Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-02-05

alarms that Tarlton and his legion
(of devils, some people termed
them,) were on their way to visit
our Valley; and sometimes it was
almost constantly marching and
cOuntermarching.
1t however pleased Heaven so to
order things, that CORVALLIS and
bis large army should be entrapped
and captured at Yorktown, in Vir'
ginia. This put an end to the
scourgc Of tho war; and our peo.
pie being permitted to enjoy the
blessings of peace and agriculture,
commerce and the mechanical arts
improved in n most astonishing
degree. The French and British
armies circulated immense sums
Of money in gold and silver coin,
which had the effect of driving out
of circulation the wretched paper
currency which had till then'prevail-
ed. Immense quantities Of British
and French goods were soon i'm
ported our people imbibed a taste
for foreign fashions and luxury
and in the course Of two or three
years, from the close of the war,
such an entire change had taken
place in the habits and manners OF
our inhabitants, that it almost ap-
peared as if we had Suddenly be
come different nation. The stald
and sober habits of our ancestors,
with their plain hOme-manufactured
clothing, were suddenly laid aside,
and European goods Of fine quality
adopted in their stead. Fine
rulles, powdered heads, silks and
scarlets, decorated the men; while
the most costly silks, satins,
chintzes, calicocs, muslins, &c, &c,
decorated our females. Nor was
their diet less expensive; for superb
plate, foreign spirits, wines, NC,
&c, sparkled on the sdcboards OF
many farmers. The natural result
OF this change Of the habits and
customs of the peOplc-this aping
of European manners and morals,
was to suddenly drain our country
Of its circulating specie and as a
necessary consequence, the people
ran in debt, times became difficult,
and money hard to raise.
The sufferings and hard dealings
with the Quakers deserve some no.
tice in this place. The unfortunate
proceedings Of the Philadelphia
Quakers drew down upon the whole
order the strong prejudices and
even hatred of the friends to the
American cause. The reasonable
proceedings of few individuals
ought to have been visited upon the
whole order of Quakers. 1t must
be admitted, however, that this
proceeding was a great blot upon
Quaker character, and stamped the
individuals concerned in it, with
base hypocrisy, and gave the lie to
their religious professions. Whilst
they professed to hold it unlawful
to shed human blood I; whilst they
| disclaimed all concern with the
war; they were secretly giving IN
telligence to the enemy, and aid
ing and abetting them in ove:y
way they could, except resorting tC
arms. But it is again repeated
that it was unjust with one iel
sweep to condemn the whole order
for the malcOnduct of a few indi
viduals. The Quakers in the Val
ley, Notwithstanding their entire
neutrality, were unquestionably
the greatest sufferers by the war
They refused to bear arms, they re
fused to pay war taxes, and hence
the sheriils or collectors we're com
PEELED to destrain and sell theiI
property to raise their respective
proportion of the public burthens.
At the beginning of the war
attempts were made to compel
them to bear arms, and serve in
the militia but it was soon found
unavallng. They would not per
form any military duty required ol
them: not even the scourge would
compel them to submit to discipline
The practice of coercion was there
fore abandoned, and the Legisla
turc enacted a law to levy a tax
upon their property to hire substi
tulcS to perform militia duty il
their stead. This, with other taxes
bore peculiarly heavy upon them
Their personal property was sold
under the hammer to raise these
public demands and before the
war was over, many Of them were
reduced to great distress in their
pecuniary circumstances.
There is an amusing story told
of James Gotharp, who resided on
Apple.ple ridge. He was forced tC
march with a militia company, and
on one particular occasion was
placed as sentry at a baggage
wagon, with orders to suffer no
man to 90 into the wagon without
a written order from the command
ing officer. One of the officers
walking to the wagon 20 go in,
Gotharp demanded his written
authority the officer cursed him
and stepped upon the houns of the
wagon. Gotharp seized him by his
legs and pulled his feet oil the