Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1894-03-15

vi lHe AlHIy VI WV iN'NA4S-N'
abandoned the movement and returned
to Shenandoah Valley.
Sheridan soon confronted Early in
the Valley with troops from the army
at Petersburg and defeated him in
two battles, at Opequon and Fishers
Hill, September 18th and Goth. But
on October 18th Early surprised Sher-
idan's camps at Cedar Greek and came
very near redeeming the Valley from
Union control. Sheridan saved his
army by the memorable ride from
Winchester and a stirring appeal to
his troops.
At the opening of the spring cam
paign in 1865 General Custer defeated
Early at Waynesboro, and Lee was
compelled by public opinion to select
another commander for the Confeder-
ates in the Valley.
General Lee said in his letter of
March 80, 1865: Your reverses in
the Valley, of which the public and
the army Judge chiefly by the results,
have, fear, impaired your influence
both with the people and the soldiers,
and would greatly add to the Difficult
ties which will, under any circum-
stances, attend our military operations
in Southwest Virginia. While my
own confidence in your ability, zeal
and devotion to the cause is unim-
paired l have, nevertheless, felt that
I could not oppose what seems to be
the current opinion without injustice
to your reputation and injury to the
service"
After the close of the war he went
to Europe where he spent some time,
and on his return resumed the prac-
tice of law in Virginia. He subse-
quently became one Of the managers
of the Louisiana lottery. He has al
ways evinced great interest in all mat
ters appertaining to Americas great
est war He was active in organizing
the association of the Army of North
ern Virginia, and was its president
He was also president of the Southern
Historical Society and published a
pamphlet entitled "a Memoir of the
Last Year of the War for Independ-
ence in the Confederate States"
General Early, while never seeking
notoriety, gained great deal of it
owing to his readiness at all times to
defend the cause for which he fought.
That cause had few more devoted fol-
lowers. He has always worn the Con-
federate grey. Had he been a man
of smaller calibre he might have had
some hard feelings against General
Lee for relieving him of his command,
but, on the contrary, he has revered
the memory of Lee and Jackson, and
has never failed to pay warm tributes
to them.
General Early died bachelor, hav-
ing had his first romantic love affair
spoiled by the fckleness of a northern
girl whom he rescued from drowning
at White Sulphur Springs during his
cadet days. The lovers were engaged,
and the lieutenant was anticipating a
happy termination to the romance
when his hopes were blasted by the
receipt Of a newspaper containing a
notice of the marriage of his charmer
with a northern man. He put aside
the uniform, with its hateful associa-
tions, and left the army until wars
alarms summoned him to the battle
fields of Mexico. After the Mexican
war he returned to civil life.
General Early is supposed to have
been worth two or three hundred
thousand dollars. He has received
over 100000 during his connection
with the Louisiana lottery. But a
good deal of this he has spent in plac-
ing his near and more remote family
connections in comfortable circum-
stances and in responding literally to
the thousand calls upon him from the
widows and children of Confederate
soldiers throughout the south. He has
generously opened his purse strings
to these, even in hundreds of case:
where he did not know them He
gave $500 to the Lee monument
at Richmond.
OF the twenty-one lieutenant-gen'
erals commissioned by the Confederate
government seven are now living, al
follows: Longstreet, Stephen D. Lee
of Mississippi Simon B. Buckner, 0
Kentucky: Representative Wheeler
of Alabama Senator ]. B. Gordon, 0
Georgia; ex-senator Wade Hampton
of South Carolina, and A. P. Stewart
of the war record Office at Washington