The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-12-14
THE rlmEsaRICHnoND VA: FRIDAY DECEMBER Id 1894

wfrninr victory where even their con-
quering footsteps had been halted.
HOPE DIsAPPoIsrMENT--Jrs
CO high indeed. did he elevate the
homes OF his countryfnen by the brilliant
audacity and the tremendous energy ne
impaired to their last S'ruggies tnat ths
catastrophe which he so long averteu
was scarce expected and was all the
more affecting when II came; ana 50 dld
he conceal his own weakness OF nunpers
from the enemy, such alarm ana terror
did he arouse among them That theV
scarcely yet believe with what hanuiu
he opposed. retarded and menaced them
II the soreness OF defeat made Min Tor
awhile the scapegoat or that impatient
and intolerant criticism which ever
springs from SUDDEN Disappointment ana
passionately demands victim, such crlti-
cism was the mere frothing or a. fran,lc
hour. 1t gradually subsidized I'm the calm
OF peace, its rude tunes were transformer
into those OF praise end admiration. anu
IS truth has slowly unrolled the scrolls
OF history with even pace justice has de-
manded and will give reparation.
The history OF the late war viii be writ
ten as the history OF no war ever WAS
written before so ample are the re-
cords preserved and so carefully have
they been collected. and II has been well
said by General William II. Payne, who
served under General Early. AMI than
whom | know no more gallant officer or
competent Judge that the notification or
these records which has destroyed so
many reputa tions. VIII only. add to his
II has been said by Col. Sir W. Butler,
the biographer Of Gen. Charles George
Gordon. that ~ is the victor who
writes history and counts the dead, and
TO the vanquished there only remains the
duh memory of an unnumbered and un-
written sorrow" But IN the case OF
our war we shall at least have the con-
ISOLATION OF numbering the dead as well
as the survivors. and the official reports
ont or he
United States as well as the opinions OF
Federal officers who are familiar with his
campaigns, are In themselves sufficient
10 place the name OF Early amongst
the greatest soldiers OF this or OF any age.
THE VALLEY CAMPAIGN OF 1864.
Thus have I given you some OF the
salient points in the military history OF
General Early, but ! am not unmlndful
OF YOUR reques; that should discuss his
Valley Campaign. OF 1854. You may have
been under the impression that I par
tcipated with him In II. but such was
not my good fortune | became the Ad-
utant-General and Chief OF Siaff Of
Early's Division few weeks before the
battle OF Charlottesville. In 1853, and
was with him until May 6, 1864 when /
was wounded and disabled in the
second days conflict in the Wilderness.
/ cannot. therefore, speak OF the Valley
Campaign from personal experience. Tor
while ! followed my old commander and
comrades InTOuEn lntlI ntTDI' ~ hfSi'o
with unfaltering interest. / could only
toss or sick bed while the sound Of
distant guns was borne upon the breeze
and grieve over my inability 10 be win
them.
ability 10 do Justice 70 him or them. |
am also conscious hat ! owe the honor
OF the invitation given me. 10 my asso-
citation with them. and 10 no source could
I trace your partially with greater SAL
W. affo4nnf 10 give
YOU the outlines Of thai campaign TOT
more than that is impossible during TINS
brief hour.
INITIAL POINT or THE vALLY CAMPAIGN OF looi
The Valley Campaign OF 1864 had its
beginning yOnder at Cold HarDor IN sisht
of the spires Of Richmond. From May
5th 10 June 3rd Grant with one hundred
and thirtv-eight thousand men and Lee
with fifty-two thousand, had wrestled
with each other from the Kapidan TO
the ChickahOminey. Grant had teie-
graphed 10 Washington May llth, that
ne "would fight it out on that line n
It took all summer; on May I'm, mar
the enemy seems to have found the last
ditch" and on May 10Th that Lee IS
really whipped" But now June 81 had
dawned, and as he hurled ms masses
six miles long upon Lee in general as
sault another tale was told. Thirteen
thousand men were sacrificed IN VAIN
while Lees loss was comparatively ri,
val. The blOOQieSt TepulSe WITH 80 rihdh
loss that had occurred during the war
had taken place. and when another as
saun was ordered. the remarkable spect-
acIe was presented by the Army OF the
Potomac standing silent sullen and I'M
mobile in emphatic protest against fur-
ther slaughter" Grant in his memoirs
regrets that he ever made the assault
for in IL he found the last ditch OF the
over land campaign, and on June I'm,
he commenced withdrawing from Lees
front to the James. Four days later
his entire army had passed over, the
seige Of Petersburg had begun, hfty-nine
thousand of his troops at cost OF eigh-
teen thousand to Lee had been wasted
to put him where he might have gone
without a battle.
LEES AGGRESSIVE PLANS TO RAISE THF sEIGF
From the 18th 10 the DIST Of May, in
this campaign, owing to the sickness
of General A. j. Hill. Major General
Early. by assignment OF Lee. command
ed his corps. But Hill returning to duty.
Early had scarce gone back to his own
division when EWeu. who had become an
invalid from the loss Of his leg at Sec
ond Manassas. became disqualified for
field duty, and Early succeeded 10 his
place. Soon after Cold Harbor Lee com
municated 10 Early that he was ma
turing plans for offensive operations
against Grant. and desired him TO take
the initiative with his corps We must
destroy he said, this army OF Grant 3
before he gets to James river If he gets
there IL will become a seige and then
1t VIII become mere question Of time.
But while Grant was slipping of to Pc
tersburg "A new danger now threatened
Lee in his rear; for war in the Valley
again lifted its angry head.
NEwMABKEr MAY 18th, AND PIEDMONT June
STR.
on the 18th OF May Breckenridge had
sharply repulsed SgeFs column at New
Market. the cadets of The Virginia Mill
tary Institute making gallant charge to
the admiration of both armies, and
capturing guns from veterans. at a loss
10 themselves of one TO every five killed
or wounded Breckenridge had FASTENED
with his slender division TO join Lee at
Cold Harbor. and after that battle had
been fought. wheeled right about to meet
commanded by Major General David
Harrisonburg. with $500 men. on June
5th Hunter had defeated and slain the
gallant cavalry General W T.. Jones. at
Piedmont, in Augusta. Three days later
June Sth, Crook and AVeriil had joined
him at Stanton with 10000 men, ami
now with this united force 1880 strong
he was marching on four parallel roads
to Lynchburs.
TRKyILIANs--THE BLoODIRsr CAVALRY Ac-
TON or THE WAR; JUNE IL 1864
Meantime Major General Sheridan had
been sent by Grant with corps OF
Cavalry on June 7th to destroy the Cen
trail mow Chesapeake and Ohio rail-
way, and Grant expecting him TO meet
Hunter at Charlottesville, they were TO