The National tribune., 1901-05-16

About the middle of October 1864
soon after the battle of Saltville, abou
BOO effective men and horses We're de
tached from Giltner's and Hodges Bri
gades, and ordered by Gen. Breckinri z,
TO report to Gen. Early, then in the Val
ley of Virginia,
Where Shenandoah. brawls along,
And burly Blue Ridge echoes strong
To swell the soldiers rouSing song
OF StOnewall Jackson's way
The Kentucky cavaliers assigned tt
duty in the Valley We're commanded by
Gen. Geo. B. Cosby, a native of Louis
Vile, Ky, who had spent the greater part
of his life at West Point and in the United
States Regular Army, where he was a
Lieutenant in the I'd Dragons, command
ed by Col. Albert Sidney Johnston, the
famous Confederate General killed at
Shiloh
Before coming to us Gen. Cosby had
served on the staff of Lieut.-Gen. Buck
ner. He was notably small man, five
and half feet in hight, weighing about
115 pounds, and 30 years old. He was a
polished gentleman, interesting in cOnver-
sation, genial in temperament, and some
what of a martinez.
The Kentuckians hailed with delight
the prospect of a campaign in the beau
tiful Shenandoah Valley, celebrated in
song and story and so recently made IA
nous by the brilliant exploits of Stone
wall Jackson:
"Silence! Ground arms. Kneel all! Caps
off,
Old Blue-light's going TO pray;
Strange the fool that dares TO scoff;
Attention. It's his way.
Appealing from his native sod,
In forma pauperis to Cod
Lay bare thine arm! Stretch forth thy
rodr'
Amen. That's Stonewalls way.
He's in the saddle now! Fall in!
Steady, the whole brigade.
Hills at the ford-cut off. Wen win
His way out, ball and blade.
What matter if our shoes are worn:
What matter if our feet are torn:
Quick, step! We're with him before morn.
That's Stonewall JacksOn's way
The march was through country Of va
ried and romantic appearance. The great
turnpike road, sometimes called the Ma
tional Road, running the entire length of
the Valley, was the best | had ever seen-
and Kentucky is famous for its good
turnpike roads. OF the objects of inter
est the greatest curiosity was the wonder
ful Natural Bridge, the main Valley road
running over it. Gen. Cosby halted the
command for an hour TO give us an oppor-
IuDllN 10 Tie ulurNelOuS
of nature.
The bridge, in Rockbridge County, is an
arch of limestone, 215 feet above Cedar
Creek, averaging so feet in width and 80
feet in thickness. The arch forms a per-
feet bridge, which, when viewed from the
margin of the little stream below, has an
imposing and awe-inspiring appearance.
The great Valley is fenced ON one side
by the Alleghenies and on the other by
the Blue Ridge, the expansive country be-
Ing diversified level and undulating land,
dotted with massive mansions, many of
which remind one of baronial halls. In
the main, the broad, fertile fields and ex-
tensive savannas are similar to the Ken
tucky blue grass region. Stanton, Sa-
lem, Harrisburg, Lexington, Strasburg,
Winchester and other towns, notwith-
standing the desolation wrought by war,
retained much of their pristine substan-
tal and aristocratic appearance.
THE HoMEsPUN DRESS.
Lexington, situated on tableland, near
Iy equi-distant between the Blue Ridge |
and the AIleghenies, was town of prob |
ably 1000 inhabitants. Few men, how
ever, were at home-aIl the younger ones |
gone to war. The women were refined |
and cultured. Many of them were sad
eyed-mourning for fathers, brothers ana I
husbands slain; and yet, in a Lexington
parlor, | heard the Dixie Girls Song"
number of young ladies singing it, one
of them playing the accompaniment on
the piano:
Oh, yes, / am q Southern girl,
And glory in the name;
] boast Of it with greater pride
Than glIttering wealth or fame;
] envy not the Northern girl
Her robes Of beauty, rare
Though diamonds deck her snowy neck,
And pearls bestud her hair.