Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-04-21
eENeRAL ROGER a PRYOR.
Two Material Errors in SIR. Cummings
InterestIng War story.

Iptcftsttof war Ft"tS'
Editor WASHINGTON Post; In reading o copy
Of the Sunday Post the first article that at
tracted my attention was the short sketch
of the soldier-judge, Roger A., Pryor,
from the pen Of that versatile and usually
correct writer. Hon. Amos }. Cummings.
Mr.. Cummings is slightly mistaken IN TWO
OF three points OF that sketch-yiz. III Is
not shirty-fye years since General Pryor
served in Congress, his term did not ante
date that of General Banks. and he was not
a general IN the Confederate army at the
time of his capture before PetersDurg'
General Banks served several terms
in Congress before 1855. when ne was
elected Speaker Of the House ol
Representatives. Pryor did not enter
Congress until 1859; then he was, elected
TO FL o vacancy occasionCd by the death
of Hon. Mr.. Goode, who represented the
Farmville or Petersburg district. Goode,
had represented the district for several
wears. and was reelected for this term, but
died shortly after his election. Pryor at
that time was editing, in connection with
Major Hess, the Washington S'dhS ana
| Union. Upon Goodies death the Demo
cratic editors throughout Virginia noini-
mated, in advance, the brilliant young eui-
tor OF the States for the vacant position.
Pryor was antagonized by another Mr..
C;oode. n cousin of the dead congressman,
but the editor was elected by an over
whelming majority. Thomas 5. Bocock,
OF Virginia. succeeded Banks as Speaker.
Thus IL will be seen that the veteran
Banks ante-dated Pryor in Congress, out
was not member when Pryor took MS
seat. Senator Sherman was then mem
Der of the lower House, and was candl-
date for Speaker on the hepuDIlcah sue.
The contest was protracted, more 50 than
that of Banks's contest, and resulted ID the
withdrawal OF Sherman and the election
of OK. Governor Pennington, OF New jersey,
of broad-seal notoriety. Pryor was re-
elected, but the war prevented him serving
his term.
As PRIVATE.
At the time Of his capture Pryor, was mol
holding the position Of general IN the
Confederate army. From some misunder
standing with his superiors, after the Dat
| tie of the Blackwater. he resigned from
| the army as an officer, and then, through
State pride, volunteered as q private sol
| der. He was immediately selected Dy
| General Lee TO do duty as an orderly at th'
| Headquarters of the Army OF Northern
| Virginia. and as such he was captured
| through his inordinate desire, as an Ole
| newspaper-man, TO swap papers.
| When the strife terminated, Pryor. ,whC
| was poor. knowing there was but little u
| be gained in the way OF wealth IN linpoV
| erisbed Virginia, located IN Brooklyn, anC
| actively entered upon the practice OF TINT
| law. which he had laid aside TO become al
| editor, and congressman, ana soiuler; II
| a reasonably short time his brilliant taient
| brought him into the front rank at the pa
| of New York, where the ablest OF the lane
| have 70 be on the alert in order 10 keel
abreast of their compeers.
While in Brooklyn Pryor formed the &C
auaintance. which afterward rlpened int
| close friendship, of that other brilliant ell
| tor and writer Theodore TiltOn, and 1t wa
! at the celebrated Beecher-Tilton trla
where Pryor established his reputation a.
| one of the foremost lawyers OF the Amer
can bar. 1t was at that trial where he wa
pitted against ex-Judge Porter, one OF thu
ripest jurists and lawyers OF the country
| ex-senator EvaTts, and the present Secre
| tary of the Navy. Benjamin I. Tracy. anC
| the writer's of those times accord TO Pryo
no second place as great lawyer IN TIN!
| celebrated contest He had associated will
him ex-Judge Beach, another man of pow
! erful intellect.
Pryor's course has been onward and up
ward ever since, and the only thing thai
| has happened TO mar his happiness was Tho
| drowning of his son in 1872, promising
young Undergraduate OF Princeton Col
| iege. This was a great blow to GENERA
Pryor, and ! doubt if either he. or hi
| gentle wife has ever fully recovered from
| their loss. Notwithstanding his early pre-
| dilection for politics, he has steadily 90
| stained from being candidate for any po
sition before the people of his adopted
State, and never held Office there until
Governor Hill last year appointed him to
| seat on the Supreme-Court bench OF the
State. But he has always taken an active
interest IN State and national politics. anc
his tall, soldier-like form is very familiar
| to those who are in the habit of attending
| the Democratic national conventions.
/. @. WILLIAMS.
Washington, April 10.