The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-11-12

4
J With all the rights OF belligerents, then
what was the effect OF the victories OF
Jackson and Lee? The government OF
the limited States was born In a rebellion
and promoted Tebellions all over the
| world-untn II had one of Its own. In
/ 1851 the Austrian Mnister-the Chevalier
/ Hulseman-compl in diplomatic
/ note that the instructions OF the Ameri-
1 can government TO It's agent In Europe
were offensive TO the Imperial Cabinet
| because 1t applied an honorary title 20
/ the Hungarian chief, Kossuth. Mr. Web
/ ster. then Secretary Of State, said In
replv.-"In respect to the honorary cpl
! thet bestowed in Mr.. Mann's instructions
on the late chief Of the revolutionary
1 government of Hungary. Mr.. Huseman
will bear in mind the government or the
! United States cannot justly be expected
| in n confidential communication to It's
| own agent, 70 withhold from an indi-
| vidual an epithet Of distinction Of which
/ great part OF the world thinks him
| worthy, merely on the ground that his
| own government regards him as rebel
| At an early stage Of the American revo-
/ luton, while Washington was considered
| by the English government as a rebel
( chief. he was regarded on the continent
| OF Europe as an ilustrious hero" When
| Webster wrote that the Hungarian revo-
| luton had been crushed and Kossuth was
| on exile.
General Grant had come from the West
! and taken command OF the army cantoned
| IN CulpeDer south of the Rappahannock.
! lie moved toward Richmond, crossed
James river and was in front OF Lee at
| Petersburg. Ny battalion remained in
Northern Virginia to threaten Washington
and the border. it operated along the 10
tomac in the Shenandoah Valley, and did
not come In contact with the portion Of
the army Immediately under the command
Of General Grant. lie knew us only by
report. No doubt in imagination he con-
founded US with the Western bands Of out
laws whose inhuman deeds the Confede-
rate government disowned: and that he
shared the general belief Of the North that
was a leader Of banditti-a chief OF
briRands-a Fra DiavOO "on yOnder rock
reclining" Any absurd story will finally
gain credence II often repeated. Victor
Hugo said that If It were published
number Of times that he had robbed Notre
Dame of one Of its towers he would have
TO leave Paris A majority would accept
81 as true-a few might question his ability
"to walk of with q church tower"
Grants dispatch bears internal evidence
and read between the lines shows the de-
fusion he was under in regard TO my men.
lie says-"the families of Mosbys men
are known and can be collected which
implies that their homes were all in Sheri-
dams lines when in fact they were scat
tered all over the South and some States
I'm the North Sheridan made no attempt
TO execute the order because 1t was i'm
possible ! wish he had: il would have
been the most effective way Of destroying
his army He would have dispersed it
over a half dozen States. catching and
corrallng women and children. That
would certainly have been an advantage to
us. the Shenandoah Valley would have
been cleared Of his army. only one Of my
men hung at Front Royal was from the
Valley-one was from Georgia. Grant evil
IDENTIFY thought that these Children OF the
Mist lived in a territory a few miles
square. But sheridan knew better. Grants
dispatch reflects the idea that prevailed at
the North and survives to-day. OF the char
acter Of myself and my men. The beings
painted by war correspondents as Mosbys
men were as purely ideal creations as
Blue-Beard and Jack-the-Giant-Kille
Yet the tales told about them made n last
Ing impression Just as the kissing Of pill
grins has worn away stones. They were
as pure inventions "a the Actions OF
Titus Oates. We all dislike 10 see our
images broken ana 10 part WIN filfilSiifi
Illusions It Is probable that the gods Of
mythology and the legendary heroes Of an
tiauity had n common place origin. I still
love 10 read CULVER and the Arabian
Nights. and once thought It was im.iety
oven 20 doubt they were true \ reporter
once asked my opinion Of Weyler. /
answered that ! had never read anything
worse about Wevler than had read about
myself. and that IL Weyler wouldn't be-
licve what he had heard about me l
wouldn't believe what had heard about
him Wevler IN reply 10 American criti-
clsms said that he learned the art Of war
I'm the Shenandoah Valley He didn't learn
Il from me- But General Grant admits
I'm his memoirs the erroneous impression
he once had OF me: Of course it equally
applies TO my men. Some may say the
change was due 10 politics. But his con-
duct at the surrender when he voluntarily
offered us the same parole he had given
General Lee. after stanton had proclaim
cd me nm outlaw. shows that the change
came about before the close Of the war
The friendship that afterward grew M
between us should be viewed with indul-
gcnce by Southern people as IT was GER
tainly disinterested on his part and hurt
no Southern man.
The orders Of a superior are no defense
10 a criminal cudIBc. II - a wen Stllitu
principle Of law that a principal is not
responsible for the MALICIOUS act OF
his agent-the agent incurs personal
liability. So l acquit Sheridan Of all re-
spOnsibility for the deed at Front Royal.
/ doubt whether he ever heard of 1t be-
fore he got my letter. If General Lee had
ordered me TO murder my prisoners l
would not have obeyed him-I would have
obeyed a higher law-the most sacred of
all laws because it is written on the
human hoart-the great law Of nature
the law of humanity. / am sure that
Major Richards would not have obeyed
an order Of mine TO do a cruel act; If he
had he would have been none the less a
criminal because he was ordered. Colonel
Peters was ordered with his regiment to
set FIRE TO Chambersburg: he refused, and
was never called to account for il. He |
was right. Merritt says that Lieutenant !
McMasters was captured. robbed, and |
shot. none of the other reports menyEn /
him. The truth Is McMasters was never !
a prisoner: He attempted to cut off the !
retreat Of my men when attacked by =
division of cavalry. lie cut himself of I
and got killed. My men shot him and rode I
over him: they had no time to rob him |
If they had wished 10 do so: Merritt's 1
whole division was behind and McMdsters 1
was in front OF them. While Torbert's- |
Merritt's-and Lowel's reports betray |
the consciousness of a crime committed |
nv some one they do not disclose who did /