The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-07-29
TO the Editors Of The Dispatch I.

OF The Confederate hIHlles bhu SuNh y 10"
appreciation OF tue military talents OF Gen-
eral Malone that he pointed MN out as tne
officer he desired to succeed him IN tue
command in the event OF his own deatn OF
inability 10 retain that command, ana thlt
be was In the habit OF consulting hls sara
proposed successor in regard TO all lmpor-
liant movements. Hitherto The statement
has been made In such all INDEFINITE way
that Il has attracted attention only TO ehcit
smile OF Incredibly, but now II Is given
10 the world, in communication from re-
tersburg which appeared In the New YORK
Herald Of the 10th OF June, In such connec'
ton as 10 lead 10 the conviction that II mas
the sanction or endorsement OF Malone
himself. II becomes important, therefore,
10 INQUIRE whether there Is any foundation
in fact for The oit-repeated tale.
THE NEW YORK HERALD's" STATEMENT.
The statement OF the Herqtd'S correspon-
dent is given In full, as follows:
"PETERsBURG, Va, June Is, 1881.
NIt has been said that there was no officer
In the Confederate army OF whom General
z. T.. Lee had a higher appreciation than he
did Of Malone, and he is reported TO have
remarked on one occasion that In the event
of his death he would have preferred Ma
hone OF all his general officers to succeed
him in command OF the Confederate forces.
These high compliments Of Lee to Malone
were the result Of close observation OF The
courage, skill, and military tact OF the latter
As commander and intrepid leader where
the great traits Of a general are developed.
On more than one occasion Malone distln-
guished himself by the execution OF sucD
rapid movements and daring acts as
to bear favorable comparison with that
remarkable genius Of the COnfederacy,
StoueWall Jackson. Perhaps there Is
hardly an officer Of Lees army who made
such a terri6cqlIy successful battle as That
in front OF Petersburg, which gained for
Malone the sobriquet OF the Hero OF the
Crater and which has been handed down
TO Dosteriiy BY the pen OF the historian and
The brush OF the artist as the most awful
scene Of carnage Of the late war. lt IS well
known, though not generally admitted, that
toward the close of the war Malone was
NOT ONLY admitted to all conferences with
the Confederate COMMUNICATIVE hief, but
hat be also became one OF the few whom
General Lee called upon for confidential
consultations. He was present at every
conference Of the corps commanders imme-
dately preceding the historic events which
TRANSFERRED in front OF Richmond and Pc
tersburg, and ia intimately acquainted,
from personal conversations had with Lee,
with the views Of the latter concerning the
events which led directly to the evacuation
Of the two cities and the surrender OF the
Confederate forces"
WAS 1T GENERAL MAH0NE'S!
The writer OF the foregoing had Just come
from long interview with Malone, IN
which the latter spoke freely about the Ope-
rations OF the army and certain c0mmuhica'
lions alleged 10 have been made TO himself
by General Lee. and 1t is impossible to avoid
the conclusion that General Lees alleged
declarations as to the proper person TO sue
coed him and the confidential relations that
Malone is said to have borne TO him were
referred to and discussed in that interview.
It is scarcely possible TO believe that the In
teryiewer did not refer 10 the reported de-
claratiOn of General Lee as TO the most suit
able person TO command the army and the
confidential relations said TO have existed
tween him and the person interviewed
and that, writing so soon after the termina-
ton OF the interview, the HerGlqS CORE
spondent would have repeated the alleged
declaration and the statement as to said con-
fdeniial relations unless he bad the sanction
or endorsement by Malone himself OF
their authenticity.
AN INQUIRY INTO THE CORRECTNESS OF THE
STATEMENTS.
However that may be, the statements are
now made in such form as TO justify the
inquiry as TO their correctness. 1t may be
observed, in the first place, that when Gen
eral Lee came into the command OF the
Army Of Northern Virginia he found Ma
hone a brigadier.g general, and though be
subsequently had some six lieutenant-gene-
rails aud some sixteen major generals ap.
pointed for the same arm to which Malone
belonged he did not have the latter pro-
NOTED TO the rank of maiOr-general until he
bad succeeded to the command OF his d.
vision by seniority, and had become the
senior brigadler.general OF the Army OF
Northern Virginia. 1t is also TO be noted
that A. p. Hill, Mahone's corps COM
mabder, who was made general
In Nav, 1863, was Mahone's Junior as brlga-
der. general by several months. IL will APP
pear, therefore, that it took General Lee a
long time 10 ind QUIT the superior merits otthc
subordinate he desired TO succeed him. Ii
NAV also be observed that General Lee failed
10 mention even the name OF the subOrdi-
nate who bore such favorable comparison
with Stouewall Jackson in any OF his
official reports up to and including that OF
the battle OF Gettysburg, which was the last
official report he made. These facts would
appear TO be very strange Indeed il it be
true that General Lee had selected Malone
as his successor, and bad such confidence in
his ability and judgment as 10 seek his
counsels on all important occasions.
HE WOULD HAVE COMMUNICATED HIS DETER
MINATION TO TIE PRESIDENT.
In the next place, if General Lee had ar
rived at the conclusion that this subordl-
nate was the only officer in all his command
who was qualified to succeed bin, and had
so expressed himself, it was his duty to
communicate the fact to the President OF
the Confederate States. as it was not impos-
sible that his own life might be terminated
at any moment by the casualties OF battle.
IL such communication was ever made to
Mr.. Davis, it is incredible that he would
fail to mention it in his work, "The Rise
and Fall Of the Confederate Government" ;
and yet there Is no reference 10 any such
accommodation, or, In fact, to any COM
mendation Of Malone in the book not
even in reference TO the affair OF the crater,
description Of which is given on pages
6412 8, volume 2, without even the mention
of Mahone's name.
TO WHOM, THEN, DID GENERAL LEE MAKE THE
DECLARATI0Ni
The inquiry arises then, To whom did
General Lee make the alleged declaration
II to any living soul, let him speak out
Certainly, il he entertained the opinion be
Is alleged TO have expressed, and was In the
habit OF taking Malone into confidential
consultation on all important occasions, the
fact must have been known TO his cOntiden'
tial STAFF ofticers,sall OF whom are still sur
viving. Let them tell what they know on
the subject. II the facts are as stated. the