Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-07-26
WAR HISTORY.
JACKSON'S VALLEYCAMPAIGN
Repis sf General imbodep to Colonel Aiinn's
ReJoinder-A Ssaiemsnt OF Numbers, arc.

To the Editor ofth Dispatch
think without egotism I may say
that Colonel William Allan's "peck-
ing" at my Century articles through
your columns leaves me about in the
same comfortable frame Of mind as that
Of en- old fellow who sat upon the
porch quietly reading his newspaper and
smoking his pipe, his equanimity I'M
disturbed by pummelling his wife
was giving his brawny shoulders with
her fists. An astonished neighbor
asked him why he submitted to it with
out complaint? He replied "Oh, |
don't mind it, because it seems to do
her power Of good and don't hurt
me-" This, perhaps, would be all the
reply need make to his rejoinder to
my defence against his first attack, as
your readers must have come to the
conclusion that his criticism belongs to
the microscopical field Of investigation,
in which the observer is always look
ing for notes and molecules, infusoria,
and microbes, and naturally mistakes
gnat crawling across his field Of vision
for reviyified Pter0dactyl Of the De-
vonian age, big enough 10 fly away with
8 man.
He does not seem to comprehend the
difference between magazine article,
covering in time the history that would
fill the largest quarto volume. Ny
conception is about this A.: That the
magazine writer on historical topics
must generalize, just as the dramatic
writer does. A story, real or imagin-
airy, that will fill 500 or ! 900 pages Of
a book, taking a week to read, will be
epitomized by the dramatist into a three
act play that may be seen and heard in
two hours, and will present to the
mind a general idea of the contents
of one or two ponderous volumes,
and yet all the details will be
omitted. So with the magszinist. He
will group events in general terms and
present picture that will be realized
by the intelligent reader with pleasure,
as recalling to his mind the, perhaps,
dim recollections Of 1000 pages he has
wadcd through years ago, especially if
the picture is touched up with the lights
and colorings of personal adventures,
traits, peculiarities, and contempora-
neous surroundings, that in measure
carry the reader back and make him
feel that he is an eyewitness Of the
events referred to and 3 companion of
the actors in them.
aspire to no skill in this sort of
writing beyond that which will
modestly attract the readers attention
for a half-hour or SO, and possibly in
terest him sufficiently to look into the
detailed history Of the men and events
discussed-it may be to the extent of
obtaining the temporary use of Colonel
Allsn's microscope.
But don't want to tax your space,
and will therefore be brief.
The readers Of this discussion be-
tween Colonel Allan and myself since
it began will remember that he "raked
me over the coais" for putting
Jackson's enemies in the Valley at
$4,000 men, saying in his first ar
ticle that it was $4,000, instead
of $4,000" | brought the documents
to bear on him, and showed they num-
bered about " $4,000" He now ad-
mits "this last is not far wrong" That
is all the admission | want. 1t shows,
what in general terms l undertook to
show, that Jackson's little army, the
way he handled it, was more than a
match for over four times its own num-
hers. That's the great cardinal point.
jackson " cleaned out" the Valley in
ihirty-odd days. lie whipped Milroy,
Schenck this latter is named to please
Colonel Allan, Banks, Fremont,
Shields, and through him Mcdowell,
against odds, maintain, Of four to one.
No matter how he did it.
Wellington whipped Napoleon at
Waterloo. Everybody knows that fact.
Not one in ten thousand knows exactly
how it was done in all its details, and
the world don't stop to inquire. Jack
son-"Old Hickory whipped Pack
cnham at New Orleans. Who that you
meet on the streets can tell you off
hand all the details of that famous end
ing Of the war of 1912? Julius Caesar
conquered Gaul, and in ten years sub
dued it to become an integral part Of the
Roman empire. That's general we'll
known fact. If he met an ancient
Milroy or a Schenck, who stops now to
inquire whether CAESARS Ashby or a
Captain Sheetz pursued the retreating
barbarians? Nobody that | know of
would DO it unless indeed it might be
my quondam friend Colonel William
Allan.
Indeed, Judging from the space he
gives to the subject in both his articles,
it looks like the criticism Of my article
was the pretext, when the real object
was to yentilate that gun story at the
Port Republic bridge. Well, if was
the means Of giving him that coveted
have not written alto
gether in vain, for he has now told it in
all its details. am satisfied, and /
hope he is happy.
AS he has practically SURRENDERED on
the number of Jackson's enemies in the
Valley in May and June, 1862, | will
now "briDg him to book" On the
Of Jackson's men, and have
done with the subject, and let others
occupy your space with the more prsc-
teal and immediate question of how
to give a quietus to Mshoneism in Vir-
giDia. He admits that at the end of
Jackson'S campaign his strength " had
sunk to about $4,000" as we shall
sec further on that all his losses in the
campaign were just 1876 "killed,
wounded, and missing" How did
this $4,000 men get up to l9,000l
Was it more or as much as $4,000 at
the beginning? Colonel Allan's refer
epce to authorities is too vague and
uncertain to throw much light on this
question. Was the whole Of Jackson's
and Of Bwell's divisions in the Valley
in May and June at any one time Ed
ward Johnson's little force was there,
and on the 2lst of April consisted Of
the Twelfth Georgia, Twenty-fifth,