The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-08-08
rettcr from BEDFORD County.

BUGGY-RIDE THROUGH ROANOKE, BoTEToURT,
AND BEDFORD--CR OP slime OF HUNTER S
RETREAT, AND SCENE OF A sKIRMISH BETWEEN
HUNTER AND EARLY-INTERESTING CORES.
PoNDENCE BETWEEN HUNTER AND GENERAL
L-y-REMINISCENCES OF ''FATHER HARRIS p
BEDFORD AS A BIRTHPLACE OF MINISTER'S
MEETING OF THE NINETY-SEvENTH ANIMAL
SESSION OF TIE STRAWBERRY ASSOCIATION
FIRST DAYS PROCEEDINGS.
CORRESPONDENCE of the Richmond Dispatch.l
Mt. HERMoN CHURCH, BEDFORD COUNTY,
August 9TH, 1S73-In this age Of steam one
seldom takes trip by private conveyance
when he can go by rail; but your correspond
ent has found buggy-ride down through
Roanoke, BOtetourt, and Bedford most
delightful relief to the monotony of railroad
travel
The crops along the route are generally
very good-thc corn splendid and the to-
bacco Dromising-aud the lands seem rich
and productive.
We passed along the line Of Hunters re-
treat, and had near Buford's view OF the
ground on which there was Il severe Skin.
miSh between Hunters rcar-guard and Ear
Tvs advance. | was reminded of CORE
spondence between Hunter and General Lee
which has hot been generally known, and
the substance of which it may be well to
give.
Soon after the close of the war Hunter,
who had been severely criticised by north
ern writers on account Of this campaign, and
wanted something TO bolster him up, wrote
to General Lee that he would be glad to get
from him information upon two points:
!. His campaign was begun on informa-
ton received at the War Department in
Washington that General Lee was about to
detach 10000 picked troops to send to re-
iuiorce General Joseph Johnston. He wished
to know if his (Hunter's) expedition did not
prevent this movement. ..,.
9. He wished to know il he did not take
the most feasible route of retreat when com
PEELED to retreat from Lynchburg.
General Lee wrote him most courteous
letter in reply, in which he said that the in.
formation received at the War Department
was most certainly incorrect; that he had nc
intention whatever of sending any troops to
General Johnston, certainly not forty thou.
sand. as that aoould haze taken about all he
had that in reference TO the second point,
he did not know the considerations which
had Influenced General Hunter in selecting
his line of retreat, but that he General Lee.
had expected bin to retreat by way of the
Shenandoah Valley, and was very much
gratitied Mt the time that he did not do so.
passed to-day number of points of in
terest, but none more interesting to me
than che old homestead of the venerable
g Father" Rev. William Harris, who labor.
ed so long and with such wonderful success
in this region Father Harris baptized du-
ring his life H,trty:foe ministers Of the gospel
among them such men as. Drs. Witt, Jeter,
w. e. Hatcher, and F.. M. Barker, Revs.. a.
c. Dempsey, H. p. Hatcher, Harvey Hatcher,
c. G. Meador, S. r. White, Samuel Harris,
and others. ;5Fls ias.lss $500.
Bedford county has been long noted as
the birthplace of distinguished ministers in
ali of the denominations. The grand old
Peaks of Otter have seemed to'keep sentinel
over homes which have proven; in literal
sense, t.nurseries Of the church" from
which, have gone forth, some Of The noblest
heralds Of the Cross whom this country has
ever produced. e ss ses ST. y 8. 8.
The pinety-seyenth annual meeting of the
Strawberry Ba ptist Association was held g
WITH Mount Hermon church, Bedford
county, beginning this morning. &,
This venerable Association Is composed OF