The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-02-14
WAS THERE A COURT?
The longstreet-BattIe Controversy as to
the Court Of Inquiry at CuIpeper.
ANOTHER INTERVIEW WITH GEN. BATTLE
General Jones' Unfoadei Before the
Court on stuart, and Stuart when
tho Court Got After Him Told ora
LonEstrcet-Svh the Court Did
Tho Chnnec In Gen. Longssreet.

Petersburg, Va. Feb. 13.-(speciaD-
tie In reference to the court OF inquiry,
ABOUT which so much has been said, he
stated: ut has been shown concIusiye-
~ that court of inquiry was held at
Culpeper in the fail OF 1863, of which
General Malone was president, for the
purpose OF fnquiring into the conduct
or General Jones and others. We don't
know what was intended to be the
course or the inquiry, but we know that
on the 10th of September. 1853. General
stuart. through his acting adjutant-
generals. sent Il letter to General Rob
inson. in which he said: The court of
! inquiry requested by Brigader-G eneral
w. e. Jones and others to investigate
the circumstances connected with the
capture of certain wagons in Penn
| sylvania Is still In session In the vicinity
or Orange Courthouse, awaiting your
| testimony and we also know that Gene
| rails Stuart. Robinson and Jones we're
witnesses before that court. Three
fourths of the evidence before the court
was given by General Stuart. and more
than half OF his testimony related to
his own operations In Pennsylvania
General Jones also had much to say
Jones unloaded before the court on
Stuart. and when the court got after
stuart he told on Longstreet. We could
not strike from the record what Jones
and Stuart had stated. and we so in
formed them. Is 1t any wonder that
| General Stuart protested against the
cavalry being held responsible for the
| confederate disaster at Gettysburg
| when. according to his own statements,
a Acknowledgement was equally to
blame? Stuart stood before the world
the flower of chivalry and the soul OF
honor, and he had a right to demand
further investigation. Longstreet, too,
| had won impcriShable laurels on many
| a hard fought field. Why should rumors
about him be allowed 10 float on around
without investigation? The court OF
| inquiry had no right to try anybody,
but II did have right to make n pre-
limlnary investigation and report to the
commanding general That was what
1t was appointed for. and that was all
1t did. Justice TO all the parties demand
ed that the statements that had been
made concerning Generals Jones' Stuart
and Longstreet he submitted to the gen
eral of the army. Suppose the court had
| been inQuitinE into the conduct OF
private soldier and 1t became evident
that general WAS to blame no less than
he. Would 1t have been right to have
brought the private to trial by court
n,nrtial. while the general. with sword
sash and epaulets, was cavortng over
| the country very spectacle to the Gods.
Such 4 conception is utterly opposed to
every principle OF justice. Every man
has his faults. The greatness does not
| consist so much in never falling as II
does In rising as often ia we fall. Long
street did much to redeem himself. His
conduct in the wilderness was absolute
ly splendid and on to the last he kept his
colo-s to the front. All OF us remember
how he was received In Richmond at
the unwilling of the Lee statue. AS orc
OF the aids to the chief marshal I rode
in the procession by the side Of General
Ransom, and with the rest lifted my hat
to General Longstreet He was honorcd
then, but what change has come. II
| is no pleasure to me, FOR Ia any Of us,
that the flowers that were thrown in his
path have turned to thorns and the air
that famed his brow now smtcs his
cheek and Kisses in his ear. II is deeply
regretted that General Longstrect has
seen fit to attack General Lee and thus
open wounds that time was fast healing.
Lee needs no defender but we cannot
be silent when he Is assaled.
General. have you seen General
Longstrect's rejonder published in the
Lynchburg News Of last Sunday" .
Yes. a friend of his sent it to me,
and am Obliged to him for the
courtesy. / have little fault to find with
It. Much that he says have said
myself. OF course do not admit that
there was no foundation for my state
ments. Nor can any man say so who
has kept up with the progressive de-
NelCpment OF the case. General Long
street himself admits that there was Il
5 demand for investigation. He says that
friends urged me to ask for an invcs-
tigation, but it was evident enough
) that such proceedings could not adj
vance the interest Of the Southern
l cause" Again. he says. THE officers
CT the first corps, who complained
were told thar it would no, do to talk
that General Lee had taken upon himself
all the blame" Why need | say more
General Longstrect says there was a
demand for investigation,
. General. Will YOU tell something
more about YOURSELF"
only this. I was never The distin-
S guished general that some have rep
resented me as being. | was then, az
now, plain, blunt man. sut | had
some experiences calculated To impress
E my mind ] was slightly wounded al
: Seven Pines, Boonshoro'. and Sharps-
Il burg; rather more severely but not
g seriously at Gettysburg and Sp-tsylya-
MIA, and desperately at Cedar Creek in
: the battle between Early and Sheridan
! was four months In hospital: most of
n the time at Towards Grove Richmond
= was two years on my crutches: We. there
= | is nothing in my life more firmly i'm
= trenched in my memory than the fact.
. l have stated about the court of inquiry
i Specially low Prices