The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-11-17
THE LESSONS OF THE WAR.
General EARLY,S ADDRESS TO THE
SURVIVORS' ASSOCIATION
Review OF the Operations OF the Army
of Northern Virginfa-The Present
Duty OF the southern;Soldiery.

| OF NOrSnefn trSInld-Ihe FEeseht
Duty OF the southerniSoldiery.
| The annual Grafton before the Survivors
Association of South Carolina, delivered last
Friday evening, at the Baptist Church, in Co.
lumbia, by Lieutenant-General Jubal A. Early,
has been published in full in the Columbia
Phoenix by authority of the Survivors Asso-
citation, and is we'll worth perusal and preser-
vatlon. The address was briefly reported at
the time in our Colum l.; correspondenebut
the following more extended abstract of its
leading points will doubtless be OF interest 10
those who may not have the pleasure of read
Ing the full text:
the responsibility of addressinga community
which In by-gone days, had been stirred by the
| eloquence of Calhoun, Hayne, McDuf1e, Pres
| ton and other eminent South Carolnians, and
declaring that he would not undertake the
vindication of the rlghtfulness OF the cause for
which the people Of the State had fought
that task having been performed by ADLER
tongues and pens-remarked that the action
of the States respectively represented by him
self and his audience had been somewhat
divergent at tine outset of the distur-
Dances between the States, and proceeded to
review at some length the respective courses
of the States Of Virginia and South
Carolina. The former State had been bound
| to the Union by strong and peculiar claims;
one OF her sons had drawn the immortal
Declaration OF Independence; another had
| been the first President of the United States,
| and had commended the Union or the States
| to the care of his countrymen In his farewell
address. Three other Virginians in succession
had occupied the Presidential chair, and the
principles for which that State had ever con-
| tended had prevailed for many years, with
but one brief interval, In the con-
struction OF the constitution and the ad-
minlstration OF the government. None but
a Vrginian, he said, could fully under.
stand the anguish with which the people OF
that State recognized the fact that the
Union Of their affections was gone forever.
He fully sympathized with the people OF his
| State In their anxiety to preserve the Union,
and in the anguish with which they came to
the conclusion that it must be surrendered.
When he did come to that conclusion he went
into the struggle with his whole heart and
soul; not merely because he felt 1t to be his
duty to follow his State and section, but be-
cause, also, he felt that the cause ior which
they were called upon to fight was bis cause
as well as theirs, and because he then believed
that it had been 81 from the beginning
faith he declared that he would live and
die, although might did prevail over right In
the struggle. He thought no vindcatio1 was
needed OF the course OF the people Of South
Carolina In inauguratlng steps for the asser-
tion of the right OF self-government. Their
l enemies and oppressors had furnished the
most full and complete vndicltion OF all that
| they had done, not only by the manner In
which they conducted 1t, but by their course
since Its close, If it be indeed closed. This
much he thought proper to say, In order that
they might understand each other, and that
Il Ii. t~ht fhof hau
had travelled by. routes somewhat diver
gent, they had arrived at the same goal at
last. He did not, however, wish to be
/ understood as Offering an apology for the
/ course OF his native Stale, and he claimed that
her action was dictated by the purest and
/ most patriotic motives-was In accordance
with her traditional policy, and was, In bis
opinion, such as became her ancient fame and
career, though 1t did not succeed.
General Early then adverted to the organt-
| cations that had sprung up In the South since
the war to perpetuate the associations formed
during that period, and warmly advocated
fought and suffered for the same cause,
whether by. sea or land. The ends to
| be accomplished by these organizations
would be, first, to bring into harmonious
intercourse the defenders of their cause from
all parts OF the country, and, second, to secure
the materials for history OF the whole strug-
Jealous chickering's or dscordant Views. There
were two classes of historians whom the
South had cause to fear: one being their open
enemies, who were falsifylng them, and the
other the literary tyros who were their pro-
He Then reviewed the hlstory,of the Army Of
Northern Virginia, being more familiar with
Its operations than with those of other armies.
Following Its campaigns from the fall of 1861
to the surrender at Appomattox Court
house, he showed by official figures
tiken from both sides that the North
ed 10 account for their reverses by magni-
flying the numbers OF the Confederate
troops opposing them. Thus, at the close of
February, 1862, General Johnston's whole
command numbered 47,6l7 men, while Gene
raj Mcclellan estimated 1t at about ll5,000, his
| (McClellan's) strength at the same time being
is3,l42. In April, 1863, Magruder had $4,000
increased to i00, 900, while his own force was
IS, 900. In May, General Lees whole force
was less than $4,000, while McClellan's
had swelled to 100000. In June, the
whole Army OF Northern Virginia num-
bered less than $4,000 men, and was esti-
force was lO5,s25. The speaker then noticed
| the advent of General Pope, the officer, whose
| headquarters were In the saddle" and fel!ci-
| tously described his brief and inglorous cam
paiga. The story OF the secoud battle Of Ma.
nassas was graphically and eloquently narrat-
! ed, and 1t was shown that at that time General
Lee had only $4,000 men, while the Federal
| forces numbered l3S. 1000; and yet this was also
reported by the Federal commander as case
of superior numbers on the Confederate side.
l The Maryland campaign was described at
some length, and the stories OF disparity of
forces were again exposed. The orator con-
cluded his review of this campaign as follows
"In military point of view, this campaign
was a great success, though 1t did not ac-
complish all we desired. When General Lee
took command Of the army, the enemy had
| invested the Confederate capital; and was In
| sight of Its spires; the beleagured city had
been relieved, the enemy Investing 1t driven
out oil the State, and the Confederate COM
mander, at the close Of the campaign, stood
| proudly defiant on the extreme northern bor-
der Of the Confederacy, while his opponent
| had had his base removed TO the northern
bank Of the Potomac. at q point more than
one hundred and seventy-fve miles from the
| Confederate capital, as the bird flies, and his
| army had been 30 crippled that he was not
able to resume offensive operations for near
two months. When his army did move, Gene
| raj Lee was In q position to interpose and In
| fict at Fredericksburg another signal defeat
on the invading force.''
General Early then traced the history of the
, Army Of Northern Virginia down to the battle
| OF Fredericksburg. Here, he said, Burnside
was little doubtful which had the superiority
Nnf ,hnr fN~ hA boz frnr1