The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1866-01-24
GEMS. SHERIDAN AND EARLY,
THE CAMPAIGNS IN THE VALLEY OF VIRGINIA
from the New Orleans Crescent, Jan. IL.

-I
from the New Orleans Crescent, Jan. u.
A few days ago we published an abb
stract of a letter written from Havana
by Gen. J. A. Early on the subject of
the later campaigns in Virginia, Gen.
EARLY, speaking fran his personal
knowledge, which ought to be at least
approximately accurate, made certain
statements regarding the relative
| strength Of the adverse forces in those
campaigns, which showed a remarka-
BILE, and indeed a surprising inequality
between them. AS all the facts connect
ed with that eventful struggle are full of
interest, we could not do less than re-
publish, although in a very condensed
form. the statistics on which Gen. Early
appears to rely, in u measure, for the
vindication of his military reputation.
AS was naturally to be anticipated, these
statements have attracted the notice of
Gen. Sheridan, the officer Immediately
opposed to Gen. Early, and now the
Commander of this Department.
Gen. Sheridan takes issue with the
figures of his adversary, and to verify
his own statements produces his official
records, which he has, accompanying II
note from himself, very kindly placed
at our disposal. Having published one
side of the story, we now present the
other. Our object is to elucidate the
truth, and we feel thankful to the COM
manders on either side who may be will
ling TO assist in the contamination of
this PURPOSE. II must lie confessed that
there is in the statements of these dis
tinguished officers a discrepancy too
great to he r~econciled without ACCESS to
sources of information which we do not
vet possess. No one will venture to inn
pugn Gen. Sheridan's veracity, and the
official statements of his staff officers
must be received with the credit to
which such documents are always enti-
tied.
With these preliminary remarks, We
invite attention to the letter Of General
Sheridan and the accompanying state.
ments:
HEADQUARTERS MILITARY DIVISION OF Fr GuIE, !
NEW ORLEANS, La Jan. 8, lS6e.
10 The Editors Of the Nse orleans Daily Crescent;
GENrlLMEy--There Is a class Of military men win
should be considered worse than towards, aud to tina
class belong those who are willing and attempt to falsify
history.
Gen. Jubal A. Early in this respect, whose letter to th'
New York .Nees furnished you the date for an article pub
lished in the Crescent Of the 9th Inst, in which Gen, Earl,
states that the forces opposed 10 my command In thu
Shenandoah Valley consisted of about $500 muskets ,thre'
battalions OF artillery, and tess than SOU0 cavalry.
According to the statement of my Provost Marsha
!, General. the number of prisoners captured in the Shenan
doah Valley from August d, 1864, TO March !, 1865, wa
about $4,000, and the names of nearly that number ar
recorded on the books recently used In the office OF tn
2 Provost Marshal General ofthe Middle Military Division
NV official! records show thatmy loss in killed and wound
! ed from August 4, 1864, 10 January l, 1865, was Ii ,S3l
} and General Early s loss was fully as great If not greater
consequently we can safely estimate his casualties a
, 2s,s3l men. l also inclose herewith a statement b.
: Lieut.. Mckee, of the U. $. Ordnance Corps, exhibiting
y -. 49, 1911. aAln na ptnrnS nj Hal1 rfIllar con
I tured from Gen. Early's command in the Shenandoah
: Valley from August 4th, 1864, to january lst, 1865. Thi
! statement does not include six pieces OF iield artiller.
captured at Wayhesboro', four ut Greenwood Station, tw'
/, at Charlottesville, and four at South Anna Bridge, on m
march from Winchester to Petersburg, during the month
= of February and March, 1865. Gen. Earlys statemen
tbat he had about 1905 men at Waynesboro', is hard
I, reconcile with the fact that over l+oO men OF ms con
. mand were captured at that engagement ana ms est
I mate of my forces IL incorrect, but that may be considere
o n narlouable error. The accompanying statements Of BY
q Lieut.. Col. Parsons, Bvt. Major Howard and Lieut.. Mckee
are the sub-youchers for the foregoing statements.
am, gentlemen, very respectfully su"t opeuIent So
e want, shhnpaN,
UEApouARTERsM MILITARY DIVISION OF PIE GuIR,
NEw ORLEANS LA, Nov. IL, 1855.
Major Gen. P. H. Sheridan, Commanding Military Divl
sion of the Gulf:
GENEnAL-I have the honor to state that the numbe
of Confederate prisoners received by the Federal force
: under your command. from August, ls64, TO March Is
: 1865, was about thirteen thousand p3,0oog Inc nam,
of nearly that number are recorded on the DOCKS recen
" used In the office of the Provost Marshal General, Nil
~ '.Ct
die Military Division.
| am, General, very respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
f.. b. PARsoNss,
Late Provost Marshal Gen. Middle Military Division.
oaicial. O. II. HOWARD,
Breyet Major Signal Corps, Chief Signal Officer,
Military Division of the Gulf.
HEADQUARTERS MILITARY DIVISION OF THE GULF,
y Office of the Chief Signal Officer, :
New Orleans, la, January s, 1866.
!, Major General p. II. Sheridan, Commanding Miitar
s Division of the Gulf:
!, GEsERAL-I have the HOMER to report that the ohcif
I returnsop file at these headquarters show your loss /
u killed and wounded at the three battles OF winchester
Fishers Hill and Cedar Creek to be ten thousand min
hundred and ninety one, QO,99l aud ID the various ski
mishes and "Reminiscences, made at different tlmes, b
: cavalry and infantry, two thousand eight hundred an
9 forty, (2s4o) making an aggregate OF Killed ana wounde
In the Valley campairn, thirteen thousand eight hundre
aud t~hirty-one QwS51) q
I I am, General, very respectfully,
O. II. HOWARD,
y Breyet Major Signal Corps,
Q Chief signal Officer Military Division OF he Gulf.
In addition TO these documents we have an odfcii
!. statement from Lieut.. GEORGE W. Mckee, Chief ordnanc
officer of Middle Military District, OF captured artiller,
D but its form is such as to preclude its reproduction in on
columns in a tabular shape The total is l0l pieces, cal
tured between August 10th, 1854, and January !, 1856
distributed as follows
IL twelve Founders. du.s.
20 three inch Ordnance guns-""-.r !"
1 tnn t.oupdap d arraft InRa.. Sc - -, II