Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1898-03-19

AWEI ~
!: e; e: $: :: e.: =: F: ::
quarrel, which nearly led to a personal
collision 32 years after the battle of
Fort Fisher, was not simply misun-
derstanding over history as some one
else wrote it, The seeds were laid be-
fore the battle of Fort Fisher, and any
affair in which the two actors III the
quarrel were conspicuous would have
led to trouble.
1t is doubtful whether Generals Long
street and Stonewall jackson would
have served longer in the same army
had jackson lived. Longstreet had been
detached before Charlottesville. He
said that he saved jackson from de-
struction at Second Bull Run and got
no thanks for it and that it was more
than jackson had done for him i'll a
similar crisis He thought jackson s
Harper Ferry affair sort Of fool bust
ness and that his reputation was built
up by newspaper booming. There would
not long have been room i'll the same
army for men so opposite III temper and
methods. And there is "a mystery still
over the changes in Lees corps com
manders after the battle of the Wilder
ness Longstreet and \. Z. Hill never
seemed to occupy the same relative posi-
tion that they had before, while Jubal
Early and Ewell were given every
chance. History tells how they used
their opportunities
A strain of bad blood lingering be-
tween generals is fatal to the effective
ness of the army, and while violence,
especially in the form of assassination,
is deplorable, a cause is served by such
sudden outbreaks as that between Cen
eral William Nelson and jeff @. Davis
during the Confederate invasion Of
Kentucky in 1862 Nelson had been
sent into Kentucky to organize Federal
forces for the defense of the state, to
foster Union sentiment, and, in fact to
do anything and everything to save
Kentucky Davis reported to him for
duty and was assigned to the defense of
Louisville. To Nelson mind Davis was
not as active as he might have been. On
calling him to account he was met with
spirit of characterization, and Davis
was ordered to leave the city. About
that time there was change in the
commander of the department which
enabled Davis to return to Louisville
with sanction higher than Nelson's.
Sustained by several personal friends,
among them western governor, Davis
sought Nelson, and, meeting him in
the Calf House, forced "a quarrel, which
Nelson tried to avoid, When blood was
up on both sides, partisan of Davis
handed him pistol, with which he
shot Nelson fatally. Davis was never
tried and served faithfully to the end
of the war.
1t is easy to see how incalculable in
jury might result from personal quarrels
between generals 1t is not human ma
ture to believe that Davis would have
worked heart and soul to give Nelson a
victory after that first tilt. Honorable
men boldly state their differences and
are separated in command, so that the
service will not be the loser 1t was a
common thing to make changes of COM
mand on both sides during the war in
order to avoid evil results from personal
feeling. Hooker in the northern army
and Bragg in the southern were marked
men in respect to the confidence and de-
votion of their subordinates. Neither
had the confidence Of his army, and it
was marvellous that the feeling did not
end in open rupture in each case.
In one instance in the Confederate
in tho a Il
tied by an appeal to the code, surely
more manly way than the one adopted
by General JEFF G. Davis in the affair
with Nelson. This quarrel grew out Of
a battle. In the defense of Little Rock
in 1868 the Confederate cavalry was led
by General Lucius M. Walker, under
whom General j. S. Marmaduke COM
manded division. After the battle
Marmaduke asked that his division be
attached to another corps. Walker took
otfense and said Marmaduke 8 request
must be explained, for it cast an impu-
tation upon his (Walker's) courage.
Marmaduke responded that he had never
accused Walker Of Cowardice but that
he would not longer serve under him.
When Walker found that Marmaduke
not only would not explain but aggra-
waited the original offense, he sent him
challenge and the pair met at 0 clock
on the morning Of Sept 6, at a farm
near Little Rock The weapons were
colts navy revolyers, with a load in
every barrel. Taking position ID PAGES
apart the duelists prepared to shoot,
until disabled or satisfied, with those
terribly murderous weapons. Two shots
We're fired simultaneously without effect.
At the second fire Walker fell mortalIy
wounded and died next day.
During the Revolution there were sew
eral military duels, but the causes were
Of a strictly personal nature. Disputes
were taken up yicariously, as that of
Charles Lee and Washington by the
gallant Laurens. If the same course