Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1875-05-27

facts
.s1he railroad is laid through the cent err
of the Valley, and extensive views are OBJ
talned on either hand. With the high
mountains in the distance, the vast rolling
cleared fields in the foreground, the
scenery presents very attractive appear
ance to the eye, ard we do not wonder at
the celebrity the Valley has obtained tor
Its natural beauty. The soil is very fer
tile throughout the whole Valley, and
yields large crops of grain and grass and
fruits OF all kinds. The agricultural re-
sources of the Valley are very great, and
if halt cultivated as it should be would
quickly enrich the inhabitants. But we
regret to say this is not the case, and
while large portions of the Valley are rot
cultivated at all, the rest appears to be
done in a slip-shod, and what Yankee
would call 'shiftless" manner, and con-
sequently the cultivated land even does
not produce half what it might be made
to do. Part Of this is due to the old slave
systems of culture and lack of spirit and
ShtSi PiiSSs poio ~ Liz pONCitS CduSCu Wy
the late Rebellion, and largely to the fact
that the land is held in large tracts of from
one to ten thousand acres by single in
dividuals who cannot, if they would Gull
tivatc the whole properly. If the coun-
try were divided up into moderately-siz
tracts OF from one to two or three hun
dred acres and owned and occupied by
men bred OH our northern farms. the Val
| ley would soon become very garden
| spot, and not eXcelletl in richness by any
section OF country we know of. For the
raising of grain, fruit and live stock, we
know OF no section that could excel it.
There is plenty Of unemployed water
power in the Valley for almost any branch
of manufacture required. But the Val
ley appears to be Inhabited by people
lacking in enterprise and spirit, who sit
down contented with the most ordinary
fare, when by a little exertion they might
accumulate fortunes and surround them
selves with all the comforts of the most
favored people in the land. This Valley.
as our readers all know, was the favorite
| tramping ground of the Two armies, and
,, is almost covered with battle-feIds. Up,
| and down the Valley the armies raided
one after the other. and towns were cap
tured and abandoned day after day.
People went to bed under one flag and
two or three times day. A gentleman
who resided in the Valley in those days
told us that it mattered very little to him
as to the treatment received from the diff
elent armies who occupied the land, it
was the changes that troubled him the
most-they we're altogethe: too violent to
! be comfortable ana he often got caught
when questioned rs to the side which ell
listed his sympaIhies All mills, manu-
factories. barns, granaries and stores were
| destroyed. and live and rolling stock of
every kind carried Off.
| Many of the private dwellings and
mansions were also destroyed, either
w antcnly or in the shock Of battle To-
/ day, even. the marks of the contest are
plainly visible all through the Valley.
Ruined walls of houses, anufactores,
mills, churches, dwellings, etc, ETC., greet
the eye in every direction. Lone chimneys
are to be seen in nearly every quarter
Near every water-course are to be seen
abandoned luill-wheels and ruined foun-
dations. The wreck of an occasional
bridge is to be seen-all destroyed by the
cruel war that deSolated this fair land. A
great many of the grain and saw mills
have been rebuilt. but more mill ruins are
to be seen than new mills. Earthworks
thrown up by the armies constantly meet
the eye rs we travel along. Our guide
pointed out to us many of the localities
made famous during the war among them
the battlefield of Summit Point, and
Opequan local vernacular "O-pa-ken')
Creek, where our Jersey boys participated
and where our General Mcintosh fought
a most gallant fight, captured a South
Carolina brigade with a handful of men,
and lost his own leg also Fishers Hill
where was one of the severest b1ttles of
the war, and where Sheridan saved the
day after his almost unparalleled ride from
Winchester; Kernstown and Cedar Greek,
where many of our Jersey boys gave up
their lives. Charlestown (where old John
Browns soul commenced its famous
chester, kernstow Newtown, Middle
town, Strasburg, Woodstock, Edinburg
Mt. Jackson, ETC., are all familiar flames to
those who followed the movements OF our
armies during the late War, and therefore
interesting to the traveller on the Valley
Railroad, We have no room in this
article to describe to contests which took
place at the several points referred to, and
must pass on. The towns in the Sheuan-
doah Valley are generally prettiiy located
but are not in their present con dition
very handsome. Paint seems to be a very
scarce article, and the buildings look old
and many present dilapidated appear
ance. Hardly any new buildings are in
course oferection in those villages. and
there appeared to be very little business
Winchester has undoubtedly been hand
some and thriving town of six or eight
thousand inhabitants, but it appears very
quiet now, and without any public spirit
or business to speak of, although hand
somely situated in the midst of an ex-
tensive and fertile country. 1t was shook.
And the latter remark will apply to most
! OF the towns in the Valley. AS soon as
the inhabitants wake up, and avail them
selves of the splendid advantages they
enjoy as to location and resources, the
Valley towns will present different and