Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-12-20
APRoPos OF STUART's MONUMENT
The Favorite Of Georgia 3Ils5-Memo-
rIes of Other Southern Heroes.
Written tor the Dispatch.l

In view Of the recent movement in thu.
citv 10 erect q monument to General j. l..
b. Stuart reminiscence concerning him
NAV interest some of your readers.
The woll-knowu war correspondent, " L.
W. A.. Colonel 2. w. Alexander, was
spending few days interval of rest from
his labors at the front near his home IN
middle Georgia.
The writer Of this article was at dinner
partv given in his home, which numbered
several young ladies among the guests.
Colonel Alexander, after some interest
ing accounts of his recent experiences III
Virginia, laughIugly proposed TO collect
the sutfrages of the young ladies' present
As TO their faYorite military hero, alludlng
to the conflict in progress.
-" We will take II for granted that Gene
raj Leo stands first with YOU" he said,
and | want TO know who Is second III
your imagInations. This. as mere mat
ter Of CURIOSITY, or perhaps, to give a touch
TO some future letter"
The answers varied. Beauragard, Albert
Sydney Johnston, and others had been
uamed. when one young lady said so en-
phatically rs TO create some amusement,
" General Jeb Stuart"
Surprise was EXPRESSED, for the cavalry
branch of the service was still somewhat
underrated at that time, and the first dis
patches concerning his brilliant recon
noisance" of the enemy (to give thephrase
then used TO describe iD, its results III loss
not ours). &C., had been, II appears, some
what carelessly neted.
stuart why, what has he done?" was
asked.
HER AUTHORITY.
Hlsyoung advocate eagerly recapitulated
the newspaper account chat she had read
adding And l call Shakespeare to witness
that General Stuart's was twice "a victory,
As well as the only one after myoTn heart.
Don't YOU remember. A victory is twice
itself when the achleyer brings home full
numbers y'n
Did Shakespeare say that? do not re-
call il, said the then famous war CORE
spondent But he got out his note book 10
take it down and the young lady was able
TO prove TO her own qualification for " p.
w. A." was familiar with quotations and
their origin that the sentence was TO be
fund on the lips of Leonato in Much Ado
About Nothing. She would not have had to
ind reasons for her preference later, as
the event proved.
In regard to the war correspondents and
reporters of that period, be it said that
they were seldom unwelcOme at military
headquarters, nor can it be wondered at.
If the brave alone deserve the fair, not the
least of their deserts IS the need OF n
country's approval, and from the days of
Alfred the minstrel was made free of the
camp, as we know. Still there were some
notable exceptions to this rule. Officers
of rank, whose modesty, only equalled
10y their merit" were as retiring as the ext
gencie5 of the time permitted.
One can but admire the trait of stern
fidelity TO duty that is even repellant Of
praise, and suffices unto itself, yet scanter
justice, it may be, is sometimes the reward
of its poSSessoTs.
SHY OF THEM.
General @. w. Field, Kentuckian, who
resigned his position as captain of cavalry
in the old army 10 offer his sword TO Viz
ginia, was among those who were shy Of
the reporters pen-a fact well known TO
those brought into daily contact with him.
He was better known and valued, in high
military circles than by the newspapers of
that day Severely wounded az the second
battle Of Manassas, he rejoined the army
IN an enfeebled physical condition to take
an active share in all the succeeding bat
ties till the disastrous close of the war.
His ranks were less thinned by desertion,
on account of the personal devotion of
his followers than were those of many
Others. He surrendered at Appomattox
with but one stat officer of the nine who
had followed his fortunes-proud to share
them. This was Captain CoroIn, q bril-
liant young Frenchman or Virginia de-
scent, who bad rendered his sword TO his
mother State, and who had escaped the
accidents of war although brave TO reck-
lessness OF the others, Captains Peasants
and Dashield had died from sickness con-
trac.ed IN the service; Major Jones, a
Kentuckian aud nephew of General Fields,
had been killed before Petersburg; Major
W. Roy Mason. shot through the body in
the fight with General Fosters troops
north of the James august, 1854. IL was
the fate Of the latter to be picked up by
the enemy and carried TO Fortress Monroe,
where he fingered Ia the hospital in state
between life aud death TIL the following
February, when exchanged and transfer
red TO the Richmond hospital. Major Mas.
ters was killed at High Bridge on tho re-
treat to Appomattox, almost In sight of his
home. Such, alas are the fortunes Of
war.