Valley Virginian

We take the liberty of making some extracts from a private letter from one of the most gallant soldiers of the A. N. Va. His letter is dated Meridian, Miss., Dec. 19th 1865. He arrived there May 20th, "weary, foot sore and disgusted," but like all of Lee's veterans, he went to work. He will excuse us for "putting him in print," for what he says we know to be true, and, some of it, too good to be lost.

"I am desirous of moving to Virginia; is there any thing out there by which I could make a living? This country is totally demoralized, the first men in it, ('so-called') have been called, and with truth, cotton thieves. Nearly all have been engaged in that most lucrative trade, cotton stealing, and many who before the war were the poorest of the poor, are now rich, and those who owned lands and negroes in abundance, are now reduced to want. Property has changed hands.

Unfortunately for me I was too honest and conscientious to steal cotton, and hence am still, as I was before the war, poor, but this will not always be so. We have a garrison of as nice Colored troops as ever wore the blue uniform, and the talk is they intend to possess themselves of everything in the country, or at least have an equal division about next week, perhaps; I will get my part then.

The importation this fall of "Yankee School Marms," has been "larger than for any season for the last four years." They are real vivandiers, wearing good clothes, and teaching the freed-people how to read and write, &c. Nice clever people they are. They kiss their students too, (thats more than you used to do, out in Scarborough's neighborhood;) and hence, have full school rooms; principally boys from eighteen to sixty years of age. This certainly is a desirable country now. I heard that cotton would sell next fall, for one dollar, at least, per pound, if so, and I still live, I think I'll sear my conscience, and steal a few bales. It is too cheap now, only sells for forty cents to fifty cents in Mobile, and it wont pay to steal and handle it at that price. I heard that you were Editing the "Valley Virginian," if so send me a copy occasionally.

P. S. I want to marry. Court some pretty Virginia girl for me, and I'll abide the consequences."

Speak quick Ladies!

The following beautiful extract is from a speech delivered by the Hon. Alexander White, in the Alabama State Convention:

The Bonnie Blue Flag no longer reflects the light of the morning sunbeam, or kisses with its silken folds the genial breeze of our Southern clime. The hands that waved it along the fiery crest of a hundred battle-fields, and the hearts that, for the love they bore it, so often defied danger and death, no longer rally around it. Another banner waves in triumph over its closed and prostrate folds, but proud memories and glorious recollections cluster around it. Sir, I will refrain. The South needs no eulogy. The faithful record of her achievements will encircle her brow with glory bright and enduring as the diadem that crowns the night of her cloudless skies. The scenes of Marathon and Platae have been re-enacted in the New World without the beneficent results which flow from those battle fields of freedom, and our country lies prostrate at the feet of the conquerer.

But dearer to me is she in this hour of her humiliation than was she in the day and hour of her pride and her power. Each blood-stained field, each track of devastation, each new made grave of her sons fallen in her defence, each mutilated form of the Confederate soldier--her widow's tear, her orphan's cry--are but so many cords that bind me to her in the midst of her desolation, and draw my affections closer around my stricken country. When I raise my voice or lift my hand against her, may thunders rive me where I stand. Though I be false in all else, I will be true to her. Though all others may prove faithless, I will be faithful still. And when, in obedience to the great command, "Dust to dust," my heart shall return to that earth from whence it sprung, it shall sink into her bosom with the proud consciousness that it never knew one beat not in unison with the honor, the interests, the glory of my country.

The Richmond Whig in noticing the movement of the Valley people in favor of the Great Valley Railroad, speaks of it as "in the interest of the City OF BALTIMORE." We imagined that we were working for the Valley and for Virginia, and we cant see the policy of stirring up prejudice against an enterprise, of such vital importance, by making it appear that it is a Baltimore matter entirely. All the Valley asks is a chance to develope her great resources and if Baltimore, a city whose name brings up nothing but the memory of kind and generous acts, is willing to build the road for us, is it asking too much of our brethren in the east to allow Baltimore to do it?

The people of the Valley have been, for years, aiding Eastern Virginia in the vain attempt to 'make water run up hill,' i.e. to concentrate trade in Richmond and Norfolk. We have been devastated by the war and cant afford to amuse ourselves at that game any longer. The leading men of the Va. C. R. R. are in favor of the Valley Railroad, as they see that it will, in the end, benefit their road and Richmond too. We appeal to the East to give us a chance and we warn the Legislature that if the building of this road is defeated, by the stupidity or prejudice of any section, that a question, as to the boundary will arise here, to which, Boreman's little Government will be nothing.

