The Washington herald., 1914-08-23
THE WAR DAY BY DAY
Fifty Years Ago.
August g. S64-Gn Sherdans Army which Had Halted Charown
March Down the Shenandoah Valley Withdrew Haowu Near
Hapen Ferry Where 1t Took Up Strong POiOn-Ieidents
Advance and Retreat

streets OF Middletown, had upon her
wrist the black prints Of fingers which
had grasped it to hurl the girl from the
entrance TO her sick mothers room that
three soldiers might enter to laugh at
the woman in her bed and rob her bu-
reau before her eyes.
Il entered. in company with an oficer.
a house near Strasburg. tenanted by an
aged man and woman. two girls, AGED
about sixteen and twenty-three years,
respectively: boy Of ten. and a negress,
which had been ravaged in a savage
manner.
Every article Of food. except a little
bran-even the salt and pepper-had been
taken The croCkery was nearly all de-
stroyed: the cooking utensils broken up
and taken away. All the rooms in the
house save one had been entered and
pillaged Of their necessaries. valuables,
and ornaments.
The bedding had been ridd!ed. the
books stolen. the wearing apparel OF the
old man taken. put on by one Of the
marauders and masqueraded in to the
delight of the rest The underclothing
OF the young ladies shared the same
fate.
"A desk containing the proprietor's
deeds and papers had been broken open
and the deeds carried of. The private
AfNNGAS u the NOuUS ldUlGS were read
aloud in their presence with brutal
laughter. and were then torn up or pock-
eted. a jewelry box belonging to the
younger was also stolen. The piano was
saved from threatened destruction by
the intercessiOn OF a corporal Worse
proceedings were pTevnted by the arrival
Of the guard.
Farmers Beg Protection.
When entered. the elder Of the Young
ladies vas lying in her room. very i'll
from the effects OF the excitement that
had passed. These people were seces-
sionists, but had behaved. as l was in
formed by an officer, with consistent
pOliteness toward all our troops who Wis
tied their grounds.
The younger OF the girls. an interest
ing maiden. with very flashing eyes,
asked me n that was the way in which
our army expected TO make Union people
out of them.
Very few houses escaped such treat
ment in some degree, though it is cred
liable to our commanders that guards
were always furnished to prevent such
outrages as soon as practicable. In most
instances the damage had been done ere
the guards arrived.
THE army moved as an inundating
river flows out of its regular channel
"a = his III eau DdNh into lle ranks,
from time to time, came men laden with
spoil, until the columns grew picturesque
Wjch countless varieties of provisions.
Chickens and geese and turkeys roost-
ed upon artillery and knapsaCks, or
dangled from musket barrels and the
sides Of heavily laden mules. Mutton on
the hoof and on the shoulder was pIenti-
full enough to stock a thousand butcher
shops. Beehives filled with honey. gar
10. rzWaa -
stalk, horses, cattle, colts and mules,
borne and led among the columns, showed
what very land of milk and honey had
felt the tread Of the army that 'remem-
bered Maryland and Pennsylvania and
had a beautiful regard for its private
stomach.
Scarcely an hour had passed but every |
general cavalcade that passed was be-
sieged by woebegone and excited farmers, |
begging for protection.
Into the camps at nightfall came |
women, came men, mounted on rickety |
beasts that no one cared to take. all foot !
sore from long travelling, after beasts |
that were gone. Union people, or at |
least those who professed to be Union |
people, and held safeguards from Union |
who had previously trav-
ersed the valley. were no better off than |
the rest; for stragglers are not discrim-
mating beings, and refuse to listen to /
the voice of protestation."
Not all these scenes arose from wan
but they all made the Federals |
feared and hated in the valley, before |
their work there had fairly begun. This |
was one OF the bitter fruits OF war to |
the death. for Gen. Sheridan, in spite Of |
the shortcomings Of his army-and all /
soldiers have shown similar weaknesses /
since war began-was obliged 10 carry /
out Gen. Grants program, which was to /
make the valley n desert, until a crow
flying over it would be obliged to carry
his provisions with him.
Tomorrow A bold move by
sherman.
isi4. By the Associated LGtsrary Pss.l J.