The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-03-09

advance, like the great leviathan OF the
sea. thrown by an unsupported storm on
the shoal water of an inhoSpltable coast;
it is beaten and mangled until in It's own
goar it slips and slides around to tight
IL out on that lire if it takes all sum-
mer' My Comlyades and ladies and gen
lemen, less I weary you with hgures,
numbers and battles. I will only state
that the surgirg of the pillows OF war
rolled back and forth over that small
interval of $50 miles, and between these
two objective points for tour long ana
weary years. Let me draw aside the cur
tain of this farce, the Federal Army mad
been playing for four years under the
title drama of ION tc Richmond" by
saving that the barrier interposed be-
tween them AMI RichmCnu was not
River Mountain Hill or Dale, but none
else than the decimated, poorly equipped
and undiscplined A. n. ", unused to
and unframed in military arms, with NJ
arsenals to draw from, no sineWs OF war
to pull in foreign help. but dependent ahu
alone would bare it's breast, in defiance
T., cn.coning hords, and often said to the
snrginc torrents Of the brave Federal
soldiery as it moved back and forth over
this beautiful fairy-land Of Northern Vlr-
yinia, hitherto shalt thou core. ana
here shalt thy proud wave De stalo,
and it was done, as is attested by the
-
men fallen between the two Capitols, and
hundred and thirty miles of consecrated
landscape.
..Whose meanest rill and mightlest river
Roll ,1lingling with their fame forever.
The Duke of Marlborough, who never
net a defeat, with forces Of English and
Dutch fresh and strong, fought pros
t-ated France; wellington met Napoleon
when France was bleeding and broken
no
Northern Virginia, fought not as Mari
borough and Wellington, a bleeding,
Frustrated and broken nation, but a ma
tion strong bold and vigorous, the nu-
cleus of which was trained and disciplined
to war, and led by accomplished generals;
and in a short space Of time met ana
crushed five gigantic invading armies
ard tore the insignia Of Commander-ln-
Chief of the Armies of United States
! of America from the chapeau and shout
ders of five most distinguished generals
Mcdowell at First Manassas, Pope at
Second Manassas, McClelland on the
Chickahominy, Burnsides att Frederlcks-
t"rg, and Hooker at Characteristic.
Here we rest our case with the jury,
and ask for your verdict of mot Guilty
to the charge of exaggerated and hlshly-
cclored statements concerning the Army
OF Northern Virginia, although the truths
L
stranger than felton,
ONE BATTLE CHOSEN.
From this concentric field of war, where
more than one hundred pitched battles
were bravely fought, We have for your
entertainment, and we hope enlfShten-
,nent selected one for our purpose to-
night, and during its recital we hope to
correct errors that have gone into print
and give honor to whom honor is cue.
And thus we propose to make good our
claim that the victory of this battle. tht
Battle of Charlottesville, was only mads
| possible by the stubborn resistance at
Marye's Heights of Early and Barksdaie
as they held back the strong hand of
Sedswick as he severely felt after Lee
rear to grasp and crush the same, Ill
conformity with Hool1er'S well-digeSted,
premeditated plans and orders of this
battle, and thus to make good Hooker s
bnasted promise that he. with SedgWick,
would use him Iee) up. Ihat we may
rake good this assertion that General
Hooker planned and designed that the
victory OF Charlottesville was to have
leen first won in Lees rear at Fred
e.icksburS, that Hooker planned and de.
signed that victory over Lees invinclble
army should first perch on the banners
of Sedgwicll in Lees rear, and then with
It's bloody talons make its flight to and
light on the waiting standards of HOOK
er's Division. eight miles southwark at
Charlottesville, allow me to read let
ter from General Hooker, published April,
1855, in Century, Vol So. page so2.
General Hooker to Colonel Sam Ross,
Commanding Brigade L Corps:
Feb. Is, 1864.
Dear Colonel,-Peremptory orders were
sent General Sedgwick to advance over
the Plank Road from Fredericksburg
and attack the enemy at daylight O1ay
srd. sunday morning). My single object
in holding on to the position .Chancel-.
iorsville) as long as did was to hear
SedgwiclS's guns, which I momentariy
expected, of course. The orders reached
Rim (S.) between ten and eleven o'clock
Saturday night, he go had but eight
miles to march, a bright moonlight night,
with only a small force to oppose. Prob
ably had he marched as directed, not a
gun would have been fired, with Lee in
my front and Jackson on my flank was
unwilling to attempt to force my way
through Lee. = Had go
come upon Lees rear the latter would
have found himself between two armies,