Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-04-13
ENVY IN THE coNFEDERAcY.
Gen. 7. R. R. Cobb's Letters as 10 the vir.
ginians-A Yearnins for Assassinaiions.

which have long been tha subject az COW
troversy saws the Wasbingion corras
pondent of the n V SIM
One source of the I,ttor or+.oon;s,, 5is-
played toward Gen. Ionpstreet an the
part of what might ha callad ,,procon
structed Confederatas suc,, DC ~, +
William Jones of tha Trni,,n,sit,, of VIZ.
cinia Is THAT he d,roa ~ siess A., -;
fetal documents ana n,,aani,, - .a,,i,i;oa
tions he has seen III 70 n,.;t;ni+.a H. Iii
tary ability Of Cen Rohar, 4, .,o In
this criticism of his Late cbisf c,an Tone-
street smoke from a nnrelv ,,ili,ar, nnint
of view AZ tba game t;n,e a>-,roe,iy,dr ~
highest oniniop Of The ohara es9is and
manhood az Cen Loo m TAfarsa,, NJ
Wis he lost uttla love ~ ,,ai,, ,aint
of Iongsfreet's onnosittor "a Dax;s ana
lee was that thougb thara u,ara a,o,,an
states in tho confederac,, thoea +u,o hioh
officers seemed 10 ti,,, -, +tie1 .i,.,, ,f7
hut one-Virpinis Gu .onnstroat will
in camn Mn 60 7 ~ So ,ari,a,,
TINT IIbal A Eariv ia had,, a,noirta5
TO succeed Stonewai1 Iac,xson eYnIaimad
sententionsIv. .rroo much Viroinia roo
much VIRGINIA y, In tbis nontroyars,,
cen onnstrnat hos, b,d 70 stand ai 80
others VIZ felt as he ala hai,,s ,,errc
nolitic and conrting nublic oni,,ion whicb
was ON the other sida
The discIosuree made NV the Iattars of
Cen. r r r Cohb snnnort The views az
DrpSSpd Cf.n II h
lie documents and in bic hook CEN r
n r Cohb vas hrn+bar NJ Howeu
Cohh who bad haan sanratorv of th,.
treasury under President Pnchanan The
family was a distingnisbod one in Gaor-
ria When tbe var hrolSe ont uowan
Sol,b danidod that b;s ~ NO., IN ~,
fold and received tba announcement Of
Hriga dior c,eneraI TbomaS u u conn
raised = legion known az (,obh,e 7 .eejon
composed Of sons of planters all gentle
men horn and as hrava y bod,. Of mon
as ever cama togatber rba fa,,i,v nrid,.
was centarad in his laojon ~ com
yna,dor Vas a man If oreat abi1it, h,,+
With very, strong views ~, aver1r s,1hiect
one Of his doughters is tha vito of ax
Sanratar1, unta smith tho fan,ilv has
in its possession letters written home by
tba eya,craI in which he smoke freely Of
current events. and these letters have
now baen made public, probably NOT with
the best of taste. They indicated. how
ever that the feeling of the general
against Virginia and the favoritism in
Richmond was quite as strong with him
as ii could possibly have been with Gen
Longstreet
The first of these letters. written "On
the Chickahominy. MAY TO- 1862" COM
plains bitterly that the Legion had been
divided. and in response to his petition
that they be kept together The Presi-
dent and Gen. Lee replied with the stale
DAVIS later. writing from Camp one milo
from Richmond, May ed" Gen. Cobb
said: Il am again face to face with the
enemy They opened fire with six guns
on one of our pieces this afternoon. Mr..
Davis and Gen Lee had ridden over and
they witnessed the duel without being in
range. Some of the balls passed owe"
their heads and the papers will no doubt
make much ado about the President be
ing under fire. A few days later. June
a. Gen Cobb wrote: Since Johnston
was wounded Lee is in command, and
he is as reticent as Johnston Again, in
a letter written Near Richmond, June
49, 'G2" describing a visit from Lee, Hill,
Magruder McLaws. Jones, Toombs. ana
Semmes he said: There is much bad
blood among these ngh othcerS Jealous
les and backbltings." The next bears tho
date of June Il, and SAN Of affairs IN
Richmond:
81 ,;ol, Of tho desnicahIe fayorjtisru
hove Nv cavalry are doing nearly all
If the nicketing but when Stuart wants
ta ,,,al-i. a brilliant and daring exploit he
takes some of the Potomac pets and new
-. Io4e ne l<r,ov his intention until he re-
t,,,, IL, ,,.i1t,nnb To Pfchmond" Again
~, Inlt. ",,ld Narauder made no rcpu-
tation in This battle. He lost rather than
,iaa IL vas decreased and. | fear
VS. drinking"
About this time a severe controversy
&c rayino within the confederacy over
fhn anf0rrempnt of the conscript law the
-. nf io,-aitx- +o jefferson Davis being
t,l,ll,i9,co to This law. and of disIoyalty
gi,ohodinneo 10 II Gen. Joseph E. Brown
'r C.eleria l,eadad tbe opposition to the
.,,.,,,n+ Iayr ina refused TO allow it to
ho enforced Il, his State. Upon this sub
80 an mn, IA 1912 Cen. cobb wrote:
.,yas+ordav Gol Ren1,dng got into con
+,o,.or1v Win CEN. Lee and Secretary
n,'1liy2t abn,,t The conscript law, Ben
,,t.s sl,ti,,er If was unconstitutional and
,af17ead ia obey orders based upon it. He
80 oTont tn he nlaced under arrest and
~ r,,n, ahout TO nllftiny. He came to
~ ~, ad,.irb and counsel. In the poin,
., - 10y Rennina was right. agreed to
90 80 COO PnndoInb which [ did. finding
bJ,, CO. Ne nsi,aI reasonable and courteous.
After presenting my views l succeeded
in convincing him. and am happy TO be-
lieve that it win ward off a bitter war
between Georgia and the Confederacy'
for Brown was backing Benning.
"Toombs has challenged u. ii. nm
who refuses to fight. and bitter cores
pordence is going on. Hill did most wan
tonly charge Toombs with cowardlce 70
his face He now makes many excuse
for not nghting him. Toombs IS De
| rourcing Hfll as 4 poltroon. doh l
l1now how it will end. but | think that
Won will hear that Toombs is under ar
t5,,,, -