Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-10-25
ESTABLISHED 1850.

the 2lst of May, 1884. With reference to
the battle Of Spottsylvania he takes up one
OF Mahone's statements, as follows: "If
you suppose you were summoned for the
purpose Of getting your sapient counsels,
you were very much mistaken as to the i'm
portance Of the position which you occu-
pied in the estimation of those then earn
estly intent upon doing something to avoid
threatened disaster"
The letter concludes: "I have now ex-
amined all the statements made in the me-
moir on your alleged authority and in your
letter which affect me, and the utter ground
lessness Of your imputstions, insinuations
and criticisms has been shown. / think no
candid man can read that memoir and your
letter without coming to the conclusion that
General DE PeYster is what he processes to
be-but the interpreter Of your views and
sentiments, aud that you are palpably
guilty of most unsoldierly and unworthy
attempt to establish for yourself q fictitious
reputation upon the minds of those of your
brother officers. [ have before heard sus-
picions expressed that while operating
about Petersburg you were the trumpeter of
your own fame through the journals Of that
city, directly or indirectly. No man can
now doubt your propensity for blowing
your own horn, with the accompaniment Of
some very small whistles.
L
had the effrontery to deny it, that in an In
terview with an officer Of the opposing
army and bitter enemy Of the cause and
country to which you professed devotion,
you have in carping, illiberal spirit dis
cussed the characters Of those who were en-
gagged with you in the defense of Just and
holy cause. The result of that interview Is
biography of yourself so nauseously full
some, as far as you are concerned, and so
Mt - =
former comrades, that the Northern pub
Usher OF 1t cannot withhold the expression
OF his disgust while he is made to swallow
the pill forced on him In the full
fllment of bargain. In all my
reading Of biography, from Plutarch
down, have never read the memoir of sny
man in any age in which he has been made
to utter the 1.-THE of so many illiteral things
about his contemporaries. In the whole
memoir have failed to discover q solitary
expression Of a kind or liberal word or SEN
timent In regard to any of your old com
rades from the commanding General down,
save and except General Jackson, under
whom you never served, and along with the
praise OF him is the impudent pretense that
his mantle had fallen on you. Great God,
Stonewal Jackson and Billy Malone; Hy-
perion to SatYr. cancot pursue the sub
ject further, and leave you alone in your
glory. Your obedient servant,
"J. A. EARLY"
General Mahone's answer to this, dated
June 3, all the parties being still In Lynch
burg, was handed General Early by Capt. j.
81. Chamberlayne. 1t is In these words:
"Ge'aerGl: Your communication of the
30th ult was duly received by me on the
3lst. Had 1t been written with full know
ledge of all the facts In the case there could
of course be but one answer. Waving all
mere technicalities, as l cannot allow my
self to be forced into a quarrel, the result
possibly of an omission on my part, think
1t due to myself to inform you that on the
18th Of April last directed the republica-
ton of the memoir, with such corrections
as l supposed would remove any Just
ground Of complaint on the part of yourself
or Others. This statement should have been
made in my letter to you Of the Oath ult.,
but was omitted under the pressure of the
many engagements demanding my atten-
ton. l shall forward you a copy of this re-
publication as soon as received by me, and
meanwhile withhold any reply to your last.
l am, General, etc, MAHoNE."
Efforts were Immediately instituted by
Gen. Mahone's friends to secure a negotia-
ton, and Gen. Early consented to await
Gen. Mahone's return from New York. Gen,
Malone sent to Gen. Early the proofs of the
revised memoirs, from which had been
struck out every mention of Gen. Early's
name. 1t afterwards transpired that this
was most unwillingly published by the edi-
tor, and then only as an advertise
ment. Gen. Bradley T. johnson and Col.
r. E. Withers being solicited by the friends
of Malone, who began the efforts to make
peace, meanwhile visited Lynchburg and
prevailed on Gen. Early to withdraw the
correspondence and let the matter rest.
After another pacific letter from Malone,
General Early accepted his reparation, ali
ground Of offense as to himself being with
drawn by the action taken. General Early
stipulated that there should be no personal
relations, and retained the right to use the
correspondence at his own discretion. Gen
ersl Early scouts the idea of seeking to pro-
woke Malone into duel, and says, al knew
there was no danger of that"