The weekly Panola star. [volume] (Panola, Miss.) 1857-1881, 1867-02-02

Nfffr W'iifN Who bought uuIUf iUf.
aa veil aa Nv mysflf il mllHeinr
laeu have htau efItirn
When che naeilm N wBettml
afffisiun from lht i'nJrd slniw
arae. titiytu IN ihr sitn " Vir
pinia md memlpf " flit tunfru
iinn mlled w The authority ~ lht
Legislature N that siale. I optssri
sressim with all lhe ability I p
sfad with Tho hgp lbat ihc h1ftofs
oi civil waf might w. utrHrd 1nl
that % returning souao of dme and
Justice ou The part N lhc masap. NJ
tho Northern States would induce
them ~ respect thc rights VI thc
people of ihc South While aomc
Northern politicians and editors, vho
subsequently took rank among The
mosi unsefimlnua and yindictiyc of
nur enemies, aud moss hold me q
traitor aud q rebel, we're openly and
sodulously iustiiying and encouraging
secession, WIS labofing honestly
aud earnestly To preserve the Union.
Asn member Of the Virginia Con
ycniion, | voted against the ordinance
Of secession, on It's passage by that
body, with the hope that, even then,
the collision Of arms might he
avoided, and some satisfactory adjust
mcnt arrived at. The adoption Of
that ordinance wrung from me bitter
tears Of grief but ! At once rccog-
nizcd my duty to abide the decision
Of my native State, and to defend
her soil against Invasion Any scru-
pies which | may have entertained
as to the right of secession, were soon
dispcllcd by the mad, wicked, and
unconstitutional measures Of the au-
thoritics at Washington, aud the
frcnzicd clamor Of people Of the
North for war upon their former
brethren of the South. ] then, and
ever since have, regarded Abraham
Lincoln, his counsclors and support
ers, as the real traitors who had over.
thrown the Constitution and Gov.
crnment of the United States, and
established in lieu thereof an odiou,
despotism; and this opinion ] entered
upon the journal of the Convention
when signed the ordinance Of Sc.
ccssion. | recognized the right o
resistance and revolution as exercised
by our fathers in l77G, and, without
cavil as to the name by which it wa
called, entered the military scrvic,
Of my State, willingly, chccrfully
and zealously.
7 1t was my fortune to participate
in most of the great military opera
tions in which the Army of Virgins
was engaged, both before aud aitc
General Lee assumed the command
In the last year of this momentum
struggle, | commanded, at diilcrcn
times, a division and two corps o
General Lees army, in the campaigI
from the Rapidan to james River
and subsequently a separate fore
which marched into Maryland, threat
ened Washinton City, and then wen
through an eventful campaign in tn
Valley of Virginia. No detail re
ports of the operations of these dil
ierent commands were made befor
the close Of the war, and the cam
paign in Maryland and the Vale
of Virginia has been the subject q
much comment and misapprchension
! have now written a narrative Q
the operation Of all my command
= during the closing year Of the wal
! and lay it before the world as a con
tribution to the history Of onr grea
struggle for independence. In Civ
ing this narrative, | have made sue
statements of the position and strengt
of the opposing forces in Virgins
and such reference TO their genert
operations, as were necessary to en-
able the reader TO understand il; bt
| do not pretend to detail the opera
tions of other commanders.
> When the State Of Virginia b'
came one of the Confederate State
> and her troops were turned over
, the Confederate Government, en-
braced the cause Of the whole Cor
, fedcracy with equal ardor, and col
tinued in the service with u
: determination to devote all u
energy and talent ] possessed to d
common defense. I fought throug
:. the entire war without once rcgrc
: ting the course ! had pursued, vii
an abiding faith in the justice of OF
. cause; and never saw the momcI
! when / would have been willing
consent to any compromise or scttl
I ment short Of the absolute indepen'
!, ence Of my country.
| have not found Il necessary to
!, guilty of the injustice of attemptiI
= to pull down the reputation Of al
y Of my fellow officers, in order
y. build M my own. Ny operatio
!, and my campaign stand On their ov
merits, whatever they may he. NJ
= = in anything ! may have found
i necessary to say in regard to I
conduct of my troops, do ] wish
= be- understood as, in any way, deer
ing the soldiers who constituted t
rank and Gle Of my commands.
!. believe that the world has never pt
- duced a body Of men superior,
= courage, patriotism and enduran
- TO the private soldiers Of the G.
/ federate armies. / have repeate,
i seen those soldiers submit, "
- - cheerfulness, to privations and ha
ships which would appear almost
=. credible; and the wild cheers Of I
: brave men, (which were 50 differ
from the studied hurrahs Of
Yankecs,) when their thin lines =
back opposing hosts of FEDERAL troc
staggering. rceling and nying. h