The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-03-03

move across the Potomac into Maryland
ana Pennsylvania
The Hunter Raid.
arriving at Charlottesville on Inc
lo'h or June. in advance OF DIS
troops Early received telegram
IRON General Breckenridge at Lyncn-
burg informing him that Hunter was IN
Behord county, and moving on Lyncn-
burg Ihe distance was sixty miles.
Early. with the instinct Of a soldier, as
! sumed responsibility. took possession Of
! the trains and rolling stock. and by
instant efforts dispatched his troops by
railway 10 Lynchhurg These arrived IN
the urgent hour OF need. and i'm the eX-
! trene moment 10 save the city from the
ravages Of Hunters overwhelming cav
! airy and infantry. That Lvnchhurg was
not destroyed and desolatcd bv the mer-
ciless myrmidOns of Hunter is due cx-
clusively to the quick perception and
prompt action Of Early. General Lee. as
said above had given Early discretionary
powers but on the retreat Of Hunter,
suggested TO Early the expediency Of
operating IN the Valley. without crossing
the Potomac. The latter, however, act
ing on his own plenipotentary powers,
decided. against the cauuOnary counsel
OF Lee. TO enter Maryland. The animating
arLals OF history recount how he routed
the vastly superior forces Of General Lew
Wallace at MonOcacy. and marching for
ward for three days threat sncd Washing
ton IN plain view Of the spires OF the
city, and the dome Of the Capitol
His ID saster.
on his retirement from Maryland I'm the
early days of August 1864, he held the
Valley. protecting Winchester, and the
adjacent section. The next eventful
II
chester. There. with less than ten thou
sand men Of all arms, he withstood over
1000 Of the enemy infantry and ar
tillery, with splendidly equipped cavalry
exceeding in numbers his entire force.
That Early was permitted al night TO
withdraw his troops in good order, with
out mOlestatiOn from cavalry force
exceeding I'm number his entire command
Of all arms. IS one Of the most notable
events Of skill and heroism chrOniclcd
In all the annals Of strategic skill. II
is useless here to recapituidte the sue
ceeding disastrous days Of Early's COM
mand In the Valley. The battle Of Cedar
Creek on the 18th Of October, which
commenced In signal victory. and ended
in a signal defeat, IS the sole instance i'm
the long and illustrions career of Early,
of a disastrous failure bat the pen Of
impartial history will recount that this
disaster was not 20 be accounted 10
him. Where the fault lay Is not the part
Of this sad tribute TO record. IT will come
out I'm luminous letters iu the veracious
record Of the Confederate war yet 20 be
written by the colourless and dispassion-
ate pen of history.
Gen. EarIy's Estate.
The General is supposed 10 be worth
between two and three hundred thousand
dollars. He has received over $4,000
during his connection with the Louisiana
lottery. But q large part Of this he has
spent in placing his near and more re-
mote family connections in comfortable
circumstances. and in responding literally |
TO the thousand calls upon him from the |
widows and children of Confederate sol |
diers throughout the south. He has gem |
erOusly opened his purse strings to these, !
even In hundreds OF cases where he did |
not know them. lie was "a rough dla- |
mond Beneath an exclusive and repel- |
liant exterior, he had "A warm and sym
pathetic heart, even as the eagle that
scars with unwinking eye nearest the |
sun wears beneath his wing the sOftest
down.
General Lees Letter.
a few days afiar the Waynesboro dis
aster General Early was relieved ly
General Lee or the command ln tlt
Valley. General Lee said IN his letter OF
March 30 1865:
"Your reverse in the Valley, Of which
the public and the army judge chiefly
)y the results. have, j fear impaired your
influence both with the people and
he soldiers. and would greatly add 10 the
lifiiculties which viii. under any circum-
stances. attend our military operations
n southwestern Virginia. While my own
confidence in your ability, zeal. ana
DEVOTION TO the cause is yninpaired. /
ldyc nevertheless felt that ! could not
oppose what seems 10 be the current 0pin-
on WITHOUT injustice TO youR reputation
ld injury 10 the service"
\ Voluntary Exile.
Zee war over and Lee surrendered, Ear
y, after a long and dangerous ride from
'irginia through the States Of North
'arolina. South Carolina. Georgia, Missis-
ipp Alabama. Arkansas. and Texas.
Without giving his parole % the United
states authorities, left the country. a
exile, rather than submit TO the
ule Of his enemies.
Cast His Fortune With Mavimilian.
At the close Of the war Early went
o Mexico to cast his fortunes with
laxlmilian, but arrived too late and then
to !