Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1866-01-31
RICHMOND WHIG.
WEDNESDAY MORNING...JAN 81, 1866.
The SOenandoah camPqign;--Genernls Sheridan
from the New Orleans Picavune. !


from the New Orleans Picayune.
A controversy between General Sheridan, OF the
Ia It'd states Army, and General Early, late OF the
Confederate Army relative to the forces engaged IN
the campaigns on the Shenandoah Valley, has at
tractel considerable attention. The points involved
in thi, issue are OF great historical interest
and Importance 1t Is desirable that they
should be determined now, whilst the proofs
are fresh and the witnesses alive. To arrive at such
result il Is incumbent those who engage IN what
ought now to be an exclusively historical question:
to avoid anything like passion and partisanshp, and
consider the facts in dispute, with ngld lmpart-
aty and 4 stern fidelity TO historical truth anu JUS
tice.
The following communication from highly intel
liyent member of our bar, appears to Us To manifest
this proper and cOmmendatls temper, and to present
the interesting facts OF history involved in this con-
troyersy in a clear and impartial light:
NEw ORLEANS, Jan. Is, 1866.
To the Editors IF the PicayUne:
GENTLEMEN In the Crescent Of the 18th inst.
there appeared communication from Major Gener
al p II. sheridan, evoked by letter addressed by
Lieutenant General Early to the editor OF the New
York DAILY NelrS, respecting the numbers Oi the
Confederate troops engaged IN the Valley campaigns
in Virginia. General Sheridan, | am persuaded,
would do injustice to one Especially not to
an opponent whom be has defeated, And yet the
structures upon General Earys letter in the article
lust mentioned By General Sheridan, place the for
ner officer in the unenyiabe attitude OF willing
fasiher of history.
In justice to General Early, allow ME to say
word.
General Sheridans statement of facts, is of course
correct. From August T. 1864 To March lst, 1860,
have no doubt that about 10 600 Confederate pris-
Uners were taken in the Valley OF Virginia.
Notwithstanding this fact, ! know, OF my own
personal knowledge, that Gen. Earlys statement
Is also correct when he states that he had about $500
muskets in tie second engagement with Gen. Sher-
dan was a staff officer Tor four years in the Army
of Northern Virginia. was division staff officer
2nd Army Corps, under Gen. Early command,
f,om the time the 2nd Corps detached from the
Army OF Northern Virginia, June, 1864, to the time
it was ordered to Petersburg, December 1864. Twas
prpseut al the battles of Winchester, Fishers Hill,
and Cedar Creek. know from the official reports
that myself made, and from actual observation at
reviews drills inspections in camp and on the march,
the effective strength of every brigade and division
OF infantry under Gen. Early's command. or the
cavalry aud artillery cannot speak so authOrita-
lively And can, therefore, assert, with confidence,
that IN no of the actions above mentioned, did
Gen. Early carry niue thousand $1,000 men (intan-
| try) into the tight
| The prisoners (l3OOO) taken by General Sheridan
| were taken from the department over which Gen.
Early was supposed to have the nominal command.
In these are to be included all the Struggling ca
valry that infested the Valley of Virginia, greater
terror their friends than their foes the guerillaS,
made up of deserers and skulkers from the Amy OF
| >
/ supply that army with forage teamsteTs abOrcrs;
/ detailed men OF the quartermaSter and cOmmSSary
departments all Of whom were legitimate prisoners,
a. they We're enlisted men; the hangers on of the
| medical department. prvates absent on furlOugh,
captured IN their homes; and the disabled men that
| followed the army (adding nothing to ITS effective
strength rather than remain in the hospitals to which
| they had been ordered
! OF the casualties of General Earlys army in the
engagements of Winchester, Fishers Hill and Cedar
| Greek, the aggregate was not 1000 -four thOusand.l
The casualties of the action OF Waynesboro, which
occurred after the 2d Corps had arrived at Peters
! burg and when General Early had command OF
| WhaTtOns division alone OF Confederate troops and
some Home Guards, cannot speak. But from the
/ description of the action given me by officers in
General Early's staf who were. present, there was
not enough fighting the Confederate side to usti-
| fy many being killed or wounded. So that General
SLeridan's SuppOSUn or inference, not his statement
that General Early's losses in killed and wounded
eluaed, il they did not SurpaSs his own, is not sus-
tanned by my knowledge OF the facts
! General Sheridan and General Early are both c.
pable and brave officers and honorable men. Ne
| ther would make aStatement which he din not believe
to be correct And that which at first may appear
au rrecOnciable difference in their respective re.
| poits, on u comparison OF official papers, and the
evidence of parties in situation to furnish the facts
| OF the campaigns which are now immortal, will
| show to be consistent and harmonious; and united,
will supply the most valuable of all materials for
| the future historian.