Year: 1862

- -WarrentoM.


wARRESroN, Va, May II, 'c2.
Editors LntelLgtneer:


With my haversack for a table. after n
weeks march, from Columbian Bridge. i'm
Rage County-the date of my last letter
with no mails to or from us for u week, and
shut out from the rest Of the world almost
as entirely as though we were in China. 1
sit down to indite this epistle.


General Shields entire Division set out
on its march on Monday, May H. Our route
lay through Luray and Front Royal to this
place. We have had ut one time plenty of
dust, and at others rain and mud without
stunt. The leading roads are excellent Nc
Adamtzed tnrnPikes. We Western Virgin
ians have had plenty of Opportunities to
see, on our march, where our money, or ut
least some OF it, has gone for years past :;
and on other roads, the almost impassible
mud has helped some of US to better nn-
derstand why the Grand Army of the Po.
tomac did not make an earlier movement
for the very good reason that it could
not.


The 3D. Brigade being the first to leave
Front Royal, the advance was assigned to
the First Virginia Infantry, whereby it fell
to our lot to have the honor of being The
first Virginia Regiment to cross tie Blue Ridge
from the WsstdmrinS this tcGr. The passage
was made without especial adventure. A
few miles this side, however, we came near
running against body of rebel cavalry of
some six or eight hundred, on their way to
the Manassas Railroad, atlLonGon, to en-
gage in their usual work of destroying tile
road and burning bridges. believe, how
ever, that they failed in their object. They
had turned off from our road but IL few minr
n NfaF hnf
who seems born for radVenture-hud most
stirring one with squad of this
folce. He had turned off into a
neighborhood road, running about parallel
with ours, on o short reconnoitering ex-
cnrsion, when he came suddenly in front of
fourteen of the rebel cavalry, advancing in
the opposite direction. To turn and flee
would have been almost certain capture
or death. He was between the enemy's
main force and this detachment of them.
To fight WRsD useless. Quick as thought
he determined to put bold front OH it.
1t was narrow lane with stone wall on
each side, and deep mud hole in the
middle. Putting on q pleasant smile,
meant to say that he knew he was in for il,
and about ''gone up" he rode easily on to
wards the others, whose cOuntenNnces very
decidedly and very knowingly rejected the





the rebel leader. Still the Major moves on,
"StOp where you are!" demanded the lead
er, with his carbine leyeled at the Majors
head. With an expletive not necessarily n
part of the transaction, tho Major struck
down the piece with his hand, plunged his
spurs into the sides of his powerful horse,
and dashed right through the middle Of
the squad; crowding the horses on either
side against each other, and one or two of
their riders into the mud. Some half
dozen shots were sent after him as he flew
by, but they fell harmless, aud in n few
minutes the MSjor, unharmed, rejoined us.


The lst Virginia Cavalry had skirmish
with a portion of the same force next day,
near Gains Cross Roads, since which we
have seen nothing of them.


Warrentou is aibeauuful village, said by
those who profess to know, to be the most
so of any town in Virginia. For the first
time on our march in Virginia, the whole
population, white and black, men, women
and children, were out to look at our
brigade as it passed through. The whites
intended by this no friendly greeting. But
Judge that they feel that their cause is
about "plaYed out" and they are perhaps
getting to be willing, as n first step in their
consentiug to be "subjugated," to at least
see what we look like. A secesh mail
captured near by, and on our way here,
and containing many letters from these
very people to their friends in the rebel
army, was said to be filled with expostula-
tious to them TO come home, aud not to re-
enlist,


Confederate scrip is absolutely worth
less all along the line OF our march.-
Neither side will have anything to do with
tit-except to try to get rid of it.