New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-05-20
A SOLDIERS CAREER.
.r,,r, AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A soUTHERNER.

Tha autbor Is a nephew Of the late Matthe" oi-
tame Maury in his time one OF the 'loiei,os'
among the worlds men OF science. Ills own i
has been one OF activity and adventure uu''"e
which he was by turns In contact with tne n'o''
of the great Americans, particularly the iiii'a'y
men OF the period Of the Civil war. In MS so"'i
h,s relations with his learned and dlsuhsu'sneN
uncle were very close His father Johh Miiio'
,,a,,u,, ,,,o was an officer Of the United States
NAVY from his thirteenth year, serVeu as n"e
canta,n in Commodore David Porter's expedition
IN 1899 against the West Indian pirates anu uieu
from yellow fever on the homeward voyage ne
IA share in the battle and victory OF Lake
r,n.rn,a,n under McDonough. and his son quotes
Massage from one OF his letters which Is sigh'"-
a,. General Maury fought on the SIDE OF the
South in the War OF Secession. ana ne eVlueh''S
takes pleasure in the reminder contalheu III MS
fathers letter 1--WE have gained glorious VIZ
tory" wrote Captain Maury. 1 nope '''e ''o''
important result OF It will be TO connrm INC W."
airing ALLEGIANCE OF New-York and vermont u 'ne
Union. They have been threatening 10 seO'"o
unless peace be made with England "" any
.erns" "That was in 1915" he adds. as II ne
would have the reader infer that talk OF secession
WAS no novelty in the earlier days OF the hepuo-
,c He Is apparently not less amused py ie'i'',-
,.,oa ~ the way Jones County MISSISSIPPI
.r,.a % secede from the Confederacy. The people
=, Iones County had logical minds, ana they saw
reason vvhy bond that was too weak 10 hoiu
tha Union together should keep them ueu 10 '
sissppi. In the last months OF the war "e"el"'
Maury was in command Of the Conieueia'e ~
nartment of the Gulf. and 1t was theh 'he "e"'
caNoa TO him that the people OF Jones Cou''''
chad declared their independence OF the "ou'"9.'
confederacy 1t was said that Co'iVN
wagon train passing through that section hau
been captured and the officer In charge p"'o'eD
"a INV other prisoner Of war might nave oeeI''
% TI.,,u-,., ordered the Fifteenth Confederate
cavalry IN invade this imperium in imperls anu
-aarca those secesslonists to order. Jones Couh-
-. mas restored to the Confederacy with niue
time To snare before the Confederacy was IT,
stored to the Union. In both cases there seems
~ have been a residuum Of il-temper III '"o
case Of the Confederacy that is neither mere hoi
there. but certain exies from Jones county s"'e
General Maury trouble in later years. DrNe"
from their homes they settled In Southeds'e'"
louisiana where subsequently he bought p'ne
forest. with the purpose Of manufacturing tur-
nentine and resin. The resentful secessiohistS
whom he had coerced burned the most vaiuaoie
,,o.,,on NJ his propery forced him 10 carry arms
~ all times and helped TO make his enterprise
q failure. He had 10 abandon his properly anu
seek other means of livelihood.
After Captain Maurys death the author OF
these recollections practically under the guar
danship of his uncle NJ. F. Maury. lie tes'ilicS
to the gentle and loving way In which the ial'er
exercised his authority. lie preferred praise as
an incentive to endeavor. and even when admon-
,,c,, WAS necessary usually sought TO administer
with a Jest When his nephew finished at
Yves. Point and returned home he asked;
7 .Well. Dab. how did you come out?
'uoFvery poorly. Uncle Matt. l graduated thirty
Fffftf'
ANYTHING on the subject, but Frightened up ds ne
! asked How many were In the class
: .yhere were sixty Of u.s." was the reply;
rat was drst-rate. You beat me al no nov
was twenty-seventh' anu 'he'e wei" '' ~
Y In MY class."
r srbe class with which General Maury passed
1be5rgh West Point comprised among others
Mcclellan and "Storowall' Jackson. The FORMER |
gen. .As i,saa-sf tive class from the outset but
Jackson. his first examination. was at the foot
, He advanced steadily. however. and II was
common saying that II the course had lasted a
year longer he would have reached first place
"Every night just before taps" says General
Maury ''he would pile his crate high with an
. thracite COAL so that by the time the lamps were
out rudy glow came from his fire. by which,
prone IN the bare floor, he would bone his lesson
Tor the next day until 1t was literally burned into
his brain" Grant as a cadet Is remembered
mainly for his daring horsemanshp. Maury him
self graduated just IN time 10 ldhe part i"
SCOTS march from Vera Cruz to Mexico. He
. was severely wounded In the arm during Skin
mish near Plau del Rio. and when he returned to
his native Fredericksburg received handsome |
sword from the citizens Of the town. Then, for |
term OF four years, he was a professor at West |
Point. Yet he seems never to have got over a |
feeling of resentment because Of the discipline OF |
that institution. Among American generals his |
special admiration goes out 10 Forrest. who Is re- |
membered at the North-unjustly says General |
Maury-for the massacre at Fort Pillow. In re- |
ply to those who thought that Forrest. II he had
been educated as a soldier would have been 1.-The !
greatest general the war produced" the author |
remarks II do not believe that four years con- |
fnernent under military surveillance at West |
Point would have made him a greater soldier |
= than he was" Yet he seems to have been a |
I. model Of characterization. tolerated on account
of his uniform success. ignorant OF tactics. and
his practical skill is explained by General Maury |
: as the result of genius. HE had probably slain
more men In battle with his own hand" SAYS the |
II author than any other man living" This was |
" due to his experiences with his favorte arm. the
srevolver Forrest will always stand adds Cen
= eral Maury, "as the great exponent Of the power
OF mounted rfemen to fight with the revolver
when, mounted. and with the rifle on foot. His
troops were not dragons. who fought ipdffer-
who fought only mounted and with sabres. Few
OF his command bore sabres. OF
his officers. who bore them a badge Of rank.
None Of Forests men could the sabre. He
himself had knowledge Of its use, but he /
would encounter haf-a-dozen expert sabreurs
with his revolver" In praising Forrest General
Maury is evidently saying word for himself
He was the author Of book accepted by Floyd
when he Secretary of War. entitled Tactics
for Mounted Rifles" in which he provided before
hand for the kind Of fighting subsequently done
by the troopers Of the Confederate generals