The weekly Panola star. [volume] (Panola, Miss.) 1857-1881, 1867-03-09

II ~ HI we Nlfih iN NIf nWW
lheir a0mtt bfeiiftnof ibo 0uii. I
ihfHt Hb'l ee0t fluft litc, fssaAial
tiftumi,lu in. tii,min.ell1rsanl
.ulIaflefl, AZ Nv uil ifUiuf alp
lad gtfllhfuwn lhc fuualfliion ani
gageFniueht M ihp l'biluI Miln,
hnI established n lifn tionaf AN
edilniA lesptlsmj ahi t,ls oIAnlqn |
tnlsfcd % tie loufnll NJ lHc Con
ygition When ! signed iho Dfilnnnte
of seeossiiai, ] fepgulyed iho right
ef resistance and feyolWlon atosof.
ei.ed BY o,ir fathers h i17g, aal,
without cnyil W. M Tue nnmo by
which Il wa. called, [ entered lLe
military aefylcc ~ ny Hlnte, willing
y, cheefiuIly, aud zcalously.
When The siats VI Ninfinia boonmo
one Of the Confederate States, and
her troop were turucd over 10 The
Confederate Goyttnmcoi. 1 en-.
braeed the cause Of the whole Con.
icderncy with equal ardor, and con.
tinued in the service. with lit
determination TO devote all the cn.
crgy aud talent | possessed 10 ",
common defense, | fought througl
the entire war without once rcgrdtinl
The course ] had pursucdi with ii
abiding faith IN the iusiic, Of onl
cause aud ] never saw tho .momonI
when | would have been willing l.
consent 70 any compromise or settle
ment short of The absolute indepcn,
dence of my counlry.,s IIt
il was my fortune % participate IN
most Of the great military operations
in which the army in Virginia was
engaged, both before and after Gem
eral Lee assumed the command, IN
the last year OF tbs mopcntous
struggle, ! commanded, at different
times, a division and two corps, Of
General Lees Army in The cam
paign from The Rapidan to james
River, and subsequently d separate
force which marched into Maryland,
threatened Washington City, and
went through an evcntIill, campaign
in the Valley Of Virginia, No de-
tailed reports Of the operations Of
these different commands were made
before the close Of the war, and The
Valley Of Virginia has been the sub
ject Of much comment and misappre-
hension. / have now written q mar
ratiyc Of the operations OF all my
commands during the closing year
Of the war and lay II before the
world as q contribution TO The his,
tory of our great struggle for indie
pendence. In giving that Narrative,
] have made such statements Of the
positions and strength Of the oppos-
ing forccs III Virginia, and snch ref.
crence to their general operations, "a
were necessary 20 enable the reader
to Understandable; but j do not pre-
tend 10 detail the operations of other
commanders. s hlf spa div
Ihave not found Il mccossary to
be guilty Of the injustice Of attempt-
ing to pull down tbsircputaiion of
auy Of my fcllow-oiliccrS in order TO
build up myiown. My operations
aud my campaign stand on their own
merits, whatever they maybe. aNor,
in anything may have found II
necessary TO say in regard TO the
conduit of my troops, do | wish to
b9-,lta,atEtood as, in any way, decry-
ing tho soldier who. constituted the
rank and file Of ny ,commands. |
believe thasIthe world has iieyer pro-
duoed q body Of mtn superior, n
courage, patriotism, and endurance,
To the private soldiers OF the Confed-
crate armies. 4 have repeatedly seen
those sohliers submit, with cheerful
ness, to privations and hardships
which would appear TO be almost in
ereiible and the wild cheers Of our
bmye men, (which we're so different
from the studied hurrahs Of the Yam
KEGS when their thin lines sent back
opposing hosts Of Federal troops,
staggering, rceIing, and flying, have
often thrilled cvtry fibre IN my heart.
have seen, with my own eyes.
ragged, barciootci, and hungry Con.
f,sieraie soldiers perform deeds which,
If performed inl days Of yoretby
mailed warriors in giiitering armer,
would haye1 inspired the harp Of the
minstrel and thepcn Of the poet. ssl.
1 do mol aspire 20 the character ol
4 historian, but, having becn q wit
ness Of aud participaior in great
events, I have given o statement ol
what | saw and did, for the use ol
The future historian. Without break
ing the thread Of my narrative as Il
proceeds, / have given, IN notes, com.
ments on sone Of the errors and in.
constituencies committed by the com.
mander Of the Fedctal army, General
Grant, and the Federal Secretary oI
War, Mr.. Stanton, In their report,
made since the close Of the war; ala
some Instances Of cruelty and bar,
bariiy eommittcd BY the Fedora
commanders, which were broughttc
my immediate attention, az well a
some other maiters OF interest.
Is was 10 have been expected, oul
enemies have flooded the pres with
sketches and histories, in which al
the appliances ot q meretrieious tit.
erature have been made, use Of, /,
| gloriy their. own cause and ib sup
porters. apd % bIacten ours. pai
some Southern writer's also, who pre-.
ferred the pen to the svorj Or mus.