The Washington herald., 1908-03-08
Famous Guerrilla Leader
Writes of His Chief
THE BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG
a Contribution of History OF civil
War Which Is Designed to Clear
the Name of "a Famous Cavalry
Leader. The Evidence ON Both
sides ImpartiaIIy Presented.

as MOsby's Guerrillas, has written a vol
ume designed, primarily. TO clear tie
name OF his OLD and well-loved chief.
Gen. J. E. B. Stuart. from aspersions
which have been cast upon It in connec-
ton with his conduct at the battle Of
Gettysburg.
The title of the volume is "Stuarts
Cavalry in the Gettysburg Campaign"
The book contains a sketch Of the battle
Of Charlottesville. in which battle Gen.
Stuart succeeded Gen. StonewaH Jackson.
after the latter fell. II also tells in mark
ed detail OF the cavalry combat between
Gems. Stuart and -Pleasanton. which was
the first act IN the drama OF the Gettys-
burg campaign. Col. Mosby. in MS
preface. declares that this book is writ
ten as a duty which he feels he owes 10
a soldier 10 whom great injustice has
been done. The statements IN The two
reports OF the commanding general Gen.
Lee in regard 70 his orders and the man
agement Of the cavalry In the Gettysburg
cOmpaign have been generally accepted
without question; the criticisms Of the
staff officers of Gen. Lee have assumed
Gen. Lees statements 20 be true. Says
Col. MOsby:
Il seems never ~ have occurred % these critