The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-07-26

THE BIG spRING-A STORM IN THE LO-
CALITY-THE REGION OCCUPIED By THE
CoNFEDERATES AT THE BEGINNING OF
THE WAR AND ABANDONED BY GENERAL.
LEE AS UNTENABLE, &C., &c.
Correspondence or the Richmond DispatchI
MILBoRo' SPRINGS,
Bath COUNTY, July %, 1916.
Seated in the porch OF the Warm Springs,
inspired with an enthusiastic love OF Nature
in the freedom Of her unresirained lie, l
heard with delight the narrative OF friend
relating to his travels and sports in the ad-
iacent country westward OF the Warm. He
80 enchanted me with his pictures OF the
mountains and valleys and the clear streams
and rich foliage OF the forests that longed
to behold them in reality; and soon made
up my mind to an excursion to Pocahontas
county aud the little-known country beyond
it. The desire for this qualification was
constantly kept alive in 4 company OF gay
and lively gentlemen whose ages ranged
from sixty to eighty. These festive
guests Of the Warm, with whom l
was very much implicated, were much
given to cards and energetic expressions;
and under the veXation OF occasional con-
words" uttered and emphatic pledges
made; such, for instance, rs that they
would leave for 50 Pocahontas " in the morn
ing, or would not eat again in Virginia I'M
less they had better luck in the next hand
or game. Thus deal Of unredeemed
pledges and unrepented sins were piled up
in this rare society. informed them that
had determined to go to Pocahontas, and
even to further parts, and that would in a
chivalrous spirit of self-sacritice make the
expedition in part to eXpiate their offences.
This they hailed with delight, and at once
sat out to fulfil my undertaking.
RAMBLER's ADVENTURES.
And now propose to give you some ac-
count of what l saw and what befell me.
| need hardly say that fully relieved my
associates by satisfactory eXpiatlon; for this
you will see. ...,
sat out upon young horse Of consider
able elevation and great length, who had
long stride and lateral motion which can
best illustrate by comparing it to the gait OF
the camel. Wear and tear and much Joint
shaking were inevitable consequences to the
rider, and YOU may rely upon 1t that they
were fearlulty visited upon sometimes
rheumatic who had not before ridden two
miles ON horseback since the war. 1t was
well that buckskin was plenty III the noun
tains, and a day OF rest was timely sand
wichcd between fatiguing rides that brought
lid the rheumatic racks and aches afresh.
The rest was complete; for reposing IN the
balmy atmosphere OF 4 land whose scenes
and whose serenity We're more paradlslcal
than any | have beheld OF late, aches and
pains were lulled into placidity, and the
senses were felicitated by an atmosphere
pure and delciously temperate winds, bear.
ing with them the enchanting perfumes OF
fields of Towering grasses. TO me TINS eN-
cclled the delights of bowers of eXotics and
gardens flushed with choicest blossoms.
WARM SPRINGS IN THE REAR.
Leaving the Warm Springs at 5 \. NJ,
we soon passed from Bath county, crossing
the loyelv-fowing Jackson's river, Back
mountain, Back creek, and the Allegheny,
into Pocahontas county. There, by the
short descent on the west side Of the noun
tain, | saw that the table-land was much
higher than that east OF the Allegheny, and
T saw By the change in the flora and in the
growth generally that I was in country
differing decidedly from that east OF 1t.
The trees were taller and larger, and the
mountain forests were richer in their shade
and characteristic OF richer soil. AS we
progressed northwesterly these PECULIAR.
| ties became marked, until when we reached
the more northern and western part OF Poca-
| hontas the mountains rivalled the valleys 10
richness and the grasses grew luXuriantly
on the highest elevations. On some
| of the talleSt mountains there were nerds
of cattle cropping the verdure that was
as tall and as Sustentatious as any that was
ever grown in meadow. The cattle utlllZe
l,,,,f ~ ,,of, ol16 n I
down to the farmer, who thus draws wealth
from fields that were not seeded by his
hand, and in which he never puts the sickle
All he does is to clear away the timber and
the bluegrass springs up spontaneously ano
covers the land as abundantly and richly a.
ever was meadow covered.
MOUNTAIN DELIGHTS.
! say these appearances were richer ant
deeper as we progressed, and when we (mI
companion and myself) reached the upper
or northern part Of Pocahontas we fount
forests Of sugar-maple, beech, ash
walnut, lind, and wild-cherry Otter
on the mountain. l saw the last
named tree sometimes as thick in the bod.
as three feet. You may conclude that thu
view OH every hand was admirable. Fur
thermore, this land sends forth the heat
springs Of greater number Of respectable
rivers than any territory Of like area in The
Union. Within square Of about ten miles
we have the sources Of the Cheat, the Ty
CARTS Valley, the Elk, the Gauley, and thu
Greenbrier rivers. Turn where we may
the pure springs are shooting from thu
mountains and running away through darl
glens to Join one another in forming streams
that CLEAN with that wonderful fish which
is the darling object OF the true angler ant
the charmingest inhabitant OF mountain wa
tiers: the game and 1.-THE trout, who appear!
to be the last touch in natures poem Of hel
grandest and most delightful shades.
THE BIG SPRING.
wish / were able to draw just descrip
ton Of the surroundings Of the locality
where it was my good fortune to rest fol
awhile. This was Il grazing farm, which
was once part of the Gatewood purchase
called the "Big Spring" This spring i
one of those mountain streams which burs
from the rocks that are at the side OF al
ACTIVITY opposite the cottage OF the Gate
wood farm, still large one. 1t IS one o.
the head streams of the Elk. 1t is so bold
go pure, so cold, that man Involuntary ap
proachcs it with an admiration akin to de
Yotion. AS it leaps down the rocks it i
almost wild. Art has placed bit of bari
trough to make part, and quite enough Of
it, available. The wayfarcr bows gratefully
before what seems to be the heaven-de
scended water, and slakes his thirst with q
satisfaction that cannot be eXcelled. Thl:
spring is widely known, and gives the name
to the locality.
| CHEAT MOUNTAIN.
Near this place Twas quartered for a time
| a., Po,,r c;Ioc tnu ared tho Elk the Gauiey