New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-11-07
GEN. HOODS CIRCULAR.

I
| We willingly yield space to the circular Of
Gen. Hood, which we append Gen. Hood
| is one Of very few men who, in the space Of
a little more than three years service in the
field, arose BY successive gradations from the
rank of lieutenant to that Of general com
manding an army. This is no place for dis
cnssing his merits as commander, but the
fact which we mention is sufficient to attract
attention to the modest and soldier1y appeal
which he makes to the officers of his various
commands.
The object which he proposes must meet
with general appreciation. If we understand
his circular Alright, Gen. Hood does not pro-
pose to write history even Of the armies
with which he served with SO much dis
tinction, but desires to collect authentic in
formation in reference to the troops who have
served under his direction, and to collate
these facts in such a form that the future his
torian may render justice to his gallant com
rades.
In the absence of official records, the plan
proposed by General Hood for replacing them
is the best that can be suggested But in
order that it may be attended with success, it
is necessary that general publicity be given to
the circular. The question is Of such general
import, and concerns SO deeply the history of
our times, that we feel we are but discharging
public duty in giving place to this circular,
and in urging our brethren of the press to
comply with General Hoods request " to as
sist in accomplishing the undertaking by pub
fishing his circular"
We hope that other gentlemen besides
General Hood, may be induced by his exam
pie to attempt to render justice to the gallant
deeds of the men whom they commanded
History cannot be compiled from official re-
cords alone. Personal memoirs often explain
points on which official papers are silent and
it is by comparison of different authentic
accounts of the same scenes viewed from
various points of view, that just judgment
of events is formed Tt is too soon to write
an impartial history Of the late war. But it
will be too late, when the actors in the strug-
gle shall have passed away, to collect facts
which will diewith the actors unless collected
in the mode now proposed, and embodied in
narrative form. We therefore heartily APP
prove the design of General Hood, and COM
mend his example to the imitation of other
commanders.
CIRCULAR.
NEW ORLEANS, Nov. /, 1866.
Deemipg it 4 duty to the officers and men who
eryed with me in the late war, to place on record
i brief account Of the operations they performed,
have the honor to request all commanders of
batteries, battaions, brgades, divisions and corps
. forward to me, without delay, reports of all
battles in which they were engaged while under
my direction.
This will begin with the companies Of Virginia
cavalry which first commanded under Col. John
p. Magruder, at Yorktown, in May, 1861, and pass
through the successive gradations of command to
the period Of the surrender Of thelate Confederate
army.
! would also request The commander Of each
separate organization to send, with his report, his
photograph, and The photograph Of any one Of
hs commanders killed ia action, together with
such facts relating to his career aud DEATH as may
be interesting.
Az officers who served apen my STAFF are re-
qnested @ furnish me with their photographs ana
reports q their labofs and observations.