The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-08-12
CSionei W. w0ssssslf wsstas Il sharrti
.s Explanatory ester.

| Messrs. Editors, My attention has been
l!called to your issue of The 9th instant, con.
itaining an article copied from the Columbus
| (Ga.) SIN headed /" How they love lie, and
how the Soath is entertained. The article
ipurports to be founded upon the informa.
ton of young gentleman OF Columbus
who had $ attended the late presentation of
the grounds for the centennial celebration of
the ash Of July, 1876" Among other things
seen by this "young gentleman" on the oc-
casion alluded to was Rothermers Justly
celebrated painting Of 'sThe Battle of Get
tysburg." ,..,-..,.>
The Sun comments thusiy upon that paint
ing "The Confederates are Represented as
fleeing holly, throwing away arms, flags, ac-
coutremcnts, while the blue-coats are or.
rayed in all the good looks and pomp Of vic.
tory. The picture Is the attraction Of every
northern man. They gather in crowds
around IL, and laugh and jeer over the re-
bels,' whom 'they beat so badly to use
their terms. They deserved all They got, ,
and similar expressions of hate, were heard
on every side, and rebel and rebellion in
their Yankee mouths" q
The S,tn then refers to the great exhibit
ton Of 1876 as follows: "The South should
have nothing 20 do with such a thing that
insults its pride, race, and all the laws Of
hospitality"
The Dispatch asks: "What says Colonel
W. W. Wood?"
take pleasure in responding that have
never read any article of the same length
containing rs many Misrepresentation OF
| fact 1t was my good fortune some two
| wears ago to see this painting, then on ex.
hibtion in Philadelphia under the auspices
| of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine
Arts. / then obtained, and have now before
me while write, pamphlet, published by
| the artist, containing 2 key to the picture,
letters by correspondents OF the northern
press descriptive of Pickett's charge (the
subject Of the painting), speeches by Gene
rails Meade and Sherman and several civil
ians on the OCCASION Of its unseiling in the
! Philadelphia Academy Of Music on the 10Th
of December, 1870, and comments OF the
Philadelphia papers Of the next morning. l
send this pamphlet to you, with the hope
that you will, after inspection oft, edito-
rally assure your readers that the article
extracted from the Columbus Sun, to which,
by publishing, you gave qu0Si lndorse-
ment, contains structures and criticisms
Which are simply not sustained by fact.
copy from Colonel Forney's Philadel-
/
the following description Of the picture:
% Mr.. Rothermel has eyinced his unerrlng
Judgment and artistic genius as much in the
| selection Of this moment or phrase OF the
| grand battle rs in its treatment. The scene
he has chosen, was the great climax of the
tragedy one which not only gives the most
faithful idea possible of the main portion OF
the field and the fight. but has enabled him
to representa- wonderful degree the action
| and intense energy so characteristic OF con-
llict of arms, and which makes the picture
such Il marvel Of force and fidelity. The
scene portrayed occurred on the third day
Of the conflict, which had been engaging
about two hundred thousand men, over
an area of twenty square miles, and with
varying fortunes. Pickett's rebel division
had made a desperate charge on that portion
of the Union line held by Hancock's corps
A stone wall was between the two armies.
| The rebels had driven back ollr men, and
had themselves advanced beyond the wall
A rally was made, the rebels retired behind
the wall, and for a few, seconds there was
here a hand-to-hand bayonet fight" "This
terrible bayonet struggle over, the meandering
stone fenre forms the central feature of the
picture. To say that it has been realized
with CHASTITY accuracy and power is but faint
praise compared, to that Which it deserves
On either side are the masses Of the contend
ing armies, officers and men, intermingled
with confusion inseparable from such 8
final tug of war;" "1he perfection Of the
picture rests chiefly in the accuracy with
which the locality, the conspicuous features
of the two armies. and the particular strug-
gle, as we'll as many faces of officers and SOL
diers engaged, are drawn" ..
I well remember when first saw the pic
ture thai sat before it some three hours,
key in hand, studying its merits, and identi.
flying the faces of the prominent figures.
Generals Pickett, Garnet, and Kemper are
paiuted in the forefront OF the battle, while
General Armistead, the most prominent
figure in the whole group, is represented as
receiving his death-wound as he mounted a
Federal gun, and, waving his hat upon his
sword, cheered OIL his men. The painting
is the largest in the world except one, being
| IS by 50 Feet. On the Federal side the in
eyitable drummer-boy is stretched beside
his drum. Caisons are exploding, shells are
bursting high in the air, and wounded
, men are being helped to the rear, while
their dead strew the ground more
thickly than the Confederate dead.
The Conlederates are represented as
pressing bravely forward in the charge,
which the Federals receive as boldly as it is
nude. There are great number Of wound
ed aud dying men on both sides, but not q
man on either side IS IN retreat. There is
nothing in the picture OF, or suggestive of,
the sad repulse sustained few moments
later. In short, the painting does full justice
!. to the grandest charge ever made by any
troops on this continent, and up to this
, writing I have felt no disposition and have
seen no occasion to retract the remark
made to B. w. ellis, Of the State Journal
, and Colonel j. NJ. Walker (brother of the
Governor), who were viewing the picture
with me-viz., "It so well depicts the he
, roism of Pickett's division Of Virginians
| that Virginia should have it, and not Penn
sylvania." And say now, that but for the
J poverty which distresses them, I, as one oil
Pickett's division, would propose to the
other survivors the purchase of Il copy OF
, that picture to be- hung on the walls of Vir
T ginia's capitol us a record, truthful and en-
I during, of the proudest and most gallant
, act of daring and heroism of the division
+ during its three years existence.
J The picture being what it is, cannot SEE
how the remarks, which the Sun says it fur
r nished the occasion for, were made. The
picture was no part of the celebration, how
f ever, and was not in that part of the ground:
where the transfer ceremonies were held. Ii
: was some mile and half away, and | die
not see or hear of it on that day. Therefore
I cannot say that the remarks found in the
: Suns article were not made. l cannot
assert Il negative that some In thai
| vast holiday crowd of perhaps hun
/ dred thousand people did not say what the
Il SIMS Informant saws they did. [ can only