The numbers and character of the public meeting held in this town Monday, and its earnest expression in favor of the early completion of the Valley Railroad and the Covington and Ohio Railroad, must convince every one that our people are in earnest about the matter. The proceedings will be found in our paper. Mr. Fultz wanted a resolution introduced to go to Western Virginia, if the East refused us this road, but the sentiment in favor of appealing to the sense of justice and right of our brothers East was so strong, that the resolutions were withdrawn. Loyal to the Old Commonwealth, we ask simple justice from her, and we feel confident that her representatives will give it to us. All we ask is a calm, unprejudiced, discussion of this great enterprise by the Legislature, and we believe it can be proved that the people of the Valley are working for the interest of the whole State--God bless her.

At a Meeting of the people of Augusta County, in their Court House, on the 22nd January: Hon. A. H. H. Stuart was appointed Chairman, and R. Mauzy, W. H. H. Lynn and A. M. Garber, Jr., Secretaries.

Mr. Stuart explaining that the object of the meeting was to urge the building of Railroads throughout the Valley of Virginia, and the completion of the Central line to the Ohio River, dwelt at length and with great force, upon the advantages to the people of the whole State to be derived from these improvements.

Bolivar Christian, Esqr., moved the appointment of a Committee to prepare resolutions to express the purposes of the meeting, and Messrs. Bolivar Christian, H. M. Bell, Hugh W. Sheffey, David Fultz, A. Koiner, J. M. McCue and H. L. Gallaher were appointed.

David Fultz and J. B. Watts, Esqrs., addressed the meeting in earnest advocacy of the prompt construction of the proposed Railroads.

Mr. Christian from the Committee submitted the following resolutions:

Mr. Fultz proposed a substitute for the Committee's report.

[Owing to the length of the substitute we are compelled to omit it. Ed. Valley Virginian.]

The people of Augusta, in sympathy with the people of the whole Valley so long the highway of contending armies, and regarding it as vital to their interest, in order to rebuild their ruined homes and desolated lands, (1st) to introduce foreign capital for want of which we are so utterly crippled, (2d) to induce immigration with the means to purchase our surplus lands and the labor to develope our yet untested resources, and (3d) in order to do this, to construct railroads to connect us with the teeming traffic of the West and North; will introduce from the plaster deposits of the Southwest that fertilizer so necessary to restore the waste of our limestone lands; and Eastward will give to our products the cheapest and speediest access to the markets of our seaboard cities;

But while thus inviting capital from abroad we so appreciate the exhaustless value of the resources of our Valley as to hold it but right to require of this capital as a recompense, such terms and conditions of its investment here as will prevent any invidious discrimination against Virginia investments, but will leave our local traffic and trade free to go wherever interest or affection may invite;

And remembering thirty years ago when "foreign" capital tempted the Valley with the magnificent proffer of railways throughout all her limits to the Ohio and Tennessee lines, not only without any taxation, but with actually a perpetual bonus to the State Treasury for the privilege, the people of the Valley in a spirit of patriotism postponed their private interest to an appeal from Eastern Virginia--to await for facilities to "better markets in Virginia." We have waited in vain until a generation has passed away, and many of our most enterprising citizens in despair have sought more favored lands--but now that the Virginia treasury and tax-payers are so hopelessly unable to provide us the facilities so indispensable to our resuscitation--we ask, in simple justice, to be permitted to look elsewhere for that aid so needed to drive the genius of despair from the ashes of our desolated homes. Therefore, Resolved:

1. That the construction of a railroad under a continuous charter, or by the extension and connection of existing improvements, throughout the Valley of Virginia from Winchester to Salem is of vital importance to the people of the Valley.

2. That the development of the resources of the bounteous Valley, is to that extent the development of the resources of Virginia, and we repudiate the policy which opposes all improvements that do not point to the same particular section regardless of the interests of other sections, as a policy which prostrates the energies of the people, dwarfs the resources and in the end retards the development of the whole Commonwealth.

3. That the right of the people of the Valley to choose their markets is just as incontestable as their right to raise surplus products; and this right should not be sacrificed to the interest of any particular market or locality.

4. That it is the duty of the Government to provide its citizens with every facility to market, and when a people are forced to trade with any particular market against their natural interests, it is a tax upon them to the extent of the difference in favor of the other markets, is unjust and oppressive, and should not be tolerated.

5. That the completion of the Covington and Ohio Railroad to the Ohio River, is a work of incalculable and indispensable importance to the interests of the whole Commonwealth.

6. That we claim the right to demand the privilege of having these great improvements promptly undertaken, and completed as they may now be, without cost or charge to the public treasury, and that our Representatives in the General Assembly are hereby requested to use every exertion to secure the construction of those improvements.

(N. B.--the 3rd and 4th resolutions are from the substitute of Mr. Fultz.)

The substitute was advocated by Mr. Fultz and earnestly opposed by Messrs. Christian, Sheffey and Bell, when the 3rd and 4th resolutions of the substitute were accepted as part of the Committee's report, and Mr. Fultz withdrew the remainder of his substitute.

