The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-04-25
FIERY GEN. COBB.
His Letters Contain Spicy Criticism
and Pointed Opinions.
Washington Correspondence of the New


Lorgstreet OF the late confederate army.
together with the disclosures of certain
letters written by the late Gen. Thomas
r. Il. Cobb. have renewed interest In some
features of confederate history which
have long been the subject Of controversy
One source Of the bitter anita gonism dis
played toward Gen. Longstreet on the
par, OF what might be called unrecon-
strrcted confederates. such as DR.. J Will
lam Jones of the University OF Virginia.
is that he dared to differ in mis- opinion
from Jefferson Davis. and that in official
documents and magazine publications he
has seen fit TO criticise the military ability
of Gen. Robert r. Lee. In this criticism
Of his date chief Gen. Longstreet spoke
from a purely military point of view, al
the same time expressing the highest
opinion of the character and manhood of
Gen. Lee. on jefferson Davis he lost little
love. The main point of Longstreets op-
position to Davis and Lee was that,
though there were eleven states in the
confederacy, these two high officers SEEM
ed to him to think there was but one-Vir-
gina. Gen. Longstreet. while in camp
with Gen. Lee. upon hearing that Jubal
A. Early had been appointed to succeed
Stonewan Jackson. exclaimed sententious-
ly: Too much Virginia, too much Viz
Blnlat IN TINS controversy zen. Long
street has had to stand alone, others who
felt as he did being more polite and court
ing public opinion, which was on the other
side.
The disclosures made by the letters of
Gen. t. r. r. Cobb support the views ex-
pressed by Gen. Longstreet, both in public
documents and in his book. Gen. T. r. r.
Cobb was a brother of Howell Cobb. who
had been Secretary of the Treasury under
President Buchanan. The family was a
distinguished one in Georgia. When the
war broke out Howell Cobb decided that
his place was in the field, and received the
appointment of brigadier general. Thomas
r. r. Cobb raised a legion known as
Cobb's Legion, composed of sons of plant
ers, all gentlemen born, and as brave a
body Of men as ever came together The
family pride was conferred in this legion
Its commander was man of great ability,
but with very strong views on every sub
Ject. One of his daughters is the wife of
ex-Secretary HolSe Smith. The family has
in its possession letters written home by
the general. in which he spoke freely of
current events, and these letters have now
been made public, probably not with the
best of taste They indicated. however,
that the feeling of the general against
Virginia and the favoritism in Richmond
was quite as strong with him as it could
| possibly have been with Gen Longstreet.
The first of these letters written ION
the Chickahominy. May 10, 1862" complains
bitterly that the legion had been divided,
and in response to his petition that they be
Kept together the President and Gen Lee
replied with the stale reason of military
necessity" few days later writing
from Camp, one mile from Richmond
May o. Gen. Cobb said: Il am again
face to face with the enemy. They OPEN
ed fire with six guns on one of our pieces
this afternoon. Mr. Davis and Gen Lee
had ridden nj
duel without being in range. Some of the
balls passed over their heads, and the pa
pers Will no doubt make much ado about
| the President under IRE" A few DAYS
| later, June 5, Gen. Cobb wrote: Since
| Johnston was wounded, Lee is in COM
mand, and he is as reticent as Johnston. -
Again. in letter writtent"N Near Richmond,
| June b. '62," describing a visit from Lee.
! Hill, Magruder, McLaws, Jones, Toombs,
| and Semmes, he said: There is much
! bad blood among these high officers, teal-
/ ousies and backbitings." The next bears
the date of June II, and said of affairs in
| Richmond:
Il am sick of the despicable favoritism
| here. My cavalry are doing nearly all of
the picketing. but when Stuart wants to
make a brilliant and daring exploit he
| takes some of the Potomac pets and
never lets us know his intentions until
| he returns in triumph to Richmond -
| Again, on July 5: "Old Marauder made no
| reputation in this battle. He lost rather
than gained. He was depressed and, ]
fear. was drinking" Gov.
About this time a severe controversy
was raging within the confederacy over
the enforcement of the conscript law, the
test TO loyalty to jefferson Davis being
obedience to this law, and of disloyalty
disobedience to 1t. Joseph L. Brown OF
Georgia headed the opposition to the con-
script law aud refused to allow il to be
paf In De MT a.
on July 16. 1862, Gen. Cobb wrote: Yes
terday Col. Benning got into a controversy
| with Gen. Lee and Secretary Randolph
about the conscript law. Benning saying
! II was unconstitutional and refused To
obey orders based upon IL. He was about
TO be placed under arrest and his men
about to mutiny. He came to get my ad-
! vice and counsel. ] agreed TO go and see
Randolph, which / did, finding him. as
usual, reasonable and courteous. After
presenting my views / succeeded In con-
vincing him, and am happy 10 believe that
II will ward off bitter war between Geor-
gia and the confederacy, for Brown was
backing Benning."
''roombs has challened ID. II. Hin. who
refuses TO fight, and a bitter correspond
ence is going on. Hill did most wantonly
charge Toombs with cowardice TO his
face. He now makes many excuses for not
| fighting him. Toombs Is denouncing Hill
as a poltroon. l don't know how IL will
end, but 1 think that you viii hear that
| Toombs Is under arrest in less than a
| week"
The constant favoritsm shown to Vir-
ginia troops by President Davis ground
more and more into the soulsAof those Of
ficers who were from the other states.
! Coming back to the subject again, N a
letter written Near Richmond July 2s.
1892 Gen Cobb remarked: Il confess
that I was little annoyed this morning
by the announcement of the promotion OF
( Fitzhugh Lee to be brigadier general OF
| cavalry. / suppose In a few days we VIII
see the balance Of the Lees promoted also.
| This man has been colonel about three
months; now / am 10 be under him when /
| 90 out with my cavalry" Two days later.
as n emphafizing his antlpathy 90 the
Lees, Cobb spoke thus OF stonewai jack
son: Would u not be glorious II GoI
would 80 order that this man OF faith
should be our chief deliycrer2"
IL is in letter written Aug. T. 1862. that
Gen. Cobb, in plain lansuape. charges bah
faith against President Davis. Relating
/ Il n.