The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-06-14
NUGGETS OF
THE WAR
Losses of the Two Armies
Upon Some Great Fields.
MOSBY AND HISBRAvEMEN
Erroneous Impressions Concerning
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
al "reminiscences and Anec-
dotes ofthe War

written for The Times Dispatch by
w. B. Conway, NJ. D.. Athens. CAD
virginians and especially the old Con-
federates in the State. enjoy reading
articles about the civil war lnforma-
ton direct from an humble participant
in that great struggle for Southern In
dependence lis always sought for, 4espe-3
cially when coming from one who knows
whereof he speaks His personal en-
counters and "reminiscences, reinforced
by extracts from the works Of Southern
historians, should be worthy of consid-
eration when truth and Justice are
backed by figures. and there is dispo-
sition to do Justice to both sides. In my
articles heretofore 1 have endeavored to
deal fairly with those who wore the
. blue. As anscvdence thereof, l received
"a short time ago a letter from gen
-tleman who fought on the other side,
and who is now living in Georgia, in
which he commends one Of my letters.
Along with his letter to me he sent a
COPY Of "The Southern Poets. Upon
the fly leaf he had inscribed the follow
ing:
tFrom one who wore the Blue
TO him who wore the Cray,
1t was Frank Wilkeson's recollcctions
Of a private soldier, small volume, well
worth reading He was with Grant in
the Wilderness campaign in 1864. Al
though he is rather bitter and sarcastic
(, In referring to Northern officers, the gem
- eral details relating to private soldiers
and the campaign arc Illustrative and
potential. The authors description or
the bounty jumper is characteristic Of a
large per cent. Of useless and trif1lhE
Yankee soldiers who We're only a me-
mace to the cause, the like Of which was
scarcely seen or heard of in the Con-
fedcrate. army.
In speaking of poems I am reminded
s..i,o f,,t
We're often a solace to the weary soldier
as he wendell his way into the jaws of
death. Among those sung in camp and
on the march was a verse from the fol-
lowing one, which 7 have never seen in
print nor have ! heard 1T sung since the
Z war:
49, 81 lay ten dollars down.
And I'll count them one by one
II anybody will show me the man
Who struck Billy Patterson
MoSBY AND HIS MEN.
There were many wartime rustic
poets. whose productions are yet recalled
by old soldiers. The following from the
pen OF a northcrner In reference to
Colonel 'Liosby is significant:
"Now'1 ask one and all II this is not
rough;
It's disgrace to our army; 1t has gone
far enough:
To hang thiE vile alosby think that we
ought;
But ] believe tl,@4 t,'o hanging comes
after tho caught"
was often thrown in company with
Mosbys mon and knew many Of them
personally. They were not set of ruff
fans, as was pictured by many North
ern writers during the exciting times in
.'Mosby's confederacy." a large ma
iority Of them were college bred young
men. sons Of Southern planters, and mcr
of influence in the STATE. a more rhival.
rous daring. patriotic set OF men never
fought FOR the cause We loved so dearly
They endured hardships and many sac.
ritlced their lives while lighting agains
superior numbers and resources.
Thnle Is nothing t!lat is so calculated to