Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1894-06-08
ROSSeI' Replies.
yacht.


General Thomas l.. Rosser has writ
ten an open letter to Capt. J. B. Adams.
commanding the Grand Army of the
Republic, Boston, in which he say
1t is not my purpose to notice tie
spasmodic %enunciation of the supreme
holiness and patriotism of the Grand
Army of the Republic, rs claimed By
you in the dispatches which were sent
all over the country through the press
of the LIST instant; but have received
so many letters from the members Of
the association over which You preside
that | think it well to notice them
briefly, through you, their commander.
Holding the position of commander
in-chief of the Grand Army Of the Re
public, you must have been a soldier
distinguished for bravery, as well rs
possessing all the other essential attri-
butes of a good soldier while in peace
you are doubtless a gentleman and
good citizen, and as such ! now salute
you.
l was a soldier of the Army Of North
ern Virginia, a first lieutenant OF arlil-
lery at the First Manassas, and a major
general of cavalry at AppomattoX, and
duricg that time, at short Intervals,
battled, bled and hungered to the ut
most limit of my capacity-indeed, did
all in my power 10 contribute to the
success of my side Of the conflict, and
thus performed. conscientiously my
duty, and you having done the same,
as judged from your standpoint, before
our respective comrades, we stand on
the same plane.
You declare in the dispatch above
referred to that "the reputation Of me
Union veterans is secure. Having
whipped the rebels and secured tho
blessings Of national life to the South
rs well as the North, we can rest on our
arms. We have all We can do to carry
on our work of charity and teach pa
trio,ism to the children in the public
schools
Now, captain. put yourself in ny
place for Il moment. On the Both ultl-
mo, I stood before several thousand Of
my manned, SCARED, grizzled and care-
worn comrades, who had met in the
capital city of our State, which va also
the capital city of the Confederate
States, for the purpose of uuyei!iHga
monument, not Only to the memory II
such of our comrades Us had fallea IN
our struggle for independence, bur 70
show our undying devotion to tEe sl.
cred right of se!fgovernmert lnae!.t-
ed from our fathers. When rec
ogpized in the crowd rs ny
comrades, and called on to say some
thing to them-remembering that we
had never been whipped-never IN al
the vicissitudes of that long and bloody
war had we turned our backs On an
equal number of our enemies, but ihat
on many occasions we had won an.l
held the field of conflict against nui1-
bers greatly in excess of cur OWE. .t-
membering that we had finally sgTren'
dered merely the right Of secession re-
membering that indignities which We
never supposed the American people
would ever impose upon alallen Toe were
heaped on us as sooD as we laid down
IL arms; remembering the boasts ci
your comrades of having whipped Us,
and your taunts, calling us rebels ana
traitors; remembering that We iail
down our arms over twenty-nlue years
ago, and that you are still on the pun
lie payroll, and being supPorted-ln
part by our labor, could not restrain
the honest outburst OF indignation, con
tempt, and resentment of my sou,
against all of these wrongs. perpetra'c'
in the high name of patriotism.
Do you honestly suppose thai inc
Grand Army of the Republic aloneI7
competent to teach patriotism 70 thc
children in the public schools It{oU
90 into the public schools to teach, I'VE
the children an object lesson in patriot
ism by erasing the fraudulent pension
ers from your rolls, and make the pen
sion-roll a rol! of honor.
Show your patriotism by asklHs 'As
government to support only th0se NAo
were actually disabled in war, ana mus
your country in It's present 'm
pecunious condition.
As soldiers. captain, we only dnitFeu
as to the right of secession, and singe
I have surrendered, that to over"1e5Nr
ing numbers, and it is finally settled !
I'm your peer in citizenship, nave "a
many rights as you have, and an -
ready to maintain them.
We are now living in times OF peaet,
the American flag is as much mine al
IS yours, or the property OF the TRAN
Army of the Republic, and sugSts .his
you that the southern citizens OF .a7
are neither 'rebels nor VA.
and the citizens of Massacnu7e,n
are not more loyal to our mn9
country than those of Virginia Il ~
other States of the South.