The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1901-04-25

the Southern Department Inc WORK
has passed through three editions. The
first appeared just eighty years before
Judge Schenek' book was published. And
in all that time, no reputable name has
ever connected itself with denial OF the
personal truth and honor Of Henry Ice.
The effort to undermine and overthrow
history comes too late
Another witness TO substantially the
same facts ~ to the North Carolina
militia is Col William Campbell, of Nir-
ginia, who is the same heroic officer who
had marched iarthest with his riflemen
To ioin the volunteers under Sewer, Me-
Dowell. Cleveland, Williams and Shelby,
and who was spontaneously chosen M
commander -in-chiei against Ferguson on
Kings Mountain. Col Campbell was
personally present and took part in the
battle nt Guilford Courthouse. In n let
ter to Rev. Mr. Cumming in September,
1871 (only about six months after the
battlc) Campbell says: "a whole bri-
gade of North Carolina militia abandoned
their party from the first onset"
MI this testimony was that of soldiers
and eye witnesses on the field. How
could il have been otherwise than true
II was accepted az truth, and narrated
n truth by Judge Johnson in his life OF
General Greene and by many North Caro-
lima writer's Of general or local history
To attempt to overthrow il is to dis
parage the very basis-canons OF the
science of history and to leave us to
darkness and uncertainty as TO all his
tOric truth.
Judge Schenck's = attempt To vindicate
those North Carolina militia who fled at
Guilford Courthouse il founded upon Il
theory so weak, strained, and artificial,
that it falls down by its own rottenness.
He assumes that General Greene gave, In
person. orders to the these advanced
North Carolina brigades Of militia rifle
men, and that they obeyed his orders and
fled inutter disorganization according
TO his orders! II there had been the faint
est shadow OF truth in this theory, how
can we account for the fact that on the
day after the battle, General Greene, in
his official report, commented with ex-
treme severity upon the conduct of these
fugitives from the field?
Herein is the error of Judge Schenck.
Without preponderating evidence, and
against positive and affirmative evil
dence. he assumes that General
Greene addressed these North Caro-
lima militia, and in substance said
to them: 1.-TWO rounds, my boys,
and then you may fall backP' Schenck
says he intended to give the same orders
that Morgan gave at COwpens. But
Morgan's orders TO his sfront line OF militia
were to deliver, accurately, two fires and
then, in good order, to fall back behind
the second line. Assuredly neither Nor
gan nor Greene ever ordered the militia,
after delivering two well-directed volleys,
to fly in disorder from the field, and to
take no further part in the battle Yet
this is Judge Schenk's attempted yindica-
ton of these fugitive militia 1t is worse
than vain.
And. moreover, he fails as to the words
of the order. George Washington Greene,
the grandson ofGeneral Greene, wrote his
life. And in volume ILL.,, page 1876, he de-
clares that the words uttered by his
grandfather to the North Carolina militia,
lust before the battle commenced; were
these: Three rounds, my boys, and then
You may fall backl" Now it is admitted,
even by Schenck, that the militia OF
Eaton's brigade fired only two volleys,
and then fed in disorder and cOnsterna-
ton.
As to the British history by Lamb,
cited by Schenck, it does nothing in the
way of contradiction OF General Greene,
Colonel Lee. Colonel Campbell and Judge
Johnson. And Lambs work is far more
full of sensational poetizing than of his
toric truth.
The testimony of the venerable Samuel
Houston. who was not only Presby-
terian minister, but a soldier in the
brigade of Virginia militia under General
Stevens, and took part in the battle OF
| Guilford Courthouse, confirms the testi-
mony of Greene, Lee, Campbell and John
son. His words are "The Virginia line
was in the forest, the Carolina militia
partly in the forest, and partly in the
skirt of the forest. and partly behind the
open space, across which the British force
was advancing with extended front. Ac-
cording to orders, the Carolina line, when
the enemy was very near, gave their fire,
which on the left OF the British line was
deadly, and, having repeated it, retreated.
Some remained to give third fire, and
| some made such haste in retreat as TO
bring reproach upon themselves as de-
ecient in bravery, while their neighbors
behaved like heroes
.Iudqe Schenck has been so far just to
1
the. claims of history as to give these
words of Rev. Dr. Houston, on page 34S
of his book. His scattered testimonies
from other sources, regarded by him as
favorable TO his views, hardly call for
serious notice.
! Yet we desire to do full justice to the
militia of Eaton's brigade and from the
! Old North State. They were notcoward-
ly. The bravest men when first in battle,
aud exposed to attack by veteran troops,
are often panic-stricken. The Virginia
militia had fled at Camden. And many
of these same North Carolina militia
who fed at Guilford Courthouse were
afterwards brought into service, and
fought with heroic courage aud steadI'
ness alongside of the Virginia, South
Carolina aud Georgia militia at Eutaw