Augusta County: Daniel K. Schreckhise to James M.
Schreckhise, October 17, 1864
Summary:
Schreckhise writes about the Union raids in the Valley and the difficulties the
population is experiencing as a result. Schreckhise also shares other news from
home with his brother.
Oct 17th 1864
Dear Brother
I have been thinking of writing to you for some time ever since the yanks were up to see us. I have a great Deal to tell you but don't know whether I will get through this time or not. In the first place we are all well. The yanks burned both of our barns with about twenty five tons of hay in them & all of our wheat except about twenty five bushels that we had carried out. We saved almost all of our farming utensils. The yanks took all of our cows but two came back.
I refugeed over the mountain with four horses & our colts & some old horses we left at home & they tried to drive the colts off but they ran off & came back. They looked through the house but didn't take any thing except some sugar & one pair of pants from papa.
There will be suffering times in the valley this winter
as the yanks have burnt all of the barns from here down
& all of the mills except
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one occasionally, all of the barns in this neighborhood are burnt up
except two or three & the worst of all everybody paid the yanks all of their gold & silver. One thing we
never paid them one cent, & if they never come
again we will do pretty well. Some people are ruined entirely. They liked to ruined William Pence
they took off both of his black men that he had bought
& five head of horses & all of his cattle & sheep
& burned his barn he didn't have a barrel of flour on hand. I tell you he is almost crazy
& the worst of all he has to go in the army now he has to go to Staunton
to morrow to Start to Richmond the next day & John Grove has to go also
& all of the details. I tell you they are [unclear: scraping]
things now & I think they ought [unclear: for times] looks
pretty squally but we will come out all right in the end. Some people think the
Confederacy is gone up all ready as the saying is.
There has a great many family [unclear: members] off to the yanks from
Rockingham & some
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men that had fine farms. People from here down are very much discouraged every thing destroyed.
The yanks didn't
get to John Grove. So all of the barns in that
neighborhood are safe. They were at Uncle Jacobs but didn't burn anything in that neighborhood. The yanks stripped some
people of all of their stock.
I must tell you a little joke on Pappy. Uncle John went
to haul some wood & pappy went over toward Mr. Reubush's to
stand picket so he could notify him if the yanks were a coming. So Mr. Reubush
joined Pappy & they went out to the Keegle town road & was a
looking for the yanks & all at once a old yank rode up in their rear & asked them what they were a doing there
& demanded their money & as good luck would have it Pappy
hadn't but little & he told him to go home
& stay there, but Mr. R. had about five
thousand dollars in Confederate [currency] &
some little specie
& they robbed him & as they told pap to go he left Mr R
& cut out & after he had gone the old
yank struck Mr R three times with his saber & so
he put out
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home to with an empty pocket, a wonder the yank didn't take both of their horses & so that ended
their picketing & I think it ought as they both might of been killed.
Nothing new except everybody so down in the mouth in Rockingham the yanks burnt
a good many houses the people in the lower valley will have to leave &
go someplace this winter. One good thing almost everybody was done seeding & the wheat is up & looks very
fine. We hadn't sowed as much as we had counted on
sowing but we will have to quit so there
isn't any to spare to mow. We had sowed some 40 bushels.
The people in the neighborhood are generally well. I tell you about that battle that we had in the valley when the yanks whipped our men we were whipped very bad. I never saw such a demoralized set of men in my life a heap of our men deserted some never will do us any more good but our army has been recruiting & our army is in better spirits than they were two weeks ago & I think we will clean the yanks out of the valley soon. I don't think they will be up this winter any more at least I hope so. It was a bad arrangement to let the Yanks destroy the valley. I don't see how our army is to live in Virginia this winter the valley has been our main support & that is nearly all destroyed. James D. Schreckhise is safe yet at last accounts but the old company that I used to belong to was all killed or captured except one private & that is William Sheets. Lieutenant Joseph Frey was wounded & died he was [unclear: dead] three weeks yesterday. That is his third Son for to be killed in this war. George [unclear: Baker] has got back from Fort Delaware paroled as he was wounded. A. B. is still there. Nothing more new to write at this time write soon & a long letter. Let us know what you think of things in general. Give my Respect to Amanda & receive a portion for thyself.
yours
D.K. Schreckhise
