Year: 1863

them. These troops are for the most part
armed fairly, if not well, and moh1ted. Az


to their purposes We may safely conclude


that inesmuch as plunder is by the system


of the Partizan Ranger service made prof.


table to them; it viii be chief object with


them to secure as much as possible. Banks


and stores will be robbed, and the country


through which they pass will be striped of


good horses. The country will of course


have to subsist them whilst thew stay.-


Their purposes then In making this raid


will be to do all the injury they can to the


Railroad gather up all the companies that


have been recruited ia the various counties


by their secret agents, oonscript all they


can into the service, capture weak posts.


destroy military stores and plunder gener-
ally. OF course they cannot expect to hold


any position orpoint in Western Virginia.


They do not count on remaining long at
ANY one point, and it is not likely that
they intend to seek or be drawn into a
general engagement, but having drawn our
infantry forces after them at a given
point, they will, about the time these are
concentrated to atrack them, mount their
horses and away, for the purpose of con-
Timing their depredatious at points thus
left unprotected. They will be actuated by a
tiendish desire for revenge and purpose to
destroy and injure the loyal population in
all their interests Most of these refugees
from Western Virginia, who are now en-
gagged in this raid, were politicians, aspi-
rants for Office, who expected in the onset
to be able to lead the people iuto rebellion
en- nIdsse. Failing in this, they voluntarily
exlled themselves, organized into guerrilla
bands and have been ever since engagedin
n a md JsuiV s.-I
organizations. These we lind now coucen-
trated and organized, aud it is clear that
their animus will be that of fiendish re-
Yenge and destruction.


The next question is, how shall these
forces be met! how can West Virginia be
best protected2 Here we will venture
the opinion that the valley of the Shenan-
doah tcould be used by US as strong line
of defense as to West Viaginia, and at the
same time as base of operations as to the
State OF Virginia. Let this Valley be occu-
pied sufficiently to answer both these pur.
poses, as far up at least as Harrisonburg,
and so as to give us the control of it 10
Staunton, and it is obvious that these
forces would have either to withdraw from
Western Virginia or fall an easy prey to our
troops, disposed through the State. But
With reference to the immediate protection
Of that State, it is obvious that We act
at a great disadvantage at present, from
having mounted force to contend with,
whilst we have nothing with which to con.
front it but infantry. Cavalry, or at least,
infantry, are now urgently needed
there, and until this is provided, or the
Valley of the Shenandoah''h held as suggested,
Western Virginia will be messurabiy at
the mercy of thsse plunderers. ls5


There is another consideration of no
small Importance bearing on this question.
It has reference to the general distribution
of our troops. Several regiments have
been raised from the very sections of West
that are now most threatened and
that must suffer most. In addition to the
fact that all their worldly interests lie
there, it may be.urged that they are better
acquainted than any other troops with the
country routes of travel, as also with the
foe and his sympathizers there, without
whose eid directly and indirectly given he
could do but little. Yet we 6nd these re.
disposed in other departments of
the service, whilst troops from other States
are made to supply their places. This
strikes me as an error, and could the pro-
ject of the Governor, which has been so
long talked of, be carried out, and some





verted into mounted infantry and sent into
West Virginia, it would give much more
efficient protection to the people of West
Virginia than could be secured by any 9TH
er plan.


To pursue and punish the euemy's cav
airy whenever they make raid into West
Virginia, we must have at least mounted
force judtciously disposed in that State.


There is.one. other topic to which 1 will
briefly advert, and that is the treatment of
traitors who sympathize with and give aid
and comfort to the enemy whenever they
can. The vote of the new State on the
Constitution, compared with the
vote of the counties composing it at the
last Presidential election, afford data which
leads to the conclusion that about one
fourth ofethe entire population of West
Virginia is 'disloyal. This disloyal element
is very Iuneqpslly distributed, some coun-
4but very few, whilst others
have q majority of rebels. The latterclass
of counties are back in the mountains and |
thinly populated. But whether there be
many or tewin county, they are actuated by
the same spirit and desire the ruin of their
neighbors, who remain loyal to the Gov
ment of our fathers. This, IN their eyes,
is a crime that should subject all those
S9AAkys lO4aIbI4bS- JIG tOSS Vi t1lL I1lQRS, ana
then to expatriatIon, and notwithstanding
the .desparateness Of their cause, and the
continual dwiudling of its prospects, they |
still confidently expect to see NO less q
punishment overtake their loyal neighbors,
and notwithstanding most of them have
.taken the oath, they are constantly labor
ing to bring this about Hence We see
men every now aud then detected in being
in secret alliance and communication with
the enemy, and in recruiting for his armies,
Such M en- are found in every county. They
cannot be content with state of peace and
under the protection OF the old
dag, but must invite and encourage these
bands to come in and plunder
andsruiI their neighbors.


Vance, of 0lAFksburg, was not the only
one in that delsctabIe town, who was guilty
q aI. ouch q wicked conspiracy, There were
many others who knew of the present raid
andsWho were aiding aud encouraging it
Garlile aud Stealey, and many others were