Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1895-01-16

Ii he had taken w asnlngtOn Win 90
small force it would have been futile
and short-lived success.
On the 18th of July, carrying along
with him all the prisoners of Monocacy,
Early marched TO the Potomac and on
the 14,h, crossing near Leesburg, was
again in old Virginia.
count this thirty days campaign as
one of the most brilliant of our own or
any other war. Within that brief time
General Early, with less than $4,000 men
all told, had,
/. Driven out of the field the army OF
Hunter, eighteen thousand five hundred
strong.
3 Bottled up Sigel at Harper's Ferry,
with force of six thousand strong.
8. Defeated Wallace, at the Monocacy,
and sent him whirling into Baltimore with
an army of six to seven thousand strong.
4. Diverted from Grants army the
sixth corps and part of the nineteenth
corps which just at this time, happily for
Grant, was arriving at Fortress Monroe
from New Orleans.
5. Transferred the seat OF war from
Central and Piedmont Virginia, where it
menaced the rear of Lee, to the border
line of Northern Virginia on the Potomac.
where it began three years before. Count
ing the men in the defences of Washing
ton, Early had occupied fully sixty thou
sand men to oppose him. All the objects
of the campaign were, up to this time,
roundly accomplished.
Early was with Lee in both of his
northern invasiOns, and is the only other
Confederate General who himself led two
invasions.
He won the only battle ever won by
Confederate arms beyond the borders of
the Confederacy, as witness the defeat of
Wallace on the Monocacy July 9, 1864.
His three victories in 1864 were the last
in which the Army of Northern Virginia
drove its foe from the battlefield, as wit
ness: Hunters fight from Lynchburg,
June 10Th WaIlace's from Monocacy,
July 9th, and Crooks from Kernstown,
August 23d.
He led the expedition which, though
the smallest in number, came nearest TO
all to capturing Washington,
He made the greatest march of the civil
war or of modern war.
He was not finally overcome until the
army of his adversary numbered on its
rolls more men than the Army of North
ern Virginia under Lee, inclusive, or
Early's own troops and those of Beaure-
gard at Petersburg. Not until those in
his immediate front were more than three
fold his own in numbers. Not until the
cavalry of his enemy was more numerous
than his own infantry, and reported more
men present than his entire command
Not until he had killed, wounded and
captured more men than he ever mustered
upon field of battle.
Senator Daniel said General Early had
the satisfaction of retaining the confidence
and good opinion of his great commander
r. f. Lee.
In comparing Early and Jackson, Sen
ator Daniel said:
Comparisons have been made betweer
them, sometimes to the detriment of tht
/ latter. The differences in their situations
should be remembered.
Early fought under paling STAR
First, Jackson fought when the prestig'
of the Confederacy was in the ascendancy
Early, when it was on the decline.
Second, the Valley was garden and ;
granary when Jackson fought. Earl.
fought in desert, where "the crow hyin:
over it would have to carry bis ralions.
He had to practice the art Napoleon, scat
fer TO subslde and concentrate for battle
He had men seizing and grinding stack
of wheat, while battle ragged about them
What shall we eat and yherewi,hal shal
we be clothed was the problem to his men
and if they plundered battlefelds it wa
hunger and nakedness that prOmpte'
them.
Third, .Jackson's cavalry was not over
matched by the enemy's, as Early's wa:
three to one. The Valley, now denudec
of fences and swept by fire, was srlen
did field for cavalry operations an
Early felt and expressed his sense of de
ficiency in cavalry. The Federal Gov
ernment supplied its troops with goo'
mounts aud beautiful forage, while ou
cavalry had TO make shift to get horse
as best they could, many being absent a
all times in search for them. When the
got them it was equally difficult 10 fee
them and more than once brigades wer