Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1894-03-07
Gen. w. IL. Payne on Early.

|
Early began at Manassas, in 1861, when
he was Colonel OF the Twenty y-fourth
Virginia Infantry, and was Captain Of
the Black Horse Cavalry. Our inter
course continued through the war,
growing ever closer until the last year,
when | served under his immediate or
ders. Since his return from exile no
year has elapsed that he has not been
an honored guest in my house.
II admired him as soldier and loved
him rs man. He was an interesting
and striking person from the beginning.
No more strongly marked, angular, and
impressive character, not excepting
Stonewall Jackson, appeared amongst
us during our agony and bloody sweat.
Asa soldier | believe military judg-
ment will rank him only below Lee and
Jackson. That most veracious and pre-
tense-destroying publication know as
| The Var Record which is marring so
many regulations, is constantly adding
something to his. He appears upon no
battlefield, not even lost one, with
out credit TO himself, and the campaign
which heconducted alone, ,whenconsider-
ed under the fierce light which now beats
upon it, was one ofthe finest Of the war.
know that soldiers of mere prattle
without practice, and weak-kneed and
faithless comrades whose treason he has
made odious, will criticise him, but
those who loved and admired him know
that the records have cleared up the
cloud which once hung over defeat and
placed his fame beyond the reach OF
jealousy.
General Early was a man VINO i'm
pressed everybody that was thrown
with him. | question whether any
name, except Lees and Jackson's, was
so well known and so often repeated in
the Army of Northern Virginia. You
must have observed that soldiers, and
men generally, have an odd method Of
evincing their love and admiration by
the niclnames which they atliX to and
the stories they tell upon the objects of
their regard. The word "Old" seems
TO be term OF affection. General
Early was known to the Confederate
army and is known now not by the
distinguished title which he won, but
as old Jube.' There were more stories
told of him than Of any other soldier
perhaps, except Jackson. His conrad
es, notably the private soldier, took
more liberties with him than with any
other commander. If good story was
circulating anywhere it was certain to
be located upon odd Jube. If there
was a smart thing wandering fatherless
throdgh the army it was at once aflliat-
ed upon odd Jube, especially if it was
a little pungent.
Nothing, however, can better illus
trate the profound admiration which
pervaded the army than the fact that
his name became TO us what Caesars
was to the Romans. Brave as Jubal
EARLY was our test for courage. l be-
lieve that an earthquake could have
rolled unheedcd beneath his feet (by
the way, one did) and it would not
have shaken that iron nerve and
dauntle:s heart. He was the most
aggressive and obstinate fighter that
knew. The war records will show that
no man in the Confederate army saw
more fighting; no man was more eager
TO 90 in, to quote phrase from Gen.
Grant, and no man stayed longer or
was harder TO get rid Of Ihave hope
that the man whom he most loved and
who loves him with a filial-like devo-
ton, l mean his aidede-camp, Major
(now Senator) John W. Daniel, will
see that Justice is done to his military
career.
General Early was the most truth
full man ever knew. He was prosai-
cally truthful. He not only never
eqlivocated or exaggeratel, |, himself,
but he never permitted anybody else to
do so. He never allowed any of lis to
do any Dragging. He was always un-
der oath himself, and he required the
same of everybody else. This and his
intolerant love for the Confederacy
made the old hero some enemies. Any
infidelity to the cause which he loved
better than his life; any weak gush OF
ignobler and less heroic natures, awak-
ened his fercest wrath, and few men
have lived in our time who had great
er power for expressing their feelings
than he. General Early was an able
man, and would have been a distin-
guished one in any walk or pursuit
ellis patriotism was of the noblest
and most unselish type. believe that
the Confederate cause was sort of re-
ligion to him, aud | suspect that in a
half pagan way the old man thought
that General Lee was god. do not
mean by this to say anything about
General Early's real religion. He was
a reticent man, and did not wear his
thoughts or his heart upon his sleeve.
No doubt he had thought that grave
matter out for himself and found a solu-
ton of the great mystery In this, as
in some other matters, his horror OF
cant and hypocrisy was carried SO far
as to lead others to sometimes misun-
derstand him. have reproached him
with preferriug to appear worse instead
of better than he was from hatred o.
all cant. ~
called, its prosecuting cowardice, mean
ness, and insincerity, drove him into
acts and expressions by which he was
also misjudged. He was quite In
different to many of the little con
ventional virtues. If thing wa:
not intrinsically wrong, no amount o