Why the Valley Was Cleaned

Title

Why the Valley Was Cleaned

Subject

United States Army

Description

The point of this story, published in March 1865, is that it is justifiable to treat Confederate supporters harshly because the Confederates are guerrilla fighters who hide behind their women, and commit atrocities.

A participant in the military occupation of the Shenandoah Valley reports burning all the barns, but not farmhouses, and not feeling bad because along the road you can "find your brother hanging to a tree with his ears, his nose and his lips cut off."

Abstract

The Seattle Gazette publishes an article from back east, explaining why the Shenandoah Valley was "cleaned," in a brutal way. The acts are justified by the extreme brutality with which Confederate guerrillas treated Union captives.

Creator

unknown

Source

Seattle Weekly Gazette

Publisher

Seattle, WA: J.R. Watson

Date Issued

1865-03-04

Medium

Web

Type

article

Identifier

www.sos.wa.gov/history/newspapers

Bibliographic Citation

Vol. 1, No. 43, p. 1, col. E

Temporal Coverage

1865

Provenance

Washington State Archives

Start Page

1

End Page

1