The Washington herald., 1914-09-20

Fifty years ago today Winchester, Va,
was crowded with wounded from the bat
tie that had been fought near it the day
before between the Federal army Of the
Shenandoah under Gen. Philip H. Sher-
Idan and the Confederate force Of Gen
Jubal A. Early.
| Amid fears and alarms the people were
minIstering TO friend and foe. Every
house was q hospital At the famous
old Taylor Hotel. a hostelry that had
| sheltered many celebrated men, every
room was crowded with suffering. malm-
ed men. waiting for the care Of the sur
geons or with their hurts freshly bound
UP. Their groans had filled the air all
night.
The doctors were stIn at their work
here and elsewhere in the town, and In
more than one place pile OF legs and
arms under a window told OF the char
acter of their labors.
The wounded of the battle had been
not less than 5000 OF these many had
suffered but slight hurts; but the list OF
| grievously wounded ran into the hun
dreds.
In all its varied war experience. Win
| chester had never passed through such
a time as this. Only the morning be-
fore the town had been in possession OF
! the Confederates, who-moved among
their friends in apparent security A
few hours of horrid roar of artillery and
musketry across the fields to the east
and north, then a rush of fugitives. and
then the victorious Yankees In pursuit
had shown the people OF Winchester that
| grave times were upon them.
| The armies had now swept on. Early
in hot retreat. Sheridan at his heels. up
the broad valley pike toward StrasourE;
but the dreadful residuum Of the battle
was left behind. and with II the usual
fotsam of guards. camp followers, team
STEERS auartermasters hospital attend
ants and the like, swelling the population
Of the town from its normal 100 to more
than 1000.
No Law Nor Safety.
Even in its present state of alarm, the
community at Winchester was better on
than the people living along the track
of the armies.
On tn. farms Of the valley no one felt
safe. The Federals laid the country
waste wherever they went. and unless
officers were with them the soldiers "
blue were no respecters Of gardens
smokehouses or pantries.
Some reflection of the hardshlps tht
war imposed on the noncombatants Of
the valley is to be found in the letters
panied SheTfdan's army.
Along this valley. from the Potomac
to Staunton. there is no law nor safety
the spirit of battle II among the DAILY
episodes of life" wrote one. "All thu
horror. all the sacrifice Of war knocks
at the loor Of every mansion on the way
Property and life are things OF chance
People make few plans for the future
Tomorrow may shatter them forever"
Women of the Valley.
/. The greatest sufferers here were tn
women; not as a rule, from any VIC
ience offered them, but from the alarm
OF their unprotected condition in the alb
, sence of the brothers, sweethearts, o
husbands, and from their private sorrow
and their daily fears.
Marriage is little thought of here,
wrote a correspondent AN marriage
able men are under arms, and marriage
: able women let them go with little muir
. muir. There is no use in murmuring
( War is the one great attraction to whlc'
both sexes are alike devoted, and 70
: (which both are ready to make any sacri
flee.
These women seem to have tacitl
: faccepted the fact that until the war
I over courtship Is a nockery that hA
better not be thought OF. The Made
, who says good-by to her lover makes u
: her mind for the worst that can befall.
Death Is a rival Of love, and death
nine times out of ten. Is conqueror.
} il strange, then, that we who seek 70
/ tenderness in the hearts Of these woTne
must seek deep?
This writer noted that their cause Ia
"a more widespread and bittere
ldeeper devotion among the masses
this region than has OURS" continuing
, zone Of the most beautiful Of any woma
In the valley. who has visited the Mort
!, before the war and was belle at seN
8 erai watering places during the summt
|. months. refused last week to take tn
4 hand of an old friend, in Federal un
d form, who presented himself at her doc
0 Il have heard no less than half doze
ldamsels say in tone Of perfect calm