The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1864-11-01
AN ADDRESS FROM GEN. EARLY TO
HIS TROOPS.


The following is address from Lieut.. Uen.
Early to the troops of his command:
HEADQUARTERS 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
SURF rised aud routed two corps of Sheridans army
and drove back several miles the remaining corps,
capturing eighteen pieces of artillery, one thou
sand fve hundred prisoners, number OF colors,
large quantity Of small arms, and many wagons and
subulances, with the entire camps of the two rout-
ei corps; but have the modification of aunounc-
ing to you that, by your subsequent misconduct,
all the benefits of that victory were lest and seri-
GUS disaster incurred Had you remained stead
fast to your duty and your colors, the victory
would have been one of the most brilliant and de-
cisive of the war: you would have gloriously
trieved the reveIses at Winchester and Fishers
Hil and entitled yourselves to the admiration and
gratitude Of your country But many of you, in
Guiding some commissioned officers, yielding to
disgraceful propensity for plumber, deserted your
colors to appropriate to yourselves the abandoned
property of the enemy, and subsequently those
who had previously remained at their posts, seeing
their ranks thinned by the absence of the plumber
ers, when the enemy, late in the afternoon, with
retrieve the fortunes of the day, yielded to need
less panic and fed the field in confusion, thereby
converting splendid victory into disaster. Had
any respectable number of you listened to the ap-
peals made to you and made stand, even at the
last moment the disaster would have been
ted and the substantial fruits of victory secured;
but under the insane dread Of being fanked and
panic stricken terror of the enemys cavalry, you
would listen to no appeal threat or order, and al
low mall of cavalry n a
train and carry off number of pieces of artillery
and wagons, which your disorder left unprotected.
You have thus obscured that glorluus fame won IN
conjunction with the gallant men Of the Army OF
Northern Virginia, who still remain proudly def
ant in The trenches around Richmond and Peters,
burg. Before you can again claim them as COM
rades, you will have to erase from your escutch-
cons the blemishes which now obscure them; and
this you can do ifyou will but be true to your for
mer reputation, your country and your homes.
You have fought at Manassas, Richmond, Sharps-
burg, Fredericksburg, Charlottesville, Gettys-
burg, and from the Wilderness to the banks Of
James river; and especially you who were with
the immortal Jackson in all his triumphs, are ca
pable Of better things Arouse yourselves, then,
to Of manhood and appreciation of the
cause in which you are engaged. Yield to the
mandates of discipline resolve to stand by your
colors in future at all hazards, and you yet re-
trieve your reputation and strike effective boHs
1or your country and its cause. Let every man
spurn from him the vile plumber gathered on the
field OF tho 10Th; and let man, whatever his
rank, whether combatant non com Blatant, dare
exhibit his spos of that day. They will be badges
Of his dishonor, the insignia of his disgrace The
officer who pauses in the career Of victory to place
a guard suffers wagon, for his private USE
is as bad as soldier who halts 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 paltry price. He
" 30 follows his coors into the ranks of the enemy
i'll pursuit of victory, dsdaiDing the miserable pas
sion for gathering booty, comes out Of the buttle
with his honor untarnished, and, though barefoot |
ed and ragged, is far more to be enyied than he |
that is ladened with rich spoils, gathered in the
traiI OF his victorious comrades. There were some
exceptions to the general misconduct the after
aeon Of the l9th but it would be difficult to speci-
fy them all Let those who did their duty be sat |
isfed with the consciousness Of having done it, and
mourn that their efforts were paralyzed by the |
mlsbehaylor of others. Let them be coEsoled to
some extent, by the reflection that the enemy has
nothing to boast Of on his part. The artillery aud
wagons taken were not won by his valour. His |
camps were destroyed, his army terribly shattered
aud demoralzed, his losses far heavier than ours,
even in proportion to the relative strength of the
armies, his plans materially impeded, and he was !
unable to pursue by reason of his crippled condi-
'ion Soldiers, Of the army of the Valley | do !
not speak to you in anger; wish to speak in kind
ness, though In sorrow. My purpose is to show
you the causes of late misfortune, and point |
out the way to avoid similar ones in future, and
ensure success to our arms. Success can only be |
secured by the enforcement and observance of the |
most rigid discipline Officers, whatever their
rank, must not only give orders, but set the exam
pie OF obeylng them, and she meu must follow that
example. Fellow soldiers, | am ready to lead you
again IN defence of our common cause, and | APP |
peal to you by the remembrance of the glorious |
career in which you have formerly participated by .
the woes of your bleeding country the ruined .
homes and devastated fields you see around you,
the cries of anguish which come up frcm the wild !
ows aud orphans of your dead comrades, the hor-
rors which await you anG all that is yours in the
future If your country is subjueated, and your
hopes OF freedom for yourselves and your posterity
to render cheerful and willing obedience to the
rules and discipline, and to shoulder your musket
again with the determipaton never more to turn
your backs upon the foe, but to battle like men
and soldiers until the last Eestge of the footsteps
Of our barbarous and erusl enemies is erased from
The soil they desecrate, and the independence of
bur country established If you will do this and
rely upon the protecting care of just and merei-
'ul God, all will be well; you will again be what
you once were, and | will be proud to lead YOU
once more to battle. J. \, EARLY,
Lieutenant General
p9- Confederate credit if the papers are to be
believed, is many times better in England than it
is in the Contederacy. Nay it is better every
Rhere that II is received at all than If l. Mt homo