Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1884-02-24
SOUTHERN GENERALS.
A Correction Of Some Popular
Errors.
A Defense of the Lees, Johnston and
6eauregard-Picket and His Vir-
ginians at Gettysburg.

WAsHISsToS, February 21.-The publ.
cation by Congress Of the official records
of the civil war, without note or comment,
will be of the. utmost value to the future
| historian. 1t was from such documents,
cid and faded letters, time.stainsd and
dust-coyered, found IN forgotten corners OF
ancient libraries, and the "broadsi6ss"
which at the period of which he wrote
gave some promise of the coming news
paper, that Macsulsy derived his richest
and most reliable material. The danger
with us is that much that is carelessly or
ignorantly written by those who claim to
have been actors in the greatest drama OF
the present age may creep into history,
and thus mar the symmetry OF the work,
which must be relegated to some MASTER
hand in the midale of the twentieth ecu.
tury.
In your issue of Sunday a Washington
letter appears which purports to give some
"reminiscences of West Pointer on the Fed
eral side that are too incomplete, insccur-
ate and unjust to pass without some chal-
ienge. 1t is true they do not pretend to
deal with events, but to trace the fate OF
,be leaders of the Southern armies. The
future may care to know something Of the
Southern men who, in different degrees,
bore their parts in the fierce conflict be
tween the States; and it may interest your
readers il some efforts be made to correct
few of the errors into which the Union
West Pointer has fallen.
Lee.
There is no question about the resigna-
ton Of General Lee. The interview be-
tween General Scott aud himself in which
the question of personal duty was dis
cussed is as authentic as it is memorable
There was pathos about it which showed
how profoundly the feelings of those great
men were stirred. Probably no Off ;er who
served in Mexico stood in nearer personal
relation to Scott that Robert Lee. And
when the time came that great events,
gathering and eliminating, like the waters
OF your Ohio, into grand, resistless and
terrible Hood, bore them far apart, it re-
quires little Imagination to picture
the emotions aroused by separation
which was 10 be forever. The idle
| story which some one has told Of ScOtts
bitter GenunCation Of Lees treason, and
| the latter's crushed submission to its in
| teDsity needs no refutation. 1t is proba.
bly, true that Lees first purpose, or rather
| expectation, was To offer his sword to Nir.
ginia with little thought OF the orgsniza'
| ton OF the Confederacy. Ii so, the rapid.
| iiy OF events bore him on to the position
which he subsequently occupied with
what honor and distinction need not say.
The world has already recorded its judg.
ment OF him, as man and a soldier, and
1t will go into history with little disjent
on the psrt OF the generous Zoe he so long
confronted.
The mistakes as to the other Lees may be
corrected in a few words. Il. w. Custls
Lee, who was chief CT Mr.. Davis staff, is
the President Of Washington and I.se nj
versity, the successor OF his father Grad
us,ing at West Point, first OF his class, his
great ability has been shown in every posi-
lion in which be has been placed. 4 char.
acter, almost perfectly rounded, is msrrsd
by 80 defects which the present day will
count "a glaring-he is as modest as wo.
man and as generous as typical prince.
W. II. Fi,zhugh Lee, who was Major Gen.
eral of cavalry, lives in Fairfax, having in.
herited the estate, in that county, of the
distinguished Virginia statesman whose
name be bears. fitz Lee, nephew, also a
Major General of cavalry resides in STRAIT
ford county, is successful farmer and
takes an active interest in county aud
State affairs. General Lees third son,
Robert lives at the White House. He
served as private, a mere boy, until
having VOL his spurs, he was
promoted to subs!tern position.
Johnston,
Nothing could be more untrue than that
Joseph L. Johnson, while tusrtermaster
General, was snubbed by Simon Cameron,
because he WAS Nirginian. Who was
General Scott? or General Thomas? Nir-
ginians both, and Cameron was too astute
to make such a blunder. Nor is il true
that northern officers d!strusted him. No
one ever dietrusted Joe Johnston except
Jefferson Davis and the csbal which re-
moved him from command in Georgia.
Their success in striking him down was
unavsiling regret. Toe truth may
as well be now told about the So
called distrust Of Southern army officers
by their brethren from the North. 10
pine cases out of ten Southern officer
who did not propose to 90 with his State,
encountered the cold shoulder from men
whose names afterwards became almost
household words in the North. mean at
the outset, before sentiment had lost its
sway and given place to the practical. In
fact. happen to know OF a ship returning
from foreign naval station, with large
majority OF Northern officers, on which
young Virginian was put into custody be.
cause he announced his purpose to stick
to the old flag. All this was natural
enough during the first days OF 81, aud It
was also natural that 1t she / 1 be changed
when war became reality.
In f.rence to the ". st Pulnters' state.
ment that Lee and Cth,rs did not re ign
word will be.sutticieat An Off ,er VINO
l,ft the service without his RESIGNATION
having been accepted was technically de-
serter. Yet the distinguished w. z. says:
NO one had to leave without his discharge.
| know ONLY one man who laid himsell
open 10 the charge Of dessrtion, and with
him it was only a technical offence" He
then refers to General Rev. Robinson who
sent in his resignation from Utah and a.
once started Southwark. The resignation
YVES not accepted. So this point is settled
by the authority which nus made the
charge.
A number OF minor corrections might be
made. but have time only for one. Beau
regard is described as a dapper Creole gen.
tleman. who never was soldier. There
are soldiers and soldiers, and it is not in
very good taste 10 criticise General Beau
regard without giving him credit for the
most distinguished service as an officer
of engineers. The distinction was marked
in Mexico, wss fully vindicated by the
works at Charleston, the Notifications at
Nanasses and that direction of long line
- cast defenses which remained a perfect
protection until necessity, through its
child invention, had reyolutionized the
science of artillery and proiectiles.
A word more. All readers of military
history. in every land, will unite in their
adairsiion of the splendid charge OF Pick.
EFT aud his Virginians at Gettysburg. To
the credit OF the West Pointer he accords
10 them full praise. He says: His men
fought with mine about cur guns. We
drove them back, but Pickett came nearer
winning that fight than is pleasant to
think Of" TEHP.
lnNn Ann