On the motion of T. J. Michie Esq., the meeting adjourned, with a request that its proceedings be published in the papers of the Valley and of Richmond.
A. H. H. Stuart, Chairman.
R. Mauzy, W. H. H. Lynn, A. M. Garber, Jr., Secretaries.

Below we continue the list of Confederate Soldiers buried in Thornrose Cemetery.

Georgia

N. R. Robertson, 22; W. W. Holcomb, 23; J. Pebbles, 48; L. Commouth, 22; E. G. Wood, 50; J. T. Joiner, 79; J. J. Burnett, 27; A. M. Duffy, 49; W. P. Chamblain, 3; M. M. Durinsey, 13; J. Buckner, 45; J. W. Richardson, 37; S. Chandler, 27.

North Carolina

J. H. Butter, 18; J. F. Rhodes, 48; A. Fritz, 1; W. H. Smart, 18; J. Davis, 18; R. Holly, 2; Thomas Poplin, 5; S. M. Weaver, 18; J. A. Sloan, 30; W. B. James, 38.

South Carolina

R. J. McKenney, 4; W. H. Smith, Jeff Davis Battery; C. D. Knox, 7; H. Lovingston, 7; L. B. Robinson, 6; J. R. Brananan, 5; Smith Cook, 18; G. Good, 17; D. A. Vaughn, 3; G. C. Knox, 7; N. Saurfield, 7; E. Bowlin, 7; J. Robinson, 2.

Alabama

W. Hudgins, 47; C. P. McNary, 1.

Virginia

W. Shirley, 28; L. P. Savage, 16; Alex Ausburn, 18.

Mississippi

M. Chanaham, 2; C. Haden, 2.

A correspondent of the Southern Churchman writing about this institution says:

"I have recently visited the Episcopal Female Institute at Staunton, and am happy to be able to report that our diocesan school is in a flourishing condition for the times. There are sixty young ladies in the school, about one half of whom are boarders. The buildings so far as occupied, have been newly furnished and fitted up in the best of style.

One of the distinguishing features of the Institute has been its high character in a social point of view, both as regards the pupils and the general associations of the school; this character it still sustains, while its religious and educational advantages are two well known to demand even a passing notice."

Maj. H. K. Douglas, of Gen. Jackson's Staff, makes an eloquent appeal to the members of the old Stonewall Brigade and its friends, to subscribe enough to raise a "plain monument" over his grave. The surviving members are asked to give $1,50 each, and friends as much as they can. Any contribution to this noble object, sent to this office, will be properly disposed of.

The U. S. troops have left the whole Valley. The quiet and peace that reigns now makes our country look like old times. The wisdom of the President's policy can be seen by any "radical" who will take a trip up this way and see how smoothly and quietly everything goes on. We are glad to notice the disappearance of the crowds of negroes from our streets and to learn they are generally going to work by the year.

The following verses were found, stained with blood, in the breast of dead soldier of the old Stonewall Brigade, after one of Jackson's battles in the Shenandoah Valley, and were given to the public shortly thereafter, through the columns of the Illustrated News, in Richmond, during the war:

Come men, stack arms! pile on the rails--
Stir up the camp fire bright,
No matter if the canteen fails,
We'll make a roaring night.
Here Shenandoah crawls along,
Here burly Blue Ridge echoes strong,
To swell the brigade's rousing song,
Of "Stonewall jackson's way."

We see him now--the old slouched hat,
Cocked o'er his eye askew--
The shrewd dry smile--the speech so pat,
So calm, so blunt, so true.
The "Blue Light Elder" knows 'em well;
Says he, "that's Banks, he's fond of shell,
Lord save his soul! we'll give him--" well
That's "Stonewall Jackson's way."

Silence! ground arms: knell all! caps off!
Old "Blue Light's" going to pray;
Strangle the fool that dares to scoff!
Attention! it's his way!
Appealing from his native sod,
"Hear us, Almighty God!
Lay bare thine arm, stretch forth thy rod,
Amen!" That's Stonewall Jackson's way.

He's in the saddle now! Fall in!
Steady! The whole brigade!
Hill's at the ford, cut off; we'll 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 dawn!
That's Stonewall Jackson's way!

The sun's bright lances rout the mists
Of morning--and, by George!
Here's Longstreet, struggling in the lists,
Hemmed in an ugly gorge.
Pope and his Yankees, whipped before;
"Bayonets and grape!" hear Stonewall roar,
"Charge, Stuart! pay off Ashby's score,
In Stonewall Jackson's way!"

Ah! maiden, wait, and watch, and yearn,
For news of Stonewall's band!
Ah! widow, read with eyes that burn--
That ring upon thy hand!
Ah! wife, sew on, pray on, hope on!
Thy life shall not be all forlorn--
The foe had better ne'er been born.
That gets in Stonewall's way.