The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1873-12-09
General Jubal Early Corrssts q Little
e. Joke and Pays Tribute TO South
On rnl ma

EDITOR OF THE LOUISVILLE CoURIER-
JOURNAL: My attention has been called
to an editorial in your paper of the 26th
ult., headed "War Sermons" in which
there is the following paragraph:
"In our own war, it is known that
General jackson often murmured a
prayer to the God of battles during the
severe and doubtful engagements of his
campaign in the Valley Of Virginia. and
Gen. Robert l.. Leo was accustomed to
resort to sequestered spots and commune
daily with his God. This was all proper
enough. In some instances, however,
this system OF invocation was reversed,
and, instead OF humble petitions being
sent to Heaven for it's favor, many
officers endcavorod to turn tho tide Of
victory, when it had set strongly against
them, by using language to those who
failed to discharge their duty on the
field of decidedly untI,eological sort.
1t is related of General Jubal Early,
who opposed sccession, and always hold
South Cnroliun responsible for it, that,
on one occasion. when regiment from
that State behaved badly, he rode to
the rear himself, aud, after rail- ing and
forming them III line, said: Oh
you, come along here; yon got US into
Luls uIluSutGy, auu i 6Weur you SOdil
help to get ua out
Inm not prepared to say, from per
s0nal Knowledge. whether the state.
meuts IA reference to Generals Jackson
and Lee are true or not, bnt | can say
that, though 1 fought under both,
never observed the Incidents mentioned,
and the religious characters of both
were SO we'll defined and established
inf I i,,l-
thereof can ha,dly he heightened by
the ipcnicatiun Of such Anecdotes
The statement i'll regnrd to myself is
entirely without foundation, nud no
such incidcnt AZ that mentioned ever uc-
South Carolina orany other troops. In
the first place. while 1 did oppose srces-
sion until it WAS adopted by the Nlr-
ginia Convention, of which l was a
member, it is moi true thu. held South
Carolina responsible for it or for tie
war. Ga the contrary, have always
regarded tho Government ut Wnshiny-
ton, uuder Mr.. Liucoln AZ President, ns
responsible for the secession of Nir-
gina aud the other border States, and
for the war; aud when signed The ord,-
nance OF s, cassion adopted by the Nlr-
giuia Convention, entered my opinion
to that effect on the journal oi the cou-
vention, with the farther declaration
chat l regarded it us the duty uf all
good citizens to resist that Government.
l have never chauged that opinion, and
at 10 time siuco tio secession O! Fir-
ginln have l been heard to utter Que
word Of rcproach or complaint ugains.
any Southern mna Tor bringing on the
war. The only reproach have had for
the original advocates Of secession wa,
when found one, during the war, who
was Sinking his duty, or, since the war,
who has proved recreant to his former
principles. Iu the second place. never
saw South Carolina regiment or com
mand behave badly in action I may
have seen individuals from TINT State
behaving badly, as 1 have seen them
from other States-my own as we'll
guilty OF the same conduct; but the
South Carolina commands that were
under me at any time behaved as we'll as
any othe- troops, as general thing,
and among the last acts of conspicuous
gallantry on the field I was called upon
to notice, were some performed by IL
South Carolina brigade.
have made this statement for two
fold reason. First, because q number
of stories have been started for sensa.
tional purposes, or as war jokes, which
have received such general circulation
through the medium Of the newspapers
rs to become fixed III the public mind
US facts, and even to find their way into
books claiming to be authentic histo
rles. Much Of our so called history has
been manufactured il this way, and l
am not willing that it shall be acccp,e.
as historical fact that, while | was
wearing the Confederate uniform aud
lighting for the cause oi the South, |
was ia the habit Of upbrai,ling any por-
tion of my comrades for bringing on The
war. Second, l have foo high M APP.
preciation Of the people Of South Caro-.
lina, md too profound sympathy ior
them III their present dcpiorable sitna
tlon, to permit my name to be nsrd for
the purpose of conveying rcproacil to
the statesmen or soldiers Of that oucu
proud bnt now down-tIodden State.
AS to the intimaton that l was sume-
times guilty Of profanity, l have TO say
TINT many Of the stories circulated about
mo in that respect were entirely aow tu
mo wnen first told, but nave rccog.
n!zed the fnct that it is futile to attcmDt
| n Inpv a inl:n cnr,.t;,., ,,,l