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

0ercd lleS WOulQnl aChhOHitubc tHdt
they took any.
Now 1 do not believe that Sheridan ever
communicated to his generals 10 be exc
cuted Grants order of August 10th, for
the reason that he knew / could hang 500
OF his men where he could hang one OF
mine. lie didn't want TO play a game
at which I could beat him. AS have said
none Of my men were hung before Sep
TENDER %; IL Sheridan hung any prisoners
before then they were Earley's men: but
don't believe he hung any. Torbert was
chief of cavalry: Merritt commanded
division under him; Custer and Lowell
commanded bhgades in Merrltt's divis-
ion. They would not have waited until
September sd 10 begin executing an order
OF August 10th. Torbert s-Merritts-
and Lowell's reports speak OF the Front
Royal sklrmish: TOrbert says they killed
Q officers and men: which shows on It's
face that my men were in uniform; Merritt
says they killed is: Lowell says they killed
-. Clusters brigade was not engaged In
the fight and Of course he made no mention
OF II. But that is no evidence that he
had nothing to do with the hanging-he
was on the ground. AS none OF the re-
ports speak OF the hanging they would
equally prove the innocence Of Torbert--
They were all ashamed OF IL as a blot on
the fame Of Sherldan's army. II is no
concern OF mine whether only one or all
of the generals present participated in
the crime: they may all have been in
pari delicto They can settle that ques-
ton among themselves. The people OF
Front Royal considered Custer the most
conspicuous actor IN the tragedy, and 1
so stated in my letter TO Sheridan. Custer
never denied II.
There IS a report of Captain Blazers.
who commanded a picked corps that Sher-
idan had detailed 10 catch US. IN which
he speaks OF being about Front Royal
two days after this affair. and says:-"In
another affair below Front Royal / left
eight Of his CMosbys) murderers 10 keep
company with some that (were) left by
General Custer" Blazers language Is
obscure but interpreted means that he
had killed eight of my men to keep com
pany with those Custer had hung and
shot at Front Royal The eight men of
mine he reports that he had killed were
as pure phantoms as those which Sheri-
dan says he had hung. but It Is clear that
Blazer gave Custer all the glory for what
was done at Front Royal. Custer had
grudge against US. A few weeks before
a detachment OF my command got on the
trail of a party OF Clusters men burning
dwelling houses near Berryville. My men
overlook them al Col. Morgans his house
was in flames. l had given orders TO my
men to bring me no prisoners caught in
the act Of house-burning. The order was
superhuous-I could not have restrained
them II / had wanted to-neither could
General Lee. Ny report saya:-"Such
wa H, ~ N
at witnessing some Of the finest residences
in that portion Of the State enveloped IN
flames. that no quarter was shown. and
about p Of them were shos 10 death for
their villany. About 20 horses were
brought Off, but no prisoners" General
Lees approval Is endorsed on the report.
Any one can see Il In the war records.
Custer had ordered the houses TO be
burned In retaliation for some OF his men
having been killed IN a fight with my
men. The New York Times OF August
18th 1864. has a letter describing the affair:
II says: He General Custer issued an
order directing Colonel Alger Cluster pub
Nshed Alger as a deserter a few days
afterward) Of the Fifth Michigan to de-
stroy houses belonging TO well known
sccessi0nists IN retaliation for the men
killed, captured and wounded on Thurs
day night. This order was promptly car
ried into effect by a detachment Of 50
men under Captain Drake. and Lieutenant
Allen. LOunsberry and Bivvins, who were
particularly charged 10 inform all citi-
zens with the cause for destroying the
property. The expedition was accompa-
MED by Or. Sinclair and the work was eifec-
tually done but unfortunately not without
serious loss Of life. Captain Drake leav-
ing the main part Of the command under
Lieutenant Allen IN line near one house
which had been fired took a few men and
proceeded 10 ire another house about 100
rods distant. While thus engaged about
2O) rebels suddenly emerged from a raw
inc and made a furious charge upon the
force under Lieutenant Allen before due
preparation could be made TO receive
them. The men overwhelmed by numbers
broke and fed In confusion. AS only one
horse al a time could 80 through this
narrow passage 1t was impossible for all
the men to escape In that way. The en-
envy were upon them, and no mercy be-
ing shown, a majority Of the men ran
along a fence running al right angles with
the road. hoping 10 find another passage,
but finding none and reaching a corner,
surrendered as a last resort Several
squads were cornered in this way, and in
every instance the men who surrendered
were killed after they had surrendered, or
were left for dead" Instead Of 200 there
were not over 30 OF my men there. Gus
ter burned no more houses that day.
Burning dwelling houses was violation
Of General Grants orders. At my re-
quest when he was President he gave az
appointment to the officer who COM
manded my men that day. a Washington
dispatch appeared I'm Boston paper crit
iclsing him for making ii, and referring
to this affair. / called on the correspon-
dent and found out that a certain official
had inspired II. | asked him TO send a
dispatch to his paper from me. He was
willing. ! then dictated the following
Colonel Mosby says the men killed by his
men were caught burning dwelling houses
in the Shenandoah Valley, and were shot
in the act by his orders He says if he
IS ever caught in Boston burning houses
he will expect 10 be treated in the same
way" The dispatch was published. I
then called TO see General Grant and told
him about the official lie wrote his
name on a card but said nothing Before
the day was doHe the official was a pri-
vate citizen. Grant moved as promptly
upon him as he did on Buckners works
at Donelson.
sheridan's cavalry knew by experience |
about as much about the character and |
OF my command as l did. |
There were then serving in the Shenan- |
doah Valley a great many who had in 1863 |
been captured by Us and exchanged. !