Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1865-07-03
PRICE: FIVE CENTS.
GENERAL r. s EwELL-HIS REASONS FOR
JOINING THE CONFEDERATEs.

| gentleman OF st. Paul, Minnesota, who was
| formerly non-commissiOned officer In General
| then Captainl EwelrA company Of the regular
army, wrote friendly letter to his old commander
few weeks ago, and has received the following
reply, which he has permitted to be published on
| account OF the explanation il affords OF the mo-
| tiyes and inducements which led General Ewell
| TO embrace the Secession cause The letter Is as
| follows:
FoRT WARREs, Bosr0H HARBoR,,
June 10, 1865. {
Dear Sir:-I was highly gratiied at the receipt
of yours Of the Q th ult. Long experience has
| given ne very different views In regard to the re-
sJonsibilites of an officer, from those with which
| left West Point, where a few mathematical for.
| muas, never used afterwards, and aDstruse
branches Of science were dwelt upon, to the utter
exclusion OF the duties and responsibilities that
Were to occupy our lives. 1t is therefore highly
| gratifying that have the testimony Of one COM
| panion IN arms that made some friends among
| the soldiers, portion of humanity whe.e the
treatment OF the best is measured often by what
the worst deserve, and whom it Is easier to govern
by the hsrshest rules than TO take the trouble to
discriminate between good and bad, and TO mako
the profession easier when possible.
After the time OF which you write my health
suffered terribly for years, not much to the i'm
proyempnt of ny temper, and | remember with
regret much harsh language and conduct towards
men who showed themselves better able to con-
troll themselves than cou d control myself. How.
ever always tried TO be just in the long run.
and while the discipline aud good behavior of my
company was notorious hope may say no man
was made worse by service with me, and many of
the boys discharged from my company became
valuable and industrious citizens. / never heard
OF one turning out badly during many years in N.
Mexico, and | learned that kindness gives far
mole perfect control over the human as well as
brute races, than harshness and cruelty.
That you may have as little as possible to be
a CIln ma ITrr mitch T
| short account OF how came into the Southern
cause.
! came from Arizona, sick, in the Spring of
1861. stayed in the country IN Virginia. my
State, trying TO get we'll, and found the war to
my better regret, was being started. All the
highest United States army officers were resgning,
except General Stott and he published letter
that the United States would divide into four
parts, thus showing that he thought all wss
over. United States Senator said be would
mar h Northern regiment TO help the South for
every one sent against her. Nothing was done
with either OF these men or with Others, whose
deeds were reasonable. member of Con-
gress from California made public speech call
ing upon the South TO resist the election OF Mr..
LiGcoln
Now, / found myself forced to fight against
my brothers and all my nearest and dearest rela-
tives against my own State, when many abler
| men than myself contenced she was right By
taking up the side of the South, | forfeited q
handsome position, line pay and the earnings of
twenty years hard service. All the pay drew
in four years in the South was not as much as
one years pay in the old army. The greatest
political fayoritism against me | ever had was
from Mr. Davis, after tie Mexican war.
II is hard 10 account for my course, except
from painful sense OF duty l say painful, be-
cause | believe few were more devoted to the
old country than myself, and the greatest objec-
| ton had to it was because Of my prediction
| for strong one. Now | see persons who did
| what they could to bring aboutthe war in high
| favor in the North, holding high Office. II was
| like death to me.
I'm route here from New Mexico, 1861 yolun-
teeied my services 10 fight the Texans, threaten.
| ing United Stats post and was careful to do
nothing against the United States before resgnIng
have asked TO be allowed to take the oath OF
| allegiance and return 10 my duties as citizen
| | see, though, that many persJns active in the
first steps in bringing this about are at lib
| ery, while am here with no very good prospect
| OF getting out, while my wife is under arrest in
| st. Louis, and has been since April, but up To
this time has utterly failed even TO find out why
she is arrested. Neither she or myself have the
slightest idea of the cause of her arrest.
have given you a long letter about myself,
because OF the friendly tone of your letter, and
because feel naturally drawn toward those with
whom have served.
Iremain, very respectfully, &C..
r. S. EwELL.