Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-04-04
GEN. WADE HAMPTON
HIS LECTURE AT THE ACADEMY Or
MUSIC LAST NIGHT.
The Story of the Cavalry figh' ~
williams station June 10th ana
11th Told.

Persons of imaginative teipPe
could easily have been carried back gun
ter Of century when they gazeu on '"0
Academy stage last night.
There were three old army tents Wnicn
evidently had seen service and musKets
were stacked on either side with 'ne Nd
tional and State colors resting on 'henl'
Veterans of the Soldiers Home, still wear
ing the Confederate gray, scattered arounu
on camp-stools. completed the iiie-ilhe
picture, while in the background sentl,
mel one Of the present q Company paoou
to and fro. IL
The occasion was the delivery OF an sd-
dress by General Wade Hampton on the e
Cavalry Fight at Trevillians statloh,
for the benefit Of Company L, flrst Nrsi-
MIA regiment.
on THE STAGE.
Promptly at $50 O'Clock General hamp-
ton and Governor Mckinney appeared on
the stage. accompanied by General Dabney
II Naurv. Rev. DR.. Hoge General Charles
j. Anderson. Colonel J.V. Bidgood, 0oloheei
A. S. Buford, Hon. J. L. 81. Curry, Key. r.
NJ. White, Jr.. Colonel Miles Cary, Colo-
mel Archer Anderson, Colonel II. g. Jones
Iieutenant J. u. Tennant, and Mr. A. Il.
Tatum.
The eft-hand proscenium-box was occu7;
ped 10y Governor McKinney,s party and
that on tho right by DR.. McGulTe ana
friends.
There was an audience OF several nun
dred. filling the house to about one iourID
of its capacity.
GOVERNOR M'KISNEY.
General Hampton was introduced by the
Governor. who explained the absence, OF
the expected large crowd 10y saying tnat
the people here in Virginia are very ph-
iriotic in regard TO election-day. Ihey
observe il from midnight before until the
midnight after, and allow nothing 60 inter-
vene. He regretted that more people were
not present 10 hear the story OF this mag
nificent fight. Virginia had many sad
chapters IN her history, but there were
none of which she need be ashamed. .,
Referring 10 the date. April 3D., the
Governor said il was next to the saddest
day in the history of all the war. Bat that
should not be thought of now, for they
were going to hear about one OF the bright
est pages. not from one who had READ or
heard Of it. but from the lips OF one VINO
planned and led the glorious charge.
HISTORY.
General Hampton began by saying that
he lad been given so little time tOr .prepa-
ration that he would only read q dry re-
port. and those who expected TO hear q
brilliant lecture. he said, would be dlsap-
pointed.
Shortly after the war General Lee had
written to HIM asking nim for connected
narrative of the operations OF the caYairy
CORPS during its last campaign. lie had
done as General Lee requested and 1T was
from this report that General Hampton
read the greater portion of his speech, oc-
casionallv relating an anecdote bearing on
the matter under consideration.
NUMBERS.
General Hampton showed that in the
Trevilhan fight, acknowledged to be the
greatest cavalry conflict of the war, the
Federal forces numbered at least lO,OJO ;
the Confederates less than 1900.
General Sheridan reported the capture or
immense numbers Of prisoners. The only
way that this could be accounted for was
that a large number Of nurses left II charge
of the wounded had been carried Oh.
THE True STORY.
Sheridan attempted to make ont chat the
fqht WAS victory for him and contra
dicted himself in his own report az to the
number of prisoners taken.
lie HAMPTON had now in his possession
a little pocket-diary which had breni the
propcrtv of northern soldier, ind the
following extracts from 1T were evidently
the truth: o.,
saturday. June 1Oth.-Figbt at Trovil-
lian's Station. Captured and killed 600
Rebels.
Sunday. June 11th.-Fought on the same
ground and got whipped like the devil.
Lost more men than Rebs did previous
dav. old Hampton is "a bad egg.
Monday, June 12th.-Ietreat back TO
Fredericksburg.
REMARKABLE RECORD.
Summing up. General Hampton showed
by Official figures that in the cavaliy cam
paien Of 1864 the Confederate force pt 1000
captured II, 500 Federals in six months.
fe had once jOkingly offered 20 bet Gen
eral Early that the cavalry captured more
prisoners than the infantry, when General
Earlv ironically remarked. "Oh. yes, we
whipped them and drove them off endyou
caught them" o.,
In his peroration General Hampton paid
n glowing tribute TO his brave fol overs.
and said he had never called on regiment
in a crisis of battle that 1t did not charge
instantly, even into the Jaws of dea;h.
FLYING VISIT.
General Hampton arrived in thecity at
$50 Yesterday afternoon on the tast mail
from Washington. While here he was the
Guest of the Westmoreland Club.
Yesterday afternoon he was driven over
the city.