Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-07-03
GENERAL GEORGE II. WINDER.


NIilitary Commander of Richmond)
Franklin street next below the Exchange
Hotel, which was formerly Methodist
church. and fitted 1t up for a theatre.
! There theatrical plays were exhibited du-
| ring the war. They were OF character
| attractive to the soldiers, and the house
was filed with them every night. When
| General Lees army was near Richmond,
his soldiers would leave camp at night.
come to town to see the play, and many
of them would return before IL was known
at headquarters that they had been abb
sent But when the General ascertainec
| that his men were thus absent without
leave so often, he determined TO put a
stop TO II. and so be sent up TO Rich
mond. a cavalry company. with orders to
surround the theatre, and after the play
was over arrest all the soldiers who
were there and bring them down to camp.
ARRESTED THE CAVALRY COMPANY
General Winder thought that military
rules required that this ordC should
| have been directed to him and hat the
officer commanding the cavalry company
| should have reported to him, as he was
| the chief officer In command OF Richmond.
| This was not done. and therefore, he
sent a written order to the provost mar
shall to arrest the officers OF the company
and hold them until further orders. The
provost marshal arrested them and the
cavalry company was marched back to
the camp under the command of the
sergeant. The next day a correspondence
ensued between the two generals, and
General Lee acknowledged that the order
ought to have been executed through
General Winder. and declared that he
had meant no disrespect to his authority,
and thus satisfied him. Would Napoleon,
the Duke Of Wellington, or any modern
commander in chief. with an army at his
back, have acted with so much Difference
towards an inferior officer?
II, however. some Of General Winder's
Inferior officers, as sometimes happened,
did disobey his orders, while at the time
he would be very angry and threaten
immediate punishment, when the offender
explained why he took such responsibility
and assured him that his conduct was not
produced by a spirit of wilful disobe-
dience nor want of respect for him. he
would be appeased and satisfied. In illus
tration Of this, let me observe that / was
one OF the few officers connected with
the prisons who was a Richmond man.
and consequently, generally acquainted
with its citizens, and who was authorized
by Colonel G. w. Alexander, the super
intendent Of the prison, TO determine In
his absence. and 10 consult with him
when present as TO the Incarceration OF
citizens sent to the prison, especially for
minor offences.
WOULD ACCEPT EXPLANATIONS.
sometimes happened that / took the re-
sponslbility to let out on bail gentlemen
who had been ordered by the General
10 be held In prison, and when he would
find out that such persons were al liberty.
he would send down TO the prison a letter,
demanding TO know by whose authority
his orders had been disobeyed; and. when
he ascertained IL had been done by me.
he would direct Colonel Alexander 10
show these orders for my dis
charge to me. and when l asked him
what he intended to do. he replied: II
don't mean 10 discharge you at ALL" and
he suggested that after dark we would
go up TO the Generals residence and talk
the matter over with him. This occurred
many times and upon these occasions
! would explain 10 the General why we
had not literally obeyed his orders, and
tell him that my conduct was not induced
by any disrespect towards him. but be-
cause in the particular case felt GER
tain, II he had known as did the parties
concerned, and all the circumstances. he
never would have issued an order for their
arrest and imprisonment. We always
Convinced him or the propriety OF our |
actions in these matters and he would be !
satisfied. and at the end OF our interview. |
tell me 10 go on and attend to my duties. |
REPORTS MADE UPON SUSPICION. |
The fact is that General Winder had !
surrounding him, as detective officers, /
many Maryland men unacquainted with I
our people, who were not careful 10 find |
out facts upon which 10 base their re-
ports TO the General about our citizens. !
but they made them upon the barest !