ted as far as
Staunton. The rebel army was broken up and demoralized, yet considerable
force was in the vicinity of Lynchburgh, and Early devoted himself to
reorganizing it.

Guerrilla warfare was a favorite resort of the rebels in the Shenandoah
Valley, and many of our men were murdered in cold blood by the cowardly
villains who lurked about our camps by day as harmless farmers, and
murdered our men at night dressed in confederate uniform. Among those
who lost their lives by this cowardly species of warfare, were Surgeon
Ochenslayer, Medical Inspector of our army; Colonel Tolles, Chief
Quartermaster, and Captain Meigs, son of the Quartermaster-General, U.
S. A.

We fell back from Mount Crawford to Harrisonburgh, burning barns, mills
and granaries, driving before us cattle and sheep, and bringing white
and black refugees without number. From Harrisonburgh we again fell
back, retracing our steps through New Market, Mount Jackson and
Woodstock, and encamped on the evening of the 8th of October on the
north bank of Cedar creek. Each day as we marched, dark columns of smoke
rose from numberless conflagrations in our rear and on either flank,
where the cavalry was at work carrying out the edict of destruction of
the valley. A certain number of mills with the grain contained, a
specified number of wheat-stacks and granaries, and cattle and sheep
sufficient for the wants of the people of the valley were saved; all
other mills, barns, stacks and granaries were burned, and all other
cattle and sheep driven away. Seventy mills, with the flour and grain,
and over two thousand barns filled with wheat, hay and farming
implements were thus committed to the flames, and seven thousand cattle
and sheep were either driven off or killed and issued to the men. This
destruction, cruel as it seemed, was fully justified as a matter of
military necessity. For so long as a rebel army could subsist in the
valley, so long a large force must remain to guard the frontier of
Maryland.

Hundreds of refugees accompanied us from Staunton, Mount Crawford and
Harrisonburgh: Unionists who had endured persecution until it was no
longer endurable, and who now left houses and farms to find relief in
the north from their sufferings for loyalty; and negroes who sought
freedom from their ancient bondage.

Among the latter class was a group which had followed the cavalry from
Staunton, and which now took a place in our Sixth corps hospital train,
which att