The New era. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1865-1871, 1866-03-15
Letter from General ENrIy.
CITY OF MEXICO, Feb. 5. 1866

CITY OF MEXICO, Feb. 5, 1866.
To the Editor Of The Neao York Neaus:
| have just seen the letter of Major
General Sheridan of the United States
Army to the New Orleans Crescent, dated
Warded by a friend frem Havana.
shall not handy epithets with Cen
eral Sheridan, and nothing but the fact
| that he IS an officer of the United States
Army. in high command induces me to
notice his letter. Ills status as a gentle
man can be easily determined by
glance at that letter, when it is recollec-
ted that l am an exile in a foreign land,
and that if were to set my foot within
the limits over which his command ex-
tends, | would, in all probability, be
Immediately arrested and consigned toa
military prison. My experience with
him in the Valley campaign had already
satisfied me that, as a military COM
statements of my losses in the Valley
are simply preposterous. The man who
reported that he defeated Hampton's
cavalry at Trevillian's depot on the 18th
of June, 1864, and that his farther pro-
gress was arrested by an infantry force
near Gordonsville, "too strongly en-
trenched to successfully ASSAULT" when
there was not an infantry soldier in
arms nearer that place than with Gener-
al Lees Army at Cold Harbor-Who
subsequently reported that he drove
my command through the gaps of the
Blue Ridge after the battles Of Winches-
ter and Fishers Hill-that he captured
foriy-eight pieces of artillery from me
at Cedar Creek, and that pursuit was
| made to Mount Jackson,i is very capable
0f nQkInr hQxyinn s,Nodn f0f
ments to suit his purpose. He has
fictitious reputation to sustain, and his
letter affords a criterion of the means by
which it was gained.
My officers know the correctness of
my statements of our strength in the
Valley, and it will be news, indeed, to
them to hear that 5000 prisoners were
captured from my command, and that |
lost, in killed and wounded, over 1881
men, between the 4th of August, 1864,
and the 1st of March, 1865. 1t will
equally astonish all my artillery and
ordinance officers to learn that 1O1 pieces
Of artillery were captured from me be-
tween the 10Th of August, 1864, and the
1st of January, 1865, especially when it
is recollected that General Sheridan's
Geographic reports, made after each cap
ture, claimed only n pieces captured
during the time specified, to-wit:
At Winchester,th the 10Th of September,
1864, S; at Fishers Hill, the 23d of Sep
TENDER, 1864, IL; at the cavalry fight
below Edinburg, the 9th of October,
1864, IL at Cedar Creek, the 18th of Oc-
tober, 1864, 48 at Cedarville, in the cav
airy fight between Powell and McCaus-
land, Nov. II, 1864, 2; aggregate, u.
OF those claimed as captured at Cedar
Creek, the greater part consisted of guns,
which had been abandoned on the field
by his own troops, while my real loss
two guns captured in the time specified,
if all the other claims we're correct. The
impartial reader will not fail to notice
the number of guns marked :U. s." in
the list given by General Sheridan, and
the very few marked &C. s."
His command may have captured L.
400 prisoners ut the time of the affair at
Wavnesboro' ~, at that time, there were
Z Stanton and elsewhere in the Val
ley, a large number of recently exchang-
ed prisoners, on leave of absence from
General Lees army, who could not get
transportation back, as the few railroad
trains we had were engaged in remOv-
ing stores.
strength was incorrect, he had the
u!C"Ho VI giving IL WIFI dCCuTdCy lIOIu
his returns, and, as the official returns of
my command were captured at Waynes-
boro' by his troops, he ought to have the
means of ascertaining my strength at
each one of these battles, without re-
sorting to a dubious certificate from
memory by his Provost Marshal Gener-
al, or certificate OF his killed and
wounded by the Chief Signal Officer of
the Middle Division of the Gulf, or the
statement of an ordnance officer made in
such form cas- to preclude its publica-
tom in the columns of a newspaper.
Sheridan's letter has furnished anoth-
er evidence of the propriety of my eau
ton to all fair-minded men of other ma
tons, to withhold their judgments upon
the reports of our enemies, until the
truth can be placed before them.
Alas! how sad must be the fate of my
poor country when such man can have
military sway over any part of it.
... Respectfully,
j. A. EARLY.
Gold and silver coins have been re-
Gently struck at the mint with the mot