Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-04-25
Written for The Evening Star.

"A Of Winchester, Va, calls up q flood OF
recollections relating to that memorable
winter in the valley of the Shenandoah when
the middle military division, under command
of Sheridan, took up its winter quarters at that
point. Winchester and the portion of the
valley Immediately around it seems to have
been selected at various times, commencing
from the first settlement of the country and
extending up to the last days Of the civil war,
as favorite place of combat between contend
ing armies.
The town was established by law in 1852. 1t
was corporate town when Washington was
a young Virginia colonel and Pittsburg a log
stockade besieged by Indians At Winchester
Braddock encamped, with Washington as his
guide, both on his advance and the memorable
retreat, of which every school boy knows.
This section Of the lower valley of the Shenan-
doah, lying around and above Winchester. is
shown to have been selected over and over
again as place of combat between the various
tribes OF Indians who once roamed through
the section now covered by fertile fields.
During the entire period of the late war this
Old town was occupied first by one and then by
the other OF the contending armies The hand
OF complete mastery was never placed upon it
until that eventful day (the 10Th of September
ioo4,) when Sheridan gained his decisive vic
tory over Early. That was the last battle of
winchester, and so We may hope it Will ever
remain.
10 recount all the other skirmishes, the oc-
equations and excavations during the period
OF the civil war would make a volume in itself.
MY intention is only to try to picture the Win
chester of the winter Of 1864, as compared with
the little city of 1891.
sHERIDAN's HEADQUARTERS.
N roll
depot Of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad south
on Market street to Picadilly, thence eastward
to Braddock street. Here standing upon the
southwest corner is the same square brick
building in which the little idol of that great
army bad his headquarters, and the dwelling
house had been occupied for the same purpose
by many generals on both sides during the
three years preceding his occupancy thereof.
At the windows now We see the brigh. and
CHEEKY faces of young ladies, instead of those
OF bearded, uniformed and armed men, for it
Is used as an educational institution or female
institute. That same little observatory stands
upon the center of the roof NOW unused)
from which during every day that winter the
flags OF the signal officer were being constantly
displayed and at night the colored lanterns
took their place. The yard in the rear has dis
appeared. The little wooden building in which
Black Bess (made famous by Buchanan Reed
and her stable companions were fed has given
for dwelling purposes. The yard itself, where
the body guard bivouaced and had their horses
picketed, is also built up.
Just at the west end Of Picadilly and only a
square above stands the large white house in
which Gen. Averill had his Headquarters A
little to the north of it and only a short dis
lance away is the brick building where Corbett
spent the winter.
But let us turn and walk as Sheridan almost
invariably walked every morning, back east on
Picadilly street from his headquarters to Main
or Loudoun street, then turning we will pro-
coed short distance south to brick building
on the west side of Main street, in which Capt.
Spangler, the quarte-master, had his office. 1t
was the invariable custom of Little Phil to
go by this roaG and drop in at Spanglers
ONCE This brick building is now used as
jewelry establishment
WHERE THE SCOUTS ASSEMBLED.
A little further on and adjoining the Taylor
Hotel is the small brick structure in which the
commissary held forth. His name escapes me-
out 1t Is hardly necessary to say that his was a
very popular place of resort during that winter
The old Taylor Hotel was historic in ante-bellum
days, and as historic during this eventful
winter, but on up beyond it on the same street.
and near to Cork street. there is an old build
ing which was then termed the ''Our House."
lhls was tie headquarters Of the scouts COM
manded by Maj. A. A. Young, and known as
the Jessie scouts. and what motley gang of
good natured dare-devils they were This old
building had been known previous to the war
as the Massey Tavern" and if the record of
the fears expressed and tears suppressed there
among the boys who came and went from and
to perllous undertakings could be written it
would probably make one of the most pathetic
stories OF the war. The actors on this stag. of
operations were OF all kinds and conditions, in
all sorts of DISCUSSES. The dress of the Virginia
farmer; the uniform of the confederate officer:
N nd tat rod oil Nf 1
crate soldier and the regular uniform of the
Union army were all mingled together and
every night found a hearty welcome to some
one who had got back from away down the val
ley Gotten from Rchmond), or gave fearful
farewell to Some one going out upon some
hazardous expedition.
Many an unfortunate sweetheart's letter
found its way back to this old tavern rather
than to the soldier boy for whom it was in
tended In the army of northern Virginia MANY
poor fellow LETT there never to return and
every one who did return brought with him
fund Of information and q wealth of anecdote
that made the evenings always of interest
Each Of these privileged characters carried the
''open sesame" to eli pickets, which read: Pass
bearer through the lines at any point and re-
turn: +. II. Sheridan, major general COM
manding."
Leaving the "Our House" let us walk back
northward on Loudoun street to Picadilly
Here on the corner we find the old stone build
ing still standing which was used as the head
quarters bakery. The house is now filed with
merchandise and its proprietor evidently doing
aprosperous business through the doors whence
the headquarters boys received their bread
that winter. We will continue up Picadilly to
the eastward and stop at the old stone church
on the hill above Kent street.
CUSTER AND HIS LEGION.
Looking off to the southeast there stretches
away the Front Royal road, and Just in sight is
the fat topped brick building some three miles
away where Custer had his headquarters. and
around which lay the legions of cavalry. In
the same direction. but very close to us, is
Mt. Hebron cemetery, the monuments and
headstones in which bore so many curious pic
lures made by the fattened bullets that had
battered against them on the eventful 18th of
September. Adjoining this cemetery on the
west have grown up side by side the two new
national cemeteries the one for the blue the
other for the gray, to which the battles around
this little town have furnished their popula-
ton.
Right along the line Of Mt Hebron. running
north and south, where Sheridan hospital was
then standing, there still stands the long stone
wall where the fifth Virginia made its last stub
born stand. Looking due east from our stand
point we see the "Wall House" and off to the
northeast is the Baker Mansion" Beyond il
still the stone building known as the Roberts
House," In front of which lies the plateau
where such havoc was made with the cavalry
a -ha~a - l-g