The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-05-15
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1,Ysoaurna, Va, May II. 1879,

IYacasrna, Va, May ~, leIs,
.fossrs. Editors With reference 10 y re.
aewet controversy "a to the authorship OF
!" All Quiet Along the Potomac To'Night,n J
have this 10 testify: rero'iect distinctly
having seen It IN an Ea9ltsh paper wien
wns in the editors Office Of the Richuond
Es.antner, some time IN December, lSti-
curtainly some months before It ever appear
cd in anysouthcln print. ! qualify my re-
collection as "dstinct" by aid ofthee nssoc,a-
tion OF having cut ont the piece for repuhii-
cation: but Il was not so used, and it dis'lf,
neared from "the hook" Forth R,chmonu
Examiner at that time war nj In the it'1lt
of publishing poetry; Mr.. Daniel Ind an laes
that poetry was unsuitable ina newspapers III
the masculine times of war, and was 10, , ne
classed with that other literature pec'liia,,,
to the southern war, about "lore!y 7roomhi,
and the Carthaglnian bOw-strlngs, Se. y
think now he was wrong about the poetry
bnt right about the lovely ,cooman) ANY
how. Mr.. Daniel had habit Of violently a,s-
cardinp whatever he saw prepared ior me
napertin the shape Of "yerses, ana SUP
pose that the piece had venturea 10 deslsn
for republication, against his genera l'istlue-
tions. and which | had OCCASION 10 fe.lIr. .a
her 40 distinctly, went into the WIS.,.
basket. probably without his ever hatll' !,
read it. This, | repeat. was " cefta.,i!
some months before the piece appeared III
any southern paper, and as certa'hl! oelo.e
he Christmas Of 1SGl-this beng aa.e
which Is always easily remembered rom It's
anniversary associations.
The conclusion is that the piece must nave
crossed the ocean from Inc Norm 10 nave alS-
peared at this time in I'M EnSl'h pal'er.
81 khnS ~ inf IL
iertive evidence Of the authorship Oh th'
,iecc areinnrniotls, and should ne conclusive
I'VE. of the South, never bad any army "oh
the Potomac"; we never had any traa'tioh
in our army about pirkcts shot ny fl'lrlhen
in ambush il was notorlolls'y a.naIthrrn
story or fancy, and repeated from Gay TO day
on McCleIlan's lines Just about the time the
niece il claimed to have been written by its
northern authoreSs (November, 1861. In
short the whole situation of the piece Is
northern. And what think is most signif-
cant Is this: You, and all those connected.
with the Richmond press of the time referred
TO-, will rccollect that the phrase ''A.l is
Quiet along the Potomac tonight was the
wei!-known stereotype of McClellan's tele-
grams, at that time, to Washington. TWAS
repeated so often that the words were
caught up into quotation marEs In the
northern newspapers, and were used to twit
Mcclellan for his inactivity and sell.com'
plscency. The very sentence which Pounds
fine inspiration Of the piece is northern
one. Itnever Ind any application or alsblf-
cance III CUR arny. 1t had become The
"slsnc" ef The days news b, The northern
cities at the time when tic poettSs of Q
northern paper seized and turned the base
and indifferent words to weird and touch-
ing fancy, so much In opposition to their
common Use, and thus making the contrast
picturesque, which is the peculiar charm OF
the piece.
Very truly and respectfully yours.
EDWARD A. POLLARD.