New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-06-07
IN THE SHENANDOAH Valley.
MEMOIRS AND RELICS OF THREE WARS AT
WINCHESTER


rRoN Az oCc ASlONAL CORRESPONDENT or TIE TRIBUNE.
WINCHESTER. Va. May 2S.-This is a town
which the antiquarian and the student Of American
history would delight to visit The ridges TO the west
ward Of the place still crowned by ie red breast
works that thrown up during numerous engage
meuts from 1851 20 1865, while TO the east are three
cemeteries which hold the bones OF most Of those who fe
in battle on the western ridge In the Southern cemetery
are 5000 dead and separated from their foes only b.
eight feet wall lie the remain, Of 1000 Northern
soldiers These cemeteries the Chief attraction Of
Winchester. They kept in perfect order, aud from
any Of them the eye sweep over a lovely land
-cape perhaps. a. he found in America. Miles Of
forest- overad hills and holows green with waving
fields of grain charm the observer until the prospect is
shut OF by the blue mountains that wall in the Shenan
doah Valley.
singular assertion relative to the Federal burying
ground was made to me by Holmes Conrad. resident
lawyer Of tine town. There be doubt, said he.
that at the close OF the War when the skeletons Of the
dead soldiers being collected bones Of horses
and other animals buried in the Union cemetery a.
soldiers relies. Twenty-Five cents each were paid for
the skeletons OF Union soldiers. who were scattered all
through the valley having been buried WHO'RE they
had fallen The price offered the incentive to much
disgraceful work"
The third might be termed the civic cemetery Of Win
chester The notable in it i that Of General
Daniel Morgan the hero Of the Cowpens, who passed the
early and the closing years OF his eventual life in Win
chester plain stone slab flush with the ground marks
the spot where his body buried in the centre OF
incloscd plot OF ground. Half Of this memorial stone
has been Clipped of and carried away 10y relichunters
and fallen grass gray and dead leaves heaped upon
the fragment that left render the simple inscription
ueUe which tells the date Of his birth and death and
bears to his virtues soldier and patriot Gen
era Singleton, Of Illinois, introduced in the House OF
Representatives, long introduced resolution appro-
priatn 10000 for the erection Of suitable monument
over this neglected hero's grave The bill went into
committee pge0n-hOe where it still sumbers peacefully
Winchester is ghost Of what It years ago. In the
summer the people flock To the cemeteries and
sit on graves and talk or the dead past They live In
the past. The old town has run TO seed. Duness and
deadness upon It ike pail June grasses flourish
freely on the sidewalks Of the main hOrOu 1fare, and
the drow.y tnkug Of cowbells at milking time rcSOdnds
through the streets one OF the principal occupations OF
the people is the collection OF relies They many
curious aud interesting mcmenios OF BraddcOk, Washing
ran Morgan and Lord Fairfax The latter was the
holder under royal letters patent OF 81 this fertile com
trv called the northern neck Of Virginia. He had two
rgiiences one called Belvoir twelve miles below Mount
Vernon on the Potomac and the other Grreenway Court
which he built for hunting purposes eight miles rom
tbi. nce toward the Shenandoah River. The pots and
pans and camping utensils which General Braddock
carried his Inflated march to the FORKS or the ONO
are counted among the sacred treasures Of many fan
lies lawyer who a farm six miles east OF here
showed Il small OblOng copper plate Wllch was re-
Gently poughed mp his place where adock was SAID
10 nave pitched his first tent after starting from VIM
chester the expedition. The plate Is covered win
herOdyphcs and letters, and the owner believes II TO
have been BraddOcks cypher key. On one side OF the
plate is the name the maker: POntiex; 40 shoe
Lane London"
In the town Jail | was shown q rusty rifle and q
wooden Il. when carried by Adam hiIz
the grandfather OF the the jakeePer, on the expedition
to Quebec. Morgan raised in Winchester 100 rnemen.
He led them 10 Boston, and thence TO the stOrnhs OF
Quebec when Montgomery fell; and after sealing the
walls be captured IN the interior OF the town To-
gether Win hl- flheinen but they must nearly AZ hae
back home. for their graves in Mt Hebron |
Cemetery the citizens burying ground is called are
plainly 10 be seen
There Is tumbledown log hut eight miles from here
and mile rom BerryYile. Passengers going south
over the Shenandoah Valley Railroad Just before they
Berryye this rude structure 10 the right
of them at the base or q green hill few hundred yards
distant from Tie road II they did not know IT, history
they would never look twice az H. fine spring OF e
stone water gushes from underneath some rocks ana
alter passing beneath the logs Oi tie cabin the little rNu
let through succession OF meadows 10 the shemn-
dOal River. large shades the spring and the
hut. This unpetcntOus building many months was
tie home Of Washington, when he yet youth EN-
ployed by Lord Fairfax surveyor ana this valley
little more than wilderness The prevalent BELIEF |
among those who live around it although there Is scanl
authority back it's that tie wOr-eateu logs were
American Presidents himself However this may nr' !
stands the old cabin hoar and venerable. scarce M
teen the comb OF IT. diispidied roof. AFTER
Washington had left ID General Morgan bought n ana
which It'll stands. Morgan named his home solder
Rest 1t said that after the rough hand toand ghs
he would home and his Young wife would 20 win MN
down ~ the spring aud sit the rocks and wash ana
bandace mp his bloody wounds The log honsc j. used 10y
II ANalr}. \ large oi money was
,fe rel ham for cabin bJ persons who wished o eN-
llbt IT, but the OFFER Was.reused marble slab IN the
vail OF the yestibule the Episcopal Church In WIN
chester informs the congregation that the ashes or
BRYAN Lord Fairfax. lie Ia Naut b, meath. BrNoir Ms
I'D residence the Potomac has disappeared ana me
lite las been puughcd a-dn and a-nn. ~ hfr'l-
way Court a remnant only stands some 81 the costly
nrniture which imported from England ~ inc
Master OF the Greenwny Court can ne i"hd 81 present
Il the home OK George ". Chlds IL 4.'iAuepHiA-