The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1886-11-18
fighting, in Virginia, in 1864 was not in

fighting, in Virginia, in 1864 was not in
vain.
1t can very we'll be understood that
Gen. Grant had no exalted opinion of
Mr.. Swinton, when he ascertained what
he had written and said about the Will
derness or Overland campaign. Gen.
Grant, indeed, takes no pains to conceal
his dislike of the historian, and in his
Personal Memoirs accuses him of dishon.
orable conduct while guest at army
headquarters. Gen. Grant had a consul
| tation with Gen. Meade after the first or
second days fighting in the Wilderness,
and the staff of the two generals with.
drew to allow their chiefs to converse in
private. One of the staff, however, "saw
what he took to be man, seated on the
ground by stump" listening to the
conversation between Gen. Meade and
Gen. Grant. The attention of another
officer was called to this, and he took the
man by the shoulder and asked him in
language more forcible than polite,
"What he was doing there?" Gen.
! Grant adds: "The man proved to be
Swuton, the historian and his replies
| to the question were evasive and unsatis-
factory, and he was warned against fur.
ther caves dropping" Even this is not
the end of it, for Gen. Grant says that
the next he heard of Mr.. Swinton was at
Cold Harbor itself, when Gen. Meade
went to his headquarters and informed
him ,"that Gen. Burnside had arrested
Swinton, who at some previous time had
given great offence, and had ordered him
to be shot that afternoon" Gen. Grant
says that he ordered the prisoner to be
released, but that he must be expelled
from the lines of the army, not to return
again on pain of punishment.
This, it must be admitted, is 8 very
extraordinary tale, and the public would
be glad to know what Mr.. Swinton thinks
about it. Gen. Grant was undoubtedly
intensely vain and averse to criticism,
and there are very clear evidences of
temper and ill feeling in what has been
quoted.
|. I mentioned last week that Mr.. Spen
| Ger, of Alabama, who was one of Gen.
Longstreet's couriers, was appointed
aide de camp to Gen. g. M. Sorrel. The
military career of this officer is almost
without parallel in the Confederate
States.
Staff officers, under the Confederacy,
we're accustomed to look upon themselves
as shieved. Their promotion was in the
staff corps entirely, and their rank was
altogether out of proportion to the value
and importance of their services. Off.
GERS who, in European armies, would
have held commissions as brigadier gen,
erals at least, were in the Confederate
army only majors and lieutenant colonies.
The adjutant general of the Army of
NortherR Virginia, Walter 81. Taylor, of
Norfolk, Va, was lieutenant colonel.
Towards the close of the war an effort
was made to give the staff adequate rank,
and the necessary legislation was obtain.
ed, but the collapse of the Confederacy
deprived the staff officers of their expect.
ed advance in grade. Once staff officer
always a staff officer, was the rule. Yet
there were two instances where staff
officers were promoted per saltuns to the
rank of brigadier general. One of these
was that of Capt. VI B. Girardey, of
Augusta, Ca, who was captain and as.
sistant adjutant general of Wright's
brigade and was advanced to the rank of
brigadier general at one bound, and put
in charge of his old command. The
other instance is that of Lieut.. Col.
Sorrel, the adjutant general of Long.
streets corps, who, shortly after the bat.
tie of the Wildernessi was commissioned
as brigadier general.
What rendered the promotion of Gen.
Sorrel the more honorable was the cir
cumstance that he had not had a military
education, and was engaged in CONNER.
cial pursuits when the war broke out l
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 bis
official report of the battle Gen. Long
street says: "Capt. Sorrel joined me as
volunteer aide in the midst Of the fight.
He came into the battle as gaily as q beau,
and seemed to receive orders which threw
him into the more exposed positions with
peculiar delight" This is only the
beginning of the record. Capt. Sorrel
was attached permanently to Gen. Long
streets Staff. At the battle of Williams
burg, as Gen. Longstreet says, he so con.
Quoted himself as to give his commander
"great pleasure, satisfaction and assu.
rance" Promoted to the rank of major,
he is reported as "active, Jealous 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
the commanding general, and deserved
much credit of the Government. Gen.
Lopgstreet says that, after five days Of
night and day work his staff officers
"kept up with undiminished zeal and
energy" In the Maryland campaign
Col. Sorrel's services were again conspic.
uous. At Sharpsburg he was wounded.
Speaking of his staff, Gen. Longstreet
says: '0rhesc officers, full of courage,
intelligence, patience and experience,
were able to give such directions to the
commands as they thought proper, which
were at once approved and commanded
my admiration" The reports of all the
later engagements of the war are not
before me, but l know that at Chicka.
mauga and during the seige OF Knoxville
Col. Sorrel displayed the qualities which
had 80 frequently caused him to be com
mended.
The Wilderness campaign began, and
on the fateful 9Th of May Col. Sorrel was
directed to accompany the brigades which
made the attack on the left flank of the
enemy and doubled it back on the centre
A conspicuous figure, on his we'll known
white horse, Col. Sorrel was always in
front, and soon had the proud satisfaction
of reporting to Gen. Lee and Gen. Long
street, who were awaiting the result, thai
the attack was completely successful
Then it WAS that, in the Napoleonie
manner which was foreign to his habitua
reserve, the Commander.in. chief of the
Amy of Northern Virginia saluted Gen
Longstreet's staff officer as "Gen. Sorrel.' ,
Yet Iprefer that Gen. James Longstree
should be the narrator. In his oficia
report OF the bloody work on the day
that Jenkins was killed and Longstree
was wounded, he says: Especial direc
tions were given to Lieut.. Col. Sorrel tc
conduct the brigades of Gems. Malone