Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1884-03-13
March I3. 1884.
SOUTHERN GENERALS.
4 Correction Of Some Popular Errors.
4 Defense Of the Lees, .Johasfoa and Beau
regqyd-Pictet and his Virg1idns at Get
fgsJNrq.

/ Spctidl CoreplnSclce Of tie Wheeling RcgiSfer.
WAsHINGToN, February 2l.-The publi-
cation by Congress of the official records of
! the civil war without note or comment, will
+ be ofthe utmost value to the future historian.
/ It was from such documents, old and faded
letters, time. stained and dust-c lvered,
found in forgotten corners Of ancient libra
rics. and the 'broadsides" which at the pc
Rod of which he wrote gave some promise
of the coming newspaper, that MAcaulay
derived his richest and most reliable ma
teria. The danger with us is that much
that is caielessly or ignsrant'y 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 he rc!egated to some
master hand in the middle of the twentieth
century.
In your issue of Sunday Washington let
ter appears which purpor;s to give somet2m-
iniscences ola West Pointer on the Federal
side that are too incomplete, inaccurate an |
unjust TO pass withou; some challenge. It's
true they do not pretend to deal with events,
but to trace the fate of the leaders Of the
Southern armies. The future may care to
know something Of the Southern men who,
in different deeress, bore their parts in the
fierce conflict between the States and it
may interest your readers fsome efJrts be
made to correct few of the errors into
which the Union West Pointer has fallen.
Lee.
There is n0question about the resignation
Of General Lee. The interview between
General Scott and himself in which the
question Of personal duty was discussed is
as authentic a. it is memorable. There was
pathos about it which showed how pro-
f,uadly the feelings of those great men were
stirred. Probably no officer who served in
Mexico stood in nearer personal relation to
Scott that Robert Lee. And when the time
came that great events gathering and culmi-
mating. like the waters of your Ohio, into a
grand. resistless ami terrible flood, bore
them far apart, it requires little Imagination
to picture the emotions aroused by sepa-
ration which was to be forever. The idle
story which s3me one has told of fScott's bit
ter denunciatiou of Lees treason, and the
latter's crushed submission to It's intensity
needs no refutation. It is probably true
that Ices first purpose, or rather expccta-
ton. was to offer his sword to Virginia with
little thought of the organization OF the
Conleleracy. If so, the rapidity of events
bore him on to the position which he sub
seouently occupied with what honor and
distinction / need not say The world has
already recorded its judgment Of him, as a
man aud 4 soldier, and it will 90 into his
tory with little dissent on the part of the
generous foe he SO long confronted.
The mistakes as to the other Lees may be
corrected in few words O. W. Custis Lee,
who was chief Of Mr.. Davis staff, is the
/ President of Washington and Lee Uniyer-
sity. thesuccessor ofhis father Graduating
At West Point, first OF his class, his great a
bility has been shown in every position in
which he has been placed. \ character,
almost perfectly rounded, is marred by two
defects which the present day will count rs
+ elaring-he is as modest a. 4 woman and a.
generous As a typical prince. W. II. Fiiz-
hugh Lee. who was a Majcr General ofcay-
airy. lives in Fairfax, having inherited the
estate, in that county, Of the distinguished
/ Virginia statesman whose name lie bears.
Fiu Lee, nephew, also Major General OF
cavalry. resides in Stratlord county, IS a
successful ffrmer and takes an active in
tersst in county and State affairs. General
Lees third son, Robert, lives at the White
House. He served as a private, mere
boy, until having won his spu's, he was
promoted to a subalteran position.
Johnston.
Nothing could be more untrue than taat
Joseph Z. Johnston, while Qlartersmaster
General. was snu5bed by Simon CImeron,
because he was a Virginian. Who was
General Scott? or General Thomas? Viz
rinians both and Cameron was too astate to
make such q blunder. Nor Is it true
that northern officers distrusted him. No
one ever distrusted Joe johnson except