Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1864-11-02

ADDRESS OF GEN. EARLY TO HIS Army.

11A Nh z OAv BE AH vAAAnXs |
ADDRESS OF GEN. EARLY TO HIS Army.
HEApoRs VALLEY DISTRICT.
October %, 1864
Soldiers Of the Army of the Valley:
had hoped to have congratulated you on the
splendid victory won by you on the morning Of the
18th At Belle Grove, on Cedar Creek, when you
surprised and routed two corps Of Sheridans army,
and drove back several miles the remaining corps,
capturing eighteen pieces Of artillery, one thousand
five hundred prisoners, number Of co)ors, large
quantity Of small arms, and many wagons and
ambulances, with the entire camps Of the two rout
ed corps; but have the modification Of snnounc-
ing to you that, by your subsequent misconduct,
ali the benefits Of that victory were lost and seri
Gus disaster Incurred. Had you remained steadfsst
to your duty and your colors, the victory would
have been Of the most brilliant and decisive Of
the war; you would have gloriously retrieved the
reverses at Winchester and Fishers Hill and entitl
ed yourselves to the admiration and gratitude Of
your country. But many Of you, including some
commissioned officers, yielding to disgraceful pro-
pensity for PLUMBER deserted your colors to appro
pirate to yourselves the abandoned property Of the
enemy, and subsequently those who had previously
remained at their posts, seeing their ranks thnned
by the absence of the plnnderers, when the enemy
late in the afternoon, with his shattered columns,
made but feeble effort to retrieve the fortunes of
the day, yielding to = needless panic and fed the
field in confusion, thereby converting splendid
Der OF you listened to the appeals made to you and
made stand, even at the last moment the disaster
would have been averted and the substantial fruits
of victory secured but under the insane dread of
being hanked, and panic stricken terror Of the
enemy's cavalry, you would listen to no appeal
threat, or order, and allowed small body Of caval
~ to penetrate to our train and carry of number
Of pieces Of artillery and wagons which your dis.
| order left unprotected. You have thus obscured
that glorious fame won in conjunction with the gal
liant men Of the Army of Northern Virginia, who
still remain proudly defiant in the trenches around
| Richmond and Petersburg. Before yeu can again
Claim them as comrades, you will have to erase
nom your escutcheons the blemishes which now
obscure them; and this you can do if you will but
be true to your former reputation your country and
your homes. You who have fought at Manassas,
Richmond, Sharpsburg, Fredericksburg Chancel-
louisville, Gettysburg, and from the Wilderness to
the banks Of James river and especially you who
were with the immortal jackson ID all his triumphs,
are capasle of better things. Arouse yourselves,
them to q sense of your manhood and appreca-
ton of the sacred cause in which you engaged!
Yield to the mandates of dscipline resolve tostand
by your coors in future at all hazards and you can
yet retrieve your reputation and strike effective
| blows for your country and its cause. Let every
man spurn from him the vile plumber gathered on
the field of the 18th and let man. whatever his
rank, whether combatant or non combatant, dare
exhibit his spoils of that day. They will be q
badge of dishonor, the insignia of disgrace The
officer who pauses in the career Of victory to place
guard over . suffers wagon, for his private use,
is as bad the soldier who hats to secure for him.
self the abandoned clothing or money of flying
foe, and they both sell the honor of the army and
the blood Of their country for q paltry price. He
Who follows his colours into the ranks Of the enc
my in pursuit Of victory, dsdaining the miserable
passion for gathering booty, comes out Of the battle
with bis honor untarnished, and though barefooted
and ragged, is far more to be enved than he that
is laden with rich spoils; gathered in the trail Of
his victorious comrades. There were some excep-
tons to the general misconduct on the afternoon Of
the 10th, but it would be difficult to specify them
all Let those who did their duty be satisfied with
the consciousness of having done it, and mourn that
their efforts we're psrayzed by the misbehavior o.
the reflection that the enemy has nothing to moth
ing to boast of on his part The artillery and wagons
taken were not won by his valor. His camps wer,
destroyed, his army terribly shattered and demon
Allied his losses far heavier than ours in pro
portion to the relative strength of the armies, hi
plans materially impeded, and he was unable t
pursue by reason Of his crippled condition. Sol
you in anger l wish to speak in kindness, thougt
in sorrow. Ny purpose is to show you the causes
of our late misfortune and point out the way Il
avoid similar ones in future and ensure success t.
our arms. Success can only be secured by the en-
forcement and observance of the most rigid disci
pline. Officers whatever their rank, must rot oni!
give orders, but set the example of obeying them
AMI the men must follow that example. Fellow
soldiers, am ready to lead you again in defence
our common cause, and appeal to you by the re
membrance Of the glorious career in which 20,
have formerly participated, by the woes Of yon
bleeding country, the ruined homes and devasta
ted fields you around you, the cries of anguish
which come up from the widows and orphans O
your dead comrades, the horrors which await you
and all that is yours in the future if your coun
try is subjugated, and your hopes Of freedom
for yourselves and your posterity, to rende
. cheerful and willing obedience to the rule
of discipline, and to shoulder your musket agai
with the determination never more to turn you
backs upon the foe, but to do battle like men an
soldiers until the last vestge of the footsteps Of
barbarous and cruel enemies is erased from the sol
they desecrate and the independence Of the countr
is firmly established. If you will do this and rel
upon the protecting care Of just and merciful Goo
all will be well you will again be what you ono
were, and will be proud to lead you once more i
battle. j. A. EARLY,
Il Lieutenant General.