The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-11-01

Christian at the meeting OF the Grand
Camp of Virginia Confederate Veterans at
Richmond, has caused widespread COM
ment, since the larger part of it consisted
of REPUTATION of North Cardinals claims
to first place in the annals OF the Civil
War, at least in so far as they are con-
sidered to reflect upon Virginia. The prIp-
cipal contentious of that paper are:
ID That the claim made by North Caro-
lima that she furnished more troops to the
Coniederacy than any other Southern State
is not so, and that Virginia furnished fiji
ty-two thousand more than North Caro-
lima.
(2) That the claim that Virginia had a
larger number of men exempted than any
other Southern State Is also mistake;
that whilst the total eXempts in Vlr-
ginia amounted to twenty-five thousand
and sixty-three, those in North Carolina
numbered thirty-siX thousand, one hun
dred and sixty-six, and that North Caro-
lima had ten times as many State Off
GERS exempted on certificates OF her gov
ernor as any other Southern State.
go That the suggestion that one of
the effects of the fighting of the First
North Carolina at Bethel was the pos
sibly holding Virginia in the Confeder-
acy'' was reflection on Virginia, and
without any foundation whatever.
(4) The report then shows in graphic
terms some OF the effects on Virginia by
reason of her being the seat of war from
the beginning to the end: that six hundred
of the two thousand battles fought were
on her soil: that from this cause, and from
her ACKNOWLEDGMENT by the war; her stu
alton was different from that of any other
State. and that her sufferings and sacri-
fees could scarcely be exaggerated. 1t re-
fers to the crime of the ACKNOWLEDGMENT
of Virginia as zone of the darkest politi-
cal crimes on record
CD The report then discusses at length
some OF the claims made by North Caro-
lima. as set forth in the legend inscribed
on the volumes entitled North Carolina
Regiments. '61 to '65,'' that she was first
at Bethel farthest to the front at Gettys-
burg and Chickamauga, and last at Apo
mattox' and shows:
(a) That Virginia was at Bethel. and did
her duty there, as we'll as North Caro-
lima: that Virginia was represented there
by the commanding general and all three
arms of the service. whilst North Carolina
had only one arm of service there; that
in the account of the battle written by d.
II. Hill. Jr.. of North Carolina. ne con-
cedes that the first shot, (which ushered
IN the great civil war on the land,' was
fired by the battery of the Richmond
(Va), Howitzers, and contends that since
Virginia and North Carolina stood side by
side (and did their duty equally well at
Bethel, it is both invidious and unjust
TO Virginia to claim that North Carolina
was first at Bethel.')
OBJ As to Gettysburg: The report dis
cusses the claim of North Carolina that
she was ''farthest to the 'front.' in the
great charge of July Sd. 1863, from the of
fetal reports, both Federal and Confed-
crate: and shows from these reports that
this claim is not sustained by the record
1t quotes from the reports OF Generals
Lee Longstreet and Lane; Colonies Law
renee. Shepherd and others, of the Con-
federates, and Generals Hancock, Webb
and Hunt, of the Federals, all OF which
show that the only troops which penetrat-
ed the enemy's lines were Pickett's Vir-
ginians and some of Archer's brigade, the
latter composed wholly OF Tennesseeans
and Alabamians; that no such claim was
made on behalf of the North Carolinlans
in any of the reports OF their own officers,
either at the time they weer written or
until long after the close of the war: and
that their claim is based now wholly on
post bellum statements. The report then
quotes from General Lane, as to the value
OF these statements, when compared with
those contained in the official reports"
prepared shortly after the battle. 1t shows
that the zigzag character of the Federal
lines does not affect the question and
says the front of an army is its line OF
battle, and the opposing troops which pen
citrate that line are farther to the front
than those which do not" 1t shows that
the comparative losses of the North Caro-
lima and Virginia troops engaged In the
charge cannot be relied on to establish
North Carolina S claim, for the reason that
the losses sustained by any command in
all three days at Gettysburg are com.
bined; and as the North Carolinians were
engaged on the first and third days, and
the Virginians only on the third day, it
was reasonable that the losses of North
Carolina in the two days aggregate more
than those of Virginia in the one day. The
report contains the letter from General
Lee to General Pickett, advising the lat
ter to suppress his report of the charge,
evidently because it reflected on the North
Carolina troops, and in which Genera
Lee says: "You and your men have
crowned yourselves with glory"
(c) AS to Chickamauga: The report
does not discuss the grounds of the claim
here, except to say that the report of the
commanding general Bragg, a native of
North Carolina makes no mention OF any
special services rendered by the few North
Carolina troops in that battle"
I'D IS to Appomattox: The report only
says that the claim preferred by North
Carolina here is also claimed by several
other Southern States, and that the condi-
lions at the surrender were such as to
make it difficult. if not possible, to deter
mine what troops were really entitled to
the honor claimed here by North Caro-
lima.
CO. The report then quotes from the re-
port sf the Confederate secretary OF war;
- +, cpao &c tho army of North