The news & observer., 1905-11-05


set a high estimate on Longstreet
During the fighting at Gettysburg he
saw much of both these generals, as
he rode around under fire, anxious to
witness as much of the battles as pos
sible. Unfortunately he was not so sit
uated as to see we'll Longstreet's great
assault on the third day, and repeals
the current report as to PettigreW' S
failure to support, Pickett, or rather
to protect the left flank of the Virgin
ians by a simultaneous advance.
Colonel Freemantle did not consid-
er Gettysburg a Confederate defeat.
In his opinion the retrograde move
ment was chiefly to replenish the am
munition supply from Winchester,
where vast quantity had been cap
tured from the Federals on the ad-
vance. But his leave of absence from
the English army being now nearly
out he had on the retreat to pass
within the Federal lines to hasten
home. No flags of truce being then
allowed he had to again run some
risk of being taken for a spy. Finally,
after some adventure, he got through
and took ship at New York for Eng
land. His arrival in New York was
just in time to witness the draft riots
and the butchery of negroes by the
infuriated populace.
Colonel Freemantle saw pretty much
the whole Confederacy and kept a
diary of all that he saw or heard of
interest. This was published in New
York in 1864 and probably in Lon
don also.
The book is of great value because
it holds the mirror up to Confederate
men and women at the very high tide
of their endeavor Colonel Freemantle
was a sympathetic but not a partial
witness. He gives the shading as well
as the lights of the old South, now
in her death grapple. He condemns
slavery on principle, as he says the
intelligence of the South did, at the
same time that it saw no path of es-
cape from this curse that the past
had laid on 1t. But he testifies to the
almost universal good treatment and
contentment of the slaves At Charles
ton, Richmond, and other places he
found them on Sundays and their gala
days far out-dressing their masters
and mistresses, and having good time
in their owners carriages. Singular it
might seem the instances of bad treat
ment of slaves that came to his notice
was at the hands of unsympathet1c
Northerners, just as in Mrs. Stoves
Uncle Tom Cabin
He bears high evidence as to the
courage of the Southern soldier, and
tnA ability of their officers. And high
er still as to the devotion of the South
ern women, and of their weight, moral
and material in the war. Indeed he
justly sees in them the very heart and
soul of the unequal struggle. But he
is ungallant, or frank, enough to note
that they do not speak as good Eng
lish as the men of the same station
in life, whose English he finds excel
lent
On the whole the book is an origi-
nal and unique contribution to the his
tory of the South. We may neglect 1t
now if we WILL and to our loss but
posterity will garner and treasure 1t.
And that too when all the Sophomorlc
novels and plays that Mr.. Dixon will
ever write sleep under dust and cob
web. For here we have a contempor-
ary an eye witness. 1t is voice, a
living voice, manly, intelligent and dis
Interested, except in truth, sounding
across the years from the very heart
Of the old and true South, not only
from her battle fields where the white
men fought and died in her defense
but also from the cotton fields where
the black peoples song and dance bore
testimony to her kindness and hu-
manity.
Mr.. Dixon speaks only at second
hand. His work must stand or fall
according as it contains or lacks the
antiseptic quality of literature. And as
literature his books ranks decidedly in
ferior to Judge Tourgees and even to
Mrs. Stoves. There may and almost
surely will be many and better Dix
on's. There can, alas, never be but
one Freemantle. .A
| felt so much interest in the Colo
mel, that several years ago | wrote to
a friend in England, who, by-the-Way,
bears the euphonious and historic Cor
legendary, which is perhaps not 50
very differently title of Vicar of Wing
and Rural Dean of Ivinghoe." Who
has not heard the old rhyme:
'"Tring Wing and Ivinghoe
Hampden did lose for a blow,
And glad he did escape So"
describing how Hampden escaped
punishment for striking the Black
Prince in anger over game of bowls,
by parting with three fine manors.
Well my English friend happened
to be a near neighbor of Colonel Free
mantle's cousin, Lord Cottsloe. Lord
Cottsloe informed me that his cousin,
whose father was Aide to Wellington
in the Peninsular campaign and at
Waterloo, had risen high in his pro-
fession and died few years ago Gov
ernor of Malta. He took the name of
Lyon -Freemantle from a kinsman
from whom he inherited property in
Sussex and married. but left no issue.
%. w. BACKNALL.
Kittrell, n. C.