Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1883-03-31

command of all the troops in the
service of Virginia.
In continuation of the history of
his military services, we pass for
the present over the intervening per,
iod of time.
At the commencement of the
Revolutionary War, he was, in De-
cember ITS, commissioned by Vir-
ginia, Colonel of one of the regi.
ments raised by that State. Isaac
Reed was at the same time chosen
Lieut., Colonel, and Robt. Lawson
Major of this regiment. On the 18th
or February, 1776, he was transfer
red with his regiment to the CONT
mental line. On the 4th of Septem-
Der, 1776, he was appointed by Con.
gress a Brigadier General of the
Continental troops, and on the 9th
of February l777, promoted to the
rank of Major General. Gen. Ste
phen was with Washington in 1910,
at the battles of Trenton and Prince
ton-in his celebrated retreat of 80
miles through the Jerseys-the most
critical and disasterous campaign of
the war, but which was marked by
brilliant strategems and daring ex.
ploits. He continued with him in
1777 and at the battle of Brandy wine
was in command of a division as
Major General, giving entire salts
faction by his bravery and good con-
duct.
We now approach the most pain
full period of the military history of
General Stephen. On November
the 4th, 1777 was fought the battle
of Germantown. Washington was
defeated. The enemy triumphed.
General stephen was charged with
"unofficer- like conduct" and the
specification was, that he was elm
toxicated' on.that day. He was found
guilty and dismissed from the army.
The friends of General Stephen,
whilst not questioning fact ascer-
tanned by court of competent jur-
isdiction, have nevertheless COM
planned of the harsbness and unkind.
ness of the sentence of dismissal.
They thought in view of his long and
valuable military services and in
view of the further fact, that his
intoXication in no wise contributed
to the disasterous defeat of that day,
it should have been overlooked, or a
milder penalty inflicted. They say,
further, that as strict a disciplinarian
as Washington was, he was more
than usually severe and eXacting in
this Case, with view OF creating a
vacancy in that high grade of the
army, for his friend and favorite, the
Marquis de Lafayette. On the Goth
of November, 1777, he wrote to the
President of Congress-, urging, for
military and political considerations,
the appointment Of Gen. Lafayette |
to division of the army. This au-
thority was given to him by Congress
on the 1st of December and in three |
days afterwards it was proclaimed in |
general orders that he was to take
command Of the division recently |
under General Stephen, who has
been dismissed from the army.
have read with great interest,
the account of the battle of German
town, AS given by our best historians |
to see if our defeat was in any way
attributable to the misconduct of |
General Stephen. or of the division |
of which he had commanded, and / |
cannot find single .imputation |
upon his conduct, personally, dur |
ing the battle-nOne upon his divi- |
sion except what is satisfactorily ex
planned.
Washington Irving in his "Life of |
Washington, referring to the delay |
of General Knox in this battle, says :
"This half hours delay of nearly
one half of the army, disconnected
the action. The divisions and bril- |
gades thus separated from each 9TH
er, by the skirmishing upon Chew's
house, could not be reunited. The
fog and smoke rendered all objects
indistinct at thirty yards distance;
the different parts OF the army knew
knothing OF the position or move
ments of each other, and the COM
mander-in-chief could take no view
nor gain any information of the sit
uation of the whole.
Screen and Stephen, with their
divisions, having had to make a
circuit, were late in coming into
action, and became separated from
each other, part of Stephens divi-
sion being arrested by heavy fire
from Chew's house and pausing to
return it.
"At this moment singular panic
seized our army. Wayne's division,
which had pushed the enemy nearly
three miles, was alarmed by the ap-
proach of large body of American
troops on its left flank, which it
mistook for foes, and fell back in de.
fiance Of every effort of its officers
to rally it. In its retreat it came
upon Stephens division, and threw
it into panic, being in its turn mis-
taken for the enemy thus all fell
into confusion and our army fled
from its own victory" '
Mr.. Bancroft, who may be regard.