Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1894-03-09
GENERAL BhRLY DEAD.

ilie eight surviving Lieutenant Generals of
Inc Confederate Army, died at lis home in
Lynchburg oil li;iay last, March end, the
| twenty ninth anniversary of the last blow he
struck for the Con.edeTacy, at Waynesboro
in this county, where bis small army of 1900
men were routed by force of 10000 picked
cavalry under Caster. II was in this last
and disastrous engagement that Gen. VIM.
| H. Harman of Staunton lost his life.
Gen. EARLY had been declining since he re-
ccived severe fall about three weeks ago on
| the post-ol1ice steps at Lynchburg. He had
rallied several times sufficiently to get up
and be dressed, but i'll the last few days of
his life failed rapidly. During visit OF
| Fltz Lee TO him last week, he slept un-
| luscious through the whole visit. Gen
! } ,,liry IL. Maury, e. s. Senator Daniel,
.ho was Major on Early's staff, and Gen.
Bradley Z. Johaston, went to see hinl, and the
| tsso visitors first named remained with him to
| he last. On Tie Gay Of his DEATH about noon
| re called fer the morning papers, as was his
9 '-tom, ard attempted to read, but found
shat bis sight was failing. Soon after, he eX-
! ensie. his hand to Senator Daniel and calm
ly said Il want to tell you good-by, major. ;"
/ He then told his nephew, Cabell EARLY, fare
we'll, after which he dropped into quiet
slumber Later in the day, the dying veteran
asked Senator Daniel not to leave the room,
| as he wanted to talk with him about certain
| arrangements; but from that time he suffered
such intense pain that lie did not revive
the subject lie met death unfinchingly
with his hand resting quietly in Senator
Daniels.
! Jul> pda arly hnrD in X
lin county, November 3, 1916, and was conse-
| quently in the seventy eighth year of his age
He was appointed cadet to West Point and
graduated in 1887 He was then assigned as
| lieutenant of artillery at Fort Monroe He
served in the Florida war in 1887 1888 In
! this war his genius as a soldier was shown
! But fearing life OF inactivity in the army
after the close of this war, he resigned his
commission in 1888 and returned home, where
be studied law and entered upon its practice,
in which lie became very successful, his prac-
! tice extending over a number Of counties
| He took an active interest in all public ques-
tons and was soon called upon to serve his
State in the Legislature, of which body he
was member i'll l54i-42 He was elected
| Common wealth's attorney of Franklin coun-
ty in 1Si2-47, and again in 1882.
During the Mexican war he was major of q
regiment of Virginia volunteers, serving
from January, 1917, till August, 1s4s He
was acting Governor Of Monterey in May and
June, 1s47, and after the disbanding OF the
army returned to the practice OF law.
At the breaking out OF the civil war he
promptly rendered his services to the GoVer-
nor of Virginia, and, as colonel, commanded
brigade at tie battle OF Bull Run. In the
battle OF Williamsburg, May 8, 1852, he re-
/ ceived wound that was supposed to DE NOR
/ tai de was promoted to brlgadier-general
and in May, 1863, commanded the division
that held the lines at Fredericksburg while
Lee was fighting the battle of ChancellorS-
VILE He also commanded division at Set
! tysburg, and was finally promoted to the
rank OF acknowledgement.
In 1864 he was ordered to the Valley of the
, Shenandoah where his operations were at
! first successful In July he crossed the Poto-
mac gained the battle of Monocacy and
threatened Washington, but was obliged to
retreat. Toward the end of the month por-
ton Of his cavalry advanced into Pennsylva-
mia, as far as Chambersburg, which, by his
orders, they burned. He was afterward 10Th
of September, defeated by Sheridan on the
Opeauan and again at Fisherss Hill three
days later.
On October l9 General Early surprised the
| federal forces at Cedar Creek in the absence
of General Sheridan, but the latter, having
arrived in the afternoon, rallied his amy
and managed to be successful. General Ear
ly lost some Of his artillery and trains. On
March 2, 1865, he was defeated by General Gus
| ter at Waynesboro, and few days later was
| relieved by Lee from the command in the
valley.
General Lee said in his letter of March so,
| 1865: Your reverses in the Valley, of which
the public and the army Judge chiefly by re-
suits, have, fear, impaired your influence
both with tile people and the soldiers, and
would greatly add to the difficulties which
will under any circumstances, attend our
military operations in Southwest Virginia.
While my own confidence in your ability,
zeal and devotion to the cause is unimpaired,
| have, nevertheless, felt that could not OPP
pose what seems to be the current opinion,
without injustice to your reputation and in
jury to the service
After the close Of the war he went to Mex
leo and Canada. and OH his return
resumed the practice Of law in Vir-
ginia. He subsequently became one OF the
managers Of the Louisiana lottery. He had
ALWAYS evncea grs at interest in all matters
appertaning TO Americas greatest war. lie
was active in organizing the Association OF
the Army of Northern Virginia, and was its
president He was also President of the
Southern Historical Society and published d
la of La
Year OF tie War for Independence in the
Confederate States.
OF the twenty-one lieutenant generals COM
missioned by the Confederate government,
seven are now living, as follows: Longstreet,
Stephen d. Lee. Of Mississippi Simon r.
Buckner, of Kentucky; Representative
Wheeler, OF Alabama; Senator j. Il. Gordon,
of Georgia; ex-senator Wade Hampton, of
South Carolina, and A. P. Stewart, of the
war record Office at Washington.
The General is supposed to be worth be-
tween two and three hundred thousand dol
lars He has received over $1,000 900 during
his connection with the Louisiana lottery.
But large part of this he has spent i'll plac-
ing his near and more remote family connec-
lions in comfortable circumstances, and in
re- ponding literally to the thousand calls up
Oh hi.n from the widows and children OF
Confederate soldiers throughout the SOUTH
The legislature Of Virginia, and the Camps
of Confederate Veterans generally, adopted
tributes to his memory, and at Richmond, the
capitol flags were at half mast AT his fune-
raj i'll Lynchbnrp, tie coffin was covered with
gray, The color lie had worn ever since the
war.
While Gen. Early was a refugee in Mexico
after the wal, he wrote to Maj, Jed. Hotcli-
| kiss OF s5t.uttin who, after Stonewail jack
/ sons death, had i'een Typographical engineer
oii his staff fol- the loan of his diary and
maps Of lis Valley campaign, ana on Ieceiv-
ing tl!em Il sel them i'll the preparation Of the
! -; f.. i.l