Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1908-01-21
Ashby CavaIry--Army Of Northern
Virginia.

Ashby Cavalry--Army Of Northern
Virginia.
IA Review Of the Book by Guy. Carleton
Lee, Literary Critic of the Baltimore SUM- |
A HISTORY OF THE LAUREL BRIL-
GADE. By William N. Mcdonald Edited
by Bushrod @. Washington. (sSx6As. PIP. |
400. Illus). Mrs Kate s. Mcdonald, Berry
vile, Va.
Another voIume-produced as a labor
OF love-has been added to the rich store
OF Southern books upon the Civil War;
The present work was written by the late
Capt. William N. Mcdonald, an ord
nance officer of the Laurel Brigade.
which was originally the Ashby Cavalry
of the Army of Northern Virginia and
Chew's Battery. The book bears the
title "A History of the Laurel Brigade. T"
and Bushrod G. Washington is the histori-
cal student indebted for having edited the
manuscript left by Captain Mcdonald
The volume opens with an account of the
formation of the Laurel Brigade from
the Seventh Regiment of Virginia Cav
airy enlisted under Col. Angus w. Nc
Donald. and it records minutsly the ca
reer of the military organization through
out its stirring part in the Civil War up
to the time when remnant. under Lieut..
William F. Anderson, surrendered at
Appomattox. This history has already
been referred to as labor of love, and
in confirmation of its right to such class
fication the reader will need to do no
more than glance through its pages and
gain from them some conception of the
enormous amount of labor that the col
lection of material must have cost its
author. AS historical work it is of in
estimable value to those who would study
the military history of the Civil War; but
it is also sure to prove of much service
as a reference work To indicate its
worth in this latter aspect it is sufficient to
mention the appendix of the volume alone.
In this We have list covering more than
100 pages, in which are given the names
treated on, and in most cases the author
has given some valuable biographical in
formation about each soldier; that is, he
has spared no pains to dispose of each
member of the regiments, telling. if
killed. when aud where; or if he survived
the war, whether he has subsequently
died or was still alive at etime of publ.
cation. Mention. too should be made of
the illustrations. for not only must they
have been difficult to collect, but equally
difficult to reproduce. The pictures. of
which there is an abundance, indicate
that they were made from old. and per-
haps well worn, photographs. but despite
this evidence of the condition of the
originals from which the illustrations
have been made. the reproductions are
satisfactory.
| From the Richmond Times-Dispatch.l
| A HISTORY OF THE LAUREL BRI-
GADE. By the late Captain William N.
| Mcdonald Edited by BushrOd G. Wash
| ington. Mrs Kate s. Mcdonald. pub
| Usher.
| 1.-The Laurel Brigade" was originally
the Ashby Cavalry of the Army of North
ern Virginia and the Chew Battery. The
book, which contains its history. is, as
its editor says. much more than its name
| ;p,,,1;oc II copfa;oc ;,o;da,tIx, n Yraot
part of the operations Of the Cavalry
Corps of the Army of Northern Virginia
aud, indeed, is the only book upon
the war that gives an account of the cav
airy campaign from the beginning te
the end of the war. There is none Other
that contains an account of the tremen
dous hardships and sufferings of the
cavalry. and the desperate fighting the
last days preceding Appomatox. or thai
embodies general account of the cavalry
campaigns of the Army of Northern Vir
ginia. 1t has an addendum of over Ioc
pages. containing the names and record
of nearly every soldier in the brigade and
Chew's Battery. in roster by companies
and regiments. This alone makes 1t a
valuable record and book of reference to
the family of every soldier who served in
those commands In this book. Ashby,
the born soldier. is indicated as to the
impression that he was a partisan and
not regular soldier of the first order.
Jackson. who referred to him as a great
partisan commander, evidently, says Mr..
Washington, did not use the term in its
common acceptation. The fame acquired
by Jackson in his early campaigns in the
Valley was largely due to the part per-
formed by Ashby. The book contains
4oo pages. is handsomely bound. of good
print and is full of interesting portraits
and pictures. The price is 90 net and
can be had by addressing Bushrod c.
Washington, Lock Box 46. Charles Town,
w. Va.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court de.
clared the cent rate law unconstitu.
| tional.
Mr.. Page Castleman. son of Mr.. John
X. Castleman. was seriouly burned by q
| fallen electric wire near GAYLORD a few