. A sad changefhas been
wrought here within the past twenty or thirty
years. The church and the shops have all dis
| appeared, and the former elegant mansions are
in hopelessly dilapidated condition and the
very site of the old still house is obliterated.
In fact, the very genius of desolation seems to
have undisputed sway over this Inflated To-
callty. The former tenants of tn .se weather
worn dwellings have, most of them, long since
gone to ''that undiscovered country''-Col.
Isaac Overall, Benjamin Williams, the hon.
est blacksmith and others-have all gone to
their final account Our old friend, DR.. z. J.
Compton, with his estimable family, occupies
the only good dwelling on the Page side of the
run, and still laboriously practices his pro
fesson.
Bentonville, a lively village on the Luray
and Front Royal Turnpike, two miles from
Milford, in Warren county, did not suffer so
extensively, either before or during the war.
There are two stores (the Messrs. Barbee and
Mr.. Clark and several dwellings here. These
gentlemen seems to be doing thriving bust
ness. Near by is the hospitable mansion of
our much esteemed friend, James Stinson.
whose losses during the war were so great.
but who seems to regard them as matters of
little moment when compared with the loss of
the great cause for which we of the South so
Valnly sacrificed our all. The season was
more favorable here than in other localities.
and the corn and other crops look well. There
is an abundance of fruit of every description.
Having spent as much time with our friends
as was convenient, we retraced our stems. and
arrived at our post just in time to write sthese
few lines
AfPa id of the Fax