The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-12-14
THE ClMES-RICHMOND VA: FRIDAY DECEMBEk "a 1884,

I n IA \ n =
removal when he retreated before Sher-
| man and as loudly demanded his resto-
| ration when Hood advanced ana fa'led
! on the other hand when Ihomas was
| defeating Hood. at NashVilIe, tiie i,lessase
was on its way 10 supercede MN TOT not
| lighting and was drowned out IN the
| shouts OF his victory. Whhe ne yltiued
| 10 the current of opinion respec'Ihs. naa-
| ly's operations General Lee III az" frorn
| ing him the letter relieving Mn. IIo t
| duty. OH March 30. 1858. declared tneIe,dd
|! his own confidence In his aplni,y, am am
| zeal and devotion to be uninpareu. t,s
| concluding with an expression on tnn,htch
| for the fidelity and courage WIN eon,s
| you have always supported M! - you
and for the courage and devotioh 49,
| have always manifested In the set'i0e
| OF the country
RARLy's REMOVAL, AND GRANTS TlsAL Ap-
VANCE SIMULTANEOUS.
One week before that, on March ~
| 1866, Lee had made last effort TO preds
| Grants lines in vain. and the SECOND
| ,orps under Gordon had stouned and
| taken Fort Steadman There happehej
| then what would have happened nag
| Early taken Washington, and what dld
| happen at Cedar Creek. our TROOPS
were brave enough to take; they were
not strong enough to hold. The enemy
| concentrated numbers ana Grove thenh
back. on the very DAY or. or E Ia,ySs,,,r,,
lines; March 3ist FIVE Forks was
host. Petersburg was carried April
| "a and week later, April 9th, the
| rnatchless Lee and the remnant or ms
matchless army surrendered. When Early
| heard the news he was SICK IN an ainpu-
| lance going home from NytheVllIe. lie
said. without the slightest lrrevere ne.
| I will say that the sound Of the last
trump would not have been more uh-
welcome TO my ears
CONTRASTS BETwEENJACKsoS's AND EABLfs
cAMPAIGSs.
Comparisons have been made between
Jackson's and Early's campaigns, Some
times to the detriment Of the latter. Inc
differences in their situations should be
remembered.
EARLY FOUGHT UNDER PALlNG STAR.
First Jackson fought when the prestige
Of the Confederacy was in the ascen1aincy
Early when il was on the decIlhe'
Atlanta fell before Sherman the day
before he defeated Crook at Kerns-
town. our misfortunes at HidRs-
and Knoxville had taken place be-
fore Early's campaign begun. The
waning resources Of the Confederacy
and the collapse OF us tnances ntaau
changed the face of affairs. With Mis-
sissppi. Kentucky and Tennessee over
run. the trans Mississippi cut from MS
and the lower basin useless, the enemy
could concentrate at will against our
forces in Georgia and Virginia.
JACKSON FOUGHT IN GARDEN, FAIRLY IN
DESERT.
Second, the valley was a garden and
pranary when jackson fought. Early
fought in a desert, where the crow
flying over il would have to carry his
rations" He had 10 practice the art
Napoleon scatter 10 subsist and concen-
trate for battle. He had men Selling and
grinding stacks of wheat, while battle
RACED about them. What shall we eat
and wherewithal shall we be clothed
was the problem to his men, and If they
plundered battle fields IT was hunger and
nakedness that prompted them
JACKSON NOT oyEBMATCHED IN CAVALRY AS
EARLY WAS.
Third. Jackson's cavalry was not over
matched by the enemys. as Early's was,
three TO one. The Valley now denuded
Of fences and swept by fire was a splen-
Early felt and expressed his sense Of
deficiency in cavalry. His own was more
Overnumbered than any other arm OF
the service, II was terribly overWorked
and overstraned-for instance Payne's
Brigade was under fire every day for
month before the battle of Winchester.
The Federal Government suppl
ed its troops ,ffIy With good ,d mounts d65
cavalry had 20 make shift TO get horses
as best they could, many being absent
at all times in search for them: When
they got them IL was equally difficult TO
feed them and more than once brigades
were disbanded to get horses, while
their remnants fought dismounted. When
Sheridan mustered cavalry corps that
reported over sixteen thousand for duty,
finely mounted and equipped with
sabTes, pistols, and repeating rifles. our
troopers had TO procure any kind OF
W"apOnS they could. while their half
famished steeds reminded as Of the poor
jades of Henry the Fifth at Agincourt.
"The gum down ropng from their pale
And in their pale dun mouths the gimmal
bit
Lies foul with chewed grass. still and
mOtiOnless;
And their executors the knavsh crows,
fly over them
All inpatient for the hour"
II must be remembered that Earlys
first chief OF Cavalry General Robert
Ransom. was compelled to retire from i'll
health. and that he also lost the valuable
servg es Of General Fitzhugh Lee by his
wound at Winchester That Rosser and
LomaX. AIcCausland and their subordi-
mates. did so well under the clrcum-
stances it wonderful and | wish l had
time to refer more al length 10 their
various exploits. Rosser's movements at
New Creek and Beverly-where he lit up
the closing scenes Of disastrous war WIN
signal victories deserve especial mention.
Many splendid deeds and names nave
! left cut of my recita!, Whlth Wen ue-
serve historic praise what CROWNS
rage might he made OF the brave paitl-
Zan Mosbys remarkable movement IN
Sberidan's rear Where with less than
100 men, he kept many thousands oc-
cupi,d guarding communications of the
Federal army ana the approaches 10
Washington But these will not be over
looked or forgotten. They would adorn
but they would not vary the thread OF
my story.
oURgXCFIIENT ARTILLERY DID WONDERS.
Our artillery distinguished itself every
where At Winchester. says Early, 1T
did wonders" II OYerdid itself in tenacity
nj Fishers Hill: it strove desperately
at Cedar Creek Its Chief, Colonel 7. II.
Carter. who was wounded at Winchester,
Inn again In battle at Cedar Creek. knew
his business In BraXton and other
battalion and company commanders, he
had able assistants: and though Sheri-
dan had 100 guns and Early never had ~,
on any fed, they were never oVermatched
on any field.
OUR INFANTRY.
Opr infantry suffered for officers often.
for such had been the fatality that the
remnants Of Fourteen Virginia regi-
ment had been put in one little brigade
under Terry; Hays AMI Staffords bri,
eades had been consolidated likewise-and
often there was not even field officer
i'm a brigade while regiments were under
leutenants. Not "A single brigadier OF the
second corps who commanded in the
beginning of the campaign was there
scathless TO witness its close.
THE CONFEDERATE PRIVATE sol DIERs.
No reflection. indeed. can be cast upon
Early's soldiers of any arm Of lie ser-
vice. They could well say:
urls not in mortals 10 command success
we have done better-we have deserved
it