The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-10-02
OUR WOMEN m TEE WAR.
STARVATION in TIE VALLEY.
Sad Scenes Under the Shadows of Massa-
nuttsn Mountain.

nuttsn Mountain.
Shenandoah, Of Rarren o.. Va, in Caarles
ton Weekly Hetrs.
During the late war there was perhaps
no section Of the country subject to sucl
continued and varied trials an the north
western portion of the Virginia Valley
1t was "debatable land," lying near til,
dividing line Of tho armies, and knew
not TO day whether tomorrow would finC
it under the dominion of the Blue OF
the Grey. Scattered through the country
were farm houses, Inhabited at this time
solely by women and children aud ole
men too decrepid to handle weapons In
the field or implements Of husbandry 8,
home. These were dependent upon their
own exertions for the necessaries of life
Too far from the Potomac to run the
blockade and obtain supplies by trading
across the border, and levied upon for the
sustenance Of each army in turn, theiI
condition was most unenviable. All thai
could bo prudently spared, in the first
place, had been pstriotically donated to
the support of the Southern army. Then
came that inhuman order of Sheridan's
"The Shenandoah Valley must be de.
vastated till the crows passing over it will
have TO carry their rationa With them"
This edict wee carried ont witt: .e=i
worthy & better Gauss. midnight aIies
were liyid with the flames from burning
mills, where was being consumed the
breadstuffs gathered for winter stores by
each little neighborhood. Helpless wo.
men and children looked on while grana.
ries, meat.houses, hog pens end hen.
houses were rihed of the meagre stores
that had been collected with much labor
and privation. Cows were driven off,
sheep there were none, and every horse
that could drag plough or draw cart
was impressed for the use of the Federal
army or shot to render them useless to
the Confederates.
Then came the vital question to these
sorely tried people: What are we to do ?
Without horses to till the ground or haul
fuel for winter fires, how can we keep
our children from freezing and starving ?"
Up to this time the ladies, many of whom
use the bronm-frail, delicate women
had, with the help Of grand fathers and
children, or the desultory aid of freed
men, managed to cultivate enough of the
pasture lot and garden to supply the
family needs for food but even this
without horse power would become i'm.
possible. Equally, impossible without
some mode of conveyance Was it for
these unhappy people to seek food and
protection within the Southern lines.
There seems nothing left for them to do
but to subsist as long as they could on
the herbs and roots from their little gar.
dens, and after that death by starvation,
or deliverance by the Southern army.
The latter hope seemed forlorn one,
and the approaching winter was looked
forward to with feelings tha, will long be
remembered in the Valley.
A WIDOWS woEg.
It wse 81 this period and in .his Ioea.:-
ty that the incident which am about to
Esiat5 occurred. mrs. B., q widow lady
and relative Of the writer, lived on o
snug farm, washed on one side by the
quiet Shenandoah, and overshadowed on
the other by the blue Masaanutsen noun.
tsEns. BaE cal: tso grown soHs wssa i:
the army around Richmond, and she was
left in her lonely, isolated homo with q
house full of children to support and
protect. Up to this time they had strug.
gled along bravely enough, even after
their old servants had deserted them.
The boys, though young, managed TO
cultivate the garden and some email
patches of grain. The girls milked the
cows, fed the pigs aud poultry and helped
With the housework generally. The
cooking stove and wash-tub took the
place of SEEING machine and Piano in
the once cozy sitting-room, yet despite
their priyations they kept brave hearts
and always had wholesome meal and
cheerful words for any Confederate that
might pause at the hospitable door.
fIut at last came voeful day when
these means means &C likelihood at one fell
sW oop were taken from them. A band
o. blue coated cavalrymen came to "clean
'efa out, " and the meaning OF this ptirsss
i.an only be n.aass:-ss::s,ocaa n.aass:-ss::s,oca 5by by tihu5e VINO
have suffered the process. Everything
satable, dead or alive, was confscated.
Ons of thS little girls. hearing the pierc.
ing BqIeais of the rbutchered hogs, ran
out, and yith atreaming eyes begged for
small porker that was about TO be sac.
spot, (as who has not t2) and touched by
her e1treaties gave. piggy into hes keep.
ing. The rescued innocent was thence.
forth domiclled in an outer room and
christened "Job" because of the Affections
It had seen in the wasting Of its house.
hoii. They were fortunate enough to
have concealed in the kitchen "ioft'' q
few bags os grain, intending to send
them to the mill a little later. By
parchipg and pounding this they, man.
aged to make cakea that could be eaten
and upon this, With little sorghum
molasses and dried fraiL that had been
hidden away, they subsisted fora time
ss "JoB," THE PET re-.
In oil these days of death "Jobn never
failed in his portion; his little, tlistres.
faithfully divided her rations With him
and he grew and fattened as only such az
admired animal could. Indeed, iio 6e
came quite an important member Of the
family, following his owner from room Ii
f5om like O dog, aud seeming to realize
bis dignity as one of the only two four
footed beasts remaining on the place
The other qnadrrped was q Supernatural
ed horse, blind in ono eye, and so clearly
unfit for the coflrnonest tfuties that !ttt
Yankees had not thought "Old Bet,
worth killing. They little cuesssd ths
abilities buried Id that old Ok ,letop,
I On one occasion soine Fed raf officer
stopped at the house, and see ing the pi
auo In the unused parlor, sreqns ssted ont
Of the young ladies TO play. zSbs com
piled, Borely against her. will. but afrais
TO refuse. Her little sistei, attracted bi
the unwonted sound Of music, stole int
the room 10 listen. . 'Everyahefo hi
mistresst went, Job, like ehe much pare
idfnd lamb HevaS sftYa IN cy,, ~ = f3ni iras h