The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1898-05-26

travelled well, and we reached a hamlet
called WOodville, Is miles distant. at g. 30.
We had great difficulty in procuring shell
ter; but at length we overcame the in
hospitality OF a native, who gave us feed
of corn for our horses, and blanket on the
floor for ourselves.
June 21.-We got the horse shod with
some delay, and after refreshing the ami
mails with corn and ourselves with bacon
we effected start at SIS a. M. We exc
perienced considerable difficulty in carry
ing my small Saddie-bagS and knapsack
on account of the state of Our horses
backs. Mine was not very bad, but that Of
Norris was in hOrrid state. We had not
travelled more than few miles when the
latter animal cast a shoe, which took us
an hour to replace at village called
SpeHyvIile. The country is really mag
nificent, but as it has supported two largo
armies for two years, it is now completely
cleaned out. 1t IS almost uncultiVated
and mo- animals are grazing where there
used to be hundreds. All fences have been
destroyed, and mum erleSS farms burnt
the chlmneyS alone left standing. Ii is
difficult to depict and impossible to ex-
aggerate the SuffeTingS which this part of
Virginia has undergone. But the ravages
of war have not been able to destroy the
beauties of nature-the verduTe is charm
ing, the trees magnificent the country
! undulating, and the Blue Ridge Mountains
/! form the background.
Being Sunday, we met about 80 negroes
going to church, wonderfully smartly
dressed, some (both male and female) rid
ing on horseback and others in wagons:
but Mr.. Norris informs me that two years
ago we should have numbered them by
hundreds. We soon began to catch up to
the sick and broken-dOwn men of the army.
but not in great numbers; most of them
were well shod, though l saw two without
shoes.
After crossing a gap in the Blue Ridge
range, we reached Front Royal at p. m,
and we were now in the well-known Shen-
andoah Valley-the scene of Jackson's
celebrated campaigns Front Royal is a
pretty little place, and was the theater of
one of the earliest fights in the war, which
was commenced by Maryland regiment Of
COnfederateS, who as Mr.. Norris observed
Jumped onto" a Federal regiment from tho
same State, and whipped it badly" Since
that time the village has changed hands
continually, and was visited by the Fed
erals only a few days previous to Ewell's
rapid advance 10 days ago.
After immense trouble we procured q
feed of corn for the horses, and, to Mr.,
Norris's establishment, / was impudent
enough to get food for ourselves by appeal
ing to the kind feelings of two good looking
female citizens of Front Royal, who, dur
ing our supper, entertained US by stories Of
the manner they annoyed the Northern
soldiers by disagreeable illusions to Stone
We started again at $50, and crossed two
branches of the Shenandoah Raver. a
broad and rapid stream. Both the rail-
way and carriage bridges having been de-
stroyed, we had to ford it; and as the water
was deep, we were only Just able to ac-
cOmplish the passage. The soldiers, of
whom there were number with u.s. took
off their trousers, and held their rifles and
ammunition above their heads. Soon
afterwards our horses became very leg
weary; for although the weather had been
cool, the roads were muddy and hard upon
them. At $50 we came up with Pender's
Division encamped on the sides of hills,
Illuminated with innumerable campfires,
which looked very picturesque. After
passing through about two miles of bivou-
acs, we begged for shelter in the hay-lOft Of
Mr.. Mason; we turned our horses into q
field and found our hay-loit most luxuri.
Gus after sc miles ride at fo0t's pace.
Stonewall jackson is considered a regu-
lar demigod in this country.
Ito be continued.)