The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-07-16

4 Washingtonlan Claims the Honor oil
Printing the Last Call.

The following letter. which explains
itself. was received Monday by General
Thomas l.. Rosser. We give also the
Generals reply. says the CharloItesVile
Progress: .
Washington, July 4, 1896.
General T.. L. Rosser:
Dear Sir.-I noticed in the Richmond
Times of yesterday an item OF your es-
can. from Appomattox az the surrender
of General Lee. and went from there to
Charlottesville. aud issued 'proclama-
tion 10 those Confederate soldiers VINO
had not surrendered 10 rendezvous In the
Valley OF Virginia As ! was the per-
son who printed that proclamatlon-the
last suppose. calling the soldiers OF
the South together-I would like 70 have
a letter from YOU stating that mad
the honor of doing IL. 80 IL can pc said
L was the one that printed the last oruer
10 the Confederate soldier. II would be
very gratifying 10 myself and also 10
my children IN the future.
Now probably you will say II Is rake.
AS there are so many fakirs In the coun-
try az present. l Will remind you OF GER
tain things. il you can recall them, 10
convince you that L was the party that
printed the PROCLAMATION. thnk you
We're stopping at Judge Shackeltord
Ghere is where I met YOU, and l was
iu charge of the remains of the Chronicle
office. which was partially destroyed by
sheridan when be made his raid through
that nelglbOrhOOd. You asked me 10
print the circulars. and L, being a Confed-
crate soldier. who had lost his leg IN
defence of the South, thinking the
rtnffI1
me for so doing, consulted Judge s. abou
il. and ne said: go and do IL; General
Rosser will pay you well for il"
] printed them and delivered them 20 you
I'm the presence Of Judge on his porch
I'm the afternoon, and you remarked:
"Wcll. my boy, how much are they7"
and my answer was. 1.-TWO dollars and
a half" You said: "Whon / get some
change r Will settle with you" I said.
"An right" and LEFT. and have not seen
You FROM that day 10 this. You had
them posted aroun dand through tho
town that evening. As near as / can
remember. the purport Of the circular
was this:
General Lee has surrendered, but
have not. and want those who have not
surrendered 10 rendezvous at Stanton
on the - day of April" II have forgot
ten the exact date)
NOW, If you think the above is true I
will Doe under many obligations 10 you II
You VIII acknowledge the same over your
signature, as ] will preserve il. with many
other relics of the Lost Cause" that |
have. ] have always been an admlrer OF
yours, and am still. ! was only sixteen
years old when ] enlisted in the army. at
Richmond, ON the 2ist Of April. ,6i i'm
the Fifteenth Virginia Regiment. and
! served with that command until the
18th day OF April, 1868. when lost a leg.
Went 10 Charlottesville. and Mr.. J..
Hughes ana myself published the Chron-
icle until Sheridan broke us IN.
have been Identified with the
Richmond and Norfolk press since
the close OF the war, until within
the last three years. and am now in the
Government Printny-Oncc.
Yours truly GEO. w. MANNING.
Mr.. George W. Manning. Washington
j.. c.:
Dear sir.-Tie statement made in vour
communication of the ith instant is cor
rect according 90 my recollection Of the
matter. Yours truly
THOMAS l.. ROSSER.
Rugby Hall, Albemarlo county. Va. Julv
s. 1896.