A letter from Mrs. Aldritch E. Brown,

The text is a letter from Mrs. Aldritch E. Brown, who recalls a Civil War event that she witnessed as a young woman. On November 3, 1863, General Averill's army passed through Greenbank, Virginia, on their way to Droop Mountain, where they defeated the Confederates. Mrs. Brown and her mother were visiting a friend when they heard a great commotion outside. They ran to the door and saw a young boy in Confederate uniform being chased by a troop of Federal cavalry. The boy was trying to escape to warn the Confederates of the approaching army. Mrs. Brown was horrified by the scene, and she never forgot it.

The letter also mentions the Battle of Droop Mountain, which was one of the largest battles fought in West Virginia during the Civil War. The Confederates were badly defeated, and many men were killed. Mrs. Brown's husband, George Washington Arbogast, was one of those who died in the battle.

The letter ends with a brief note from the editor of the Pocahontas Times, who confirms that the boy in Confederate uniform is still alive and living in Lexington, West Virginia.

Here are some of the key points from the text:

• General Averill's army passed through Greenbank on November 3, 1863.
• Mrs. Brown and her mother saw a young boy in Confederate uniform being chased by a troop of Federal cavalry.
• The boy was trying to escape to warn the Confederates of the approaching army.
• The Battle of Droop Mountain was one of the largest battles fought in West Virginia during the Civil War.
• Mrs. Brown's husband, George Washington Arbogast, was killed in the battle.
• The boy in Confederate uniform is still alive and living in Lexington, West Virginia.