Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-11-12
4 STPERB SOLDIER.
,v.T,Ess az CORD AND A
p WORTHY CAREER.

N'O., Toncstreet in the civil war, mas
u u '',',,od an interesting sketch of Gen.
puO sorraI. Gen. SOrrel was dis
u ,,ar< in the Central Railroad Bank
'o y ,aa INCEPTION of the civil war and
~ .,nor Of the Georgia Hussars. When
ule,D Gallant company rendered its SER
In" '. 70 the Confederacy. and was re-
wa WA nv the Confederate Secretary
lE' war on the ground that
a,oIry was not wanted, he
,'"msdiately gave up his situation
i In5 cent to Virginia, where, as an aid to
o. Ionpstreet, he took part in the first
'N','o- of Manassas. Gen. SOrrel at that
p'.,, rasa Young man of a, and his
t ti,Il nne of Savannah's prominent as
'1 .nos most wealthy citizens. OF his
'aroar Capt. Dawson gives a brief but
1.,. correct outline. Gen. Sorrel is now
". o,.ont of the Ocean steamship Com
.aI Of this city, and the same qualities
P ~nicn made him prominent as SOL
s,or are still marked in his everyday
Vic The following is Capt. Dawson's
article: 49, NJ.
~ Alabama, who was one of Gen.
co. : gatn,rstreet's couriers, was appointed aide
~ Inn n Gen, q. NJ. Sorrel. The mill
.e',. aarepr Of this officer is almost With
70" ., narallel in the Confederate States.
W. .of officers. under the Confederacy,
.,oro accustomed to look upon themselves
w .belyed. Their promotion was In the
g. AZ corns entirely, ard their rank was
oI+oqetner out of proportion to the value
"mJ inheritance OF their services. Officers
nbo in European armies, would have
VII WI commissions as Brigadier Generals
~ Last we're. in the Confederate army,
o. CIV MAJORS and Lieutenant Colonies.
Tbc Adiutant General Of the Army of
Horthprn Virginia, Walter I'll. Tay-
lar, of Norfolk, Va, was
Iia,utenant Colonel, Towards the
close of the war an effort was made
N I'VE The staff adequate rank, and the
necessary legislation was obtained. but
tho collapse of the Contederacy deprived
he staff officers of their expected adj
vance in grade. Once a stan officer al
WAYS staff officer, was the rule. Yet
tbnra were two instances where staff Of
fcers were promoted per saltum to the
rank Of Brigadier General. One of these
was that of Capt. V. j. B. Girardey, of
Augusta. Ga, who was Captain and AS
eisfsnt Adiutant General of Wrights
brigade, and was advanced to the rank of
Brpadler General at one bound, and put
IN charge of his old command. The other
instance is that of Lieut.. Col. Sorrel, the
Adiutant General OF LOngstreets corps,
who. shortly alter the battle of the Will
derness, was commissioned as Brigadier
General.
What rendered the promo ton of Gen.
Sorrel the more honorable was the cir
cumstance that he had not had military
education, and was engaged in CONNER
cial pursuits when the war broke out. |
am not able to say where it was that he
first served, Or in what capacity, but at
the first battle of Manassas he was with
Gen. LOngstreet. In his official report of
the battle Gen. Longstreet says: "Capt.
Sorrel joined me as volunteer aide in the
midst of the fight. Ee came into the bat
tie as gaily as beau, and seemed to re-
ceiye orders which threw him into the
more exposed positions with peculiar de-
light" This Is only the beginning
OF the record. Capt. Sorrel
was attached permanently to
Gen. LOngstreets staff. At the battle of
Williamsburg, as Gen. Longstreet says,
he so conducted himself as to give his
commander great pleasure, satisfaction
and assurance" Promoted to the rank
OF Major, he is reported as "active, zeal.
GUS and intelligent in carrying orders and
in the proper discharge of his Duties" at
the battle OF Seven Pines. In the seven
days battles around Richmond he dis
played great gallantry, intelligence and
activity" earned the warmest thanks of
81 ri n u
much credit of the government. Gen.
Longstreet says that after five days OF
night and DAY work his staff Off.
GERS kept up with undimin-
shed zeal and energy" In the
Maryland campaign Col. Sorre's SER
wees were again conspicuous. At Sharps-
burg ne was wounded. Speaking OF his
stan Gen. LOngstreet says: "These Off
GERS, ullofcourage, intelligence, patience
ana experience, We're able to give such
directions TO the commands as they
thought proper, which were at once APP
proved and commanded my admiration"
Inc reports Of all the later engagements
Oh the war are not before me, but | know
mat at Cnickamanga and during the
siege OF knoxville, Col. Sorrel displayed
Ine qualities which had so frequently
caused MIN to be commended.
me wilderness campaign began, and
OIL lAe hateful May Col. SOrrel was di-
Iected TO accompany the brigades, which
maze the attack on the left flank OF the
Enemy and doubled it back on the centre.
conspicuous figure, on his we'll known
"AI.e morse, Col. SOrrel was always in
non'' ana soon mad the proud satisfaction
reporting To Gen. Lee and Gen. Long
street, VINO were awaiting the result, that
LOT al ft1I
llen IL was that, in the NapoleOnlc man.
ler which was foreign TO his habitual re-
seIFe, the COMMANDMENTS Chief OF the
army OF Northern Virginia saluted Gen.
Hgngslreets staff officer as "Gen. sOrrel."
- leI prefer thai Gen. james Longstreet
ououlu De Tue narrator. In his official re-.
PorG OIL the bloody work on the day that
DenAlns was killed and Longstreet was
Wounded, he says: Especial directions
we're gwen TO Lieut.. Col. Sorrel to con-
uuct Ihe Drlgades Of Gems. Malone, &. T..
emerson and WoffOrd beyond the enc
NY lett, and toattack him on his left and
,'Io, The movement was a COM
plete surprise and a perfect success. 1t
s "aS executed with rare zeal
anu Intelligence. The enemy
t maue Dus short stand, and
~, ,o' JACK IN utter rout, with heavy loss,
w position about three-quarters OF a
t ni's rom any front attack" This is his
sn 10y AND Gen. Longstreet says further,
Gu, ,'u ven with less warmth than the true
.'eht deserved: "Much OF the success OF
~ ,ng movement on the enemy's flank is due
y, ~ ,uE very skilllul manner in which the
r r,9,e vas va, conducted by Lieut.. Col. Sor.
40, mat Is enough.
oo ~ 'ne golden tall OF 1864 the commission
tpo1o ana It's arrival, as may be mag.
i tnvu' wac properly celebrated. II the
INA party did not wet the commission,