The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-06-15

wall JacksOn-Mike HArman's Poll
tics. &C., &c.
From letter In the New York Times.
| For the sake of his old. time acquaintance ]
may say that his tGovernor Letcher'sI coun.
| tenance stin shines with the same ruddy glow
as OF yorc, and though he is reduced now a
days TO very plain homespun, his ioviai good
nature has outworn all the changes Of fortune.
will own chat before met Letcher had
figured him TO myself as n sort OF Bardolph
and Pistol character; but on acquaintan I
found him 10 be man OF thorough good sense.
He claims TO have first Disco
vered the merits Of Lee and Jackson, having
himself made the former a major-gen and
the commander Of the Virginia military force,
and having commissioned the latter to a colo
nelcy and sent him to command the State
troops At Harper's Ferry.
In regard TO Jackson, he said that for long
time Davis and the Richmond people had be-
lieved him TO be no better than lunatic, and
the way in which Davis first learned to appre-
ciate what was In him was in this wise In
the spring campaign OF 1862, in the Valley,
jackson, after causing Fremont and Banks to
retreat, turned on his track, finding himself
pursued by two converging columns, and with
drew up the Valley. But at Gross Keys he
suddenly faced about and dealt Fremont a
staggering blow. Letcher receiving a dis
patch announcing this victory the was in the
habit of getting earlier intelligence of Jack
son $ operations than was received in the War
Office in Richmond), went and read the mes
not believe the news, saying that it was im-
possible that q retreating army should have
mus turned upon and beaten its pursuers.
Letcher, however, insisted IL was true, as he
knew his informant would not send anything
that was not true, and he told Davis that he
would probably find out its verify by the NOR
row. Now, by the next day, Jackson, having
disposed OF Fremont, crossed the river, and at
Port Republic overwhelmed the other pursu-
ing column-the column of Shields, which had
been pursuing on the other side of the river.
Receiving dispatch announcing this new sue
cess Letcher again repaired TO Davis's house,
where he found Benjamin and Seldom and the
Cabinet at dinner, and after taking glass of
wine he asked Davis We'll, have you any
confirmation of the news / showed you yes
terday?" eyes" replied Davis, a." received
| TO day one Of Jackson's laconic dispatches,
saying that, by the blessing of God, he had
beaten the enemy" "And now, them re-
Joined Letcher, ~ have another bulletin of
victory TO show YOU" handing him the mes
&c con tanning the news of the success ut Port
Republic. of which Davis had not yet heard
1t can't be So, exclaimed the latter cit Is
impossible it is unprecedented in all military
history that an army in full retreat should
columns Nevertheless, the confirmation
again came to hand, and after that Jackson
was no longer regarded as n lunatic.
The Governor also told me another fact in
regard TO Jackson, which / think has not been
published 1t concerns Jackson's resignation.
1t appears that at the time that officer made
what is called the Bath campaign into West
ern Virginia, several subordinates went to
Richmond and complained grievously Of Jack
son, whom they pronounced crazy. In reward
for this service these officers were promoted,
and Jackson, learning the fact, and feeling ag
grieved and outraged sent peremptory
resignation to the Richmond War Office.
Letcher, accidentally hearing this fact, went
TO the office, and asking about it, was in
formed by Benjamin that it was so. On inqui-
ring what they We're going to do about it,
Benjamin said he did not know; whereupon
Letcher asked for the paper, and put 1T in his
pocket. He then wrote a letter TO Jackson
begging him to withdraw the resignation,
telling him what he had done, and stating he
should not return the paper unless he posi-
lively so ordered. After a little he got a letter
from Stonewall stating that he conflded in
him as a friend, and authorizing him, If lie
really thought fit, to withdraw The resigna-
ton. This he promptly did, and thus this
closed the business.
In addition 10 these military "reminiscences
the eX- q overnor told me multitude Of most
extraordinary thipgs-which have no incli-
nation 70 repeat-regarding the, encourage
ment and support the South received in the
early secession days from many persons, since
in very high places, civil and military, at the
North The documentary proof OF such aid
and comfort was contained in correspondence
addressed TO Governor Letcher, which cor
respondenca he had prepared for publication
in Two volumes but when Hunter came down
in his raid in 1864, and burnt Letcher's house,
this correspondence, win all MS otner papers,
was destroyed.
Colonel Hartman tells me that he has 600
acres in wheat and 500 in corn, and that both
crops are the finest he ever saw. Colonel Har-
man is one of those men whom ii is a real plea
sure for a loyal person TO meet in the South
one of those men who accept the situation,
not with a sullen and niggardly acquiescence,
but in hearty good faith, and with changed
convictions touching all the issues out OF which
grew the war. He was formerly the owner OF
III slaves, and since the war has been employ
ing forty-seyen black hands and he told me
| some remarkable facts illustrative of the i'm
mense gain OF the free over the slave labor
| system. When l asked him why, as it was
| a plain question in political economy, he had
not appreciated this advantage before the
war, he said frankly "Why, lnever thought
! of tive, none of us, ever viewed IL In the
! light of political economy; we simply knew
| il was our institution, and we were bound tC
| main tain it; but j own l have changed my
! views" Colonel Hartman has been solicited
! TO 20 into the Republican Charlottesville Con
| yention as delegate, but he did not say what
his determination was. When said TO him al
! the end of our talk that l did not see that his
! principles differed from those of the Republl-
| can party, he replied: - Well, don't thlnB
| they do differ and all l want the Republl'
! cans to do is TO 90 TO work practically and sen
| sibly without any fooling or nonsense; and,
with political reconstruction" he added, oul
material reconstruction will be very speedy
much spcedier than you At the North ina
| CINE.