The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1867-04-10
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The Truth Qf History.

" Hiiltl III any VI HIS WI hs "no AeHSS =
must be prepared to be ccnrinced, By the
criticisms Of others, that have not been T
wholly successful in this aim" Like the
school boy, who said he knew he didn't
know hislesson" and WAS confirmed in the
opinion, by Il lashing from his teacher, we
the Rev. Doetorwill be convinced he
has 'notssbeen wholly successful in this aim,
after reading Cen Jos E. Johnsons criti-
cism upon his account Of the LIST Battle Of
Manassas.
In our issue Of the 1Sth ofJuly last. we
felt it our duty to expose the errors Of
omission and commission, made by Profess
sor Dabney, in hisaccount ofthe condition
of affairs at Harper's Ferry, 1861, when
jackson relieved Gen. Harper. General
johnson, in his letter to the Selma Ala. }
Messenger, takes the Prof. up where we
left him aud shows that his statements in
regard to the manner in which Jackson
was relieved by johnson, "lnagnides the
circumstance and does injustice to General
Jackson's character" He then takes up
Dabneys description Of the famous LIST
Battle Of Manassas; and (assuming the
whole responsibility for the action, or rath-
cr non action, Of the army after thevictory,
as its Commanding General,) in a plain,
soldier Ike style, which bears the impress
of truth in every line, effectually demol-
ishes "the plan of battle" the Rev. Doe
tor "supposes and admires." In short he
shows. that if there was any such plan, it
was impossible TO execute it after Bees
encounter with the enemy, which devel-
cped his plans. Then all the troops that
could be spared swere ordered to hasten
to the firing" In answer to the Doctors
eloquent structures on the loss Of the 'sab
stantial fruits" OF the victory, by not pur-
suing the beaten enemy-Gen. johnson
brings the solid weight Of truth, which
shows that our cavalry were "diven back
by the solid resistance of the U. S. In
fantry," its rear guard being can entire
Division, which had been engaged, and
was twelve times more numerous than
our two little bodies of cavalry The in
fantry was not required to pursue, las it
would have been harrassing it to no pur-
pose" and it is "well known that infantry,
unincumbered by baggage trains, can
readily escape pursuing cavalry" A fact
the General could have illustrated by the
last battles in our Valley. The ''substan-
tial fruits" he shows to be ''the safety OF
the Ccnfederacy for the time
We have not space to notice all the err
rors corrected by Gen. johnson. The
above are sufficient, and 1.-the participants
in that battle, and President Davis, owe
him debt CT gratitude for the mastery
manner in which he has cleared away the
eloquent rubbish, with which Dabney and
others have obscured it. It should be
read BY every Que who holds the honor Of
his country and her dead sacred and, to
those who relish good thing, the quiet
way he has Of pricking the Rev. Doctors
eloquent soap bubble, about an army that
would rush blazing through the North, "
will be griuiy amusing.
In ali that we have written and publish
ed about DR.. Daboey's book, we hare had
an eye Single to the Importance to us and
our posterity, of correct history of our
glorious struggle and its heroes. DR. Dab
ney has put himself before the public in
work, heralded as the 'only authentic his
tory CT Stonewall jackson" he had every
advantage necessary to ensure accuracy IN
details, as well as correct conception Of
great subject Of his work and he has fail
ed most signally in both. We would be
false to the memory of our loved Comman-
der, untrue to the comrades who fell fol-
lowing his glorious banner did we not put
on record an emphatic protest against this
work being received ''as the, only authen-
tic history Of Jackson and his campaigns
DR.. Dabney is man of considerable tai
ent minister, loved and respected by his
people, and Professor. in good standing,
in the Union Theological Seminary Of Va;
facts which make it all the more inoum-
bent upon him to re-write his book, or &C
knowledge his errors.
In conclusion, wethink there some point
ali the critics have overlooked. "Doctor"
Dabney knew and probably formed tole-
rably correct idea Of Professor" Jackson,
pursuing the even tenor of his way Of life
in Lexington but his mind ran in the mar
row rut of sectarian prejudice so long that
it seems to be mentally and physically i'm
possible for it to conceive the greatness and
grandeur, of the expanded and fully de-
veloped genicus of 'sGeneral Stonewall"
jackson at the head of his devoted legions.
And in attempting to do justice to this
masterpiece Of Gods haudiwork-one of
the few he sends among men, centuries
apart, to exhibit their littleness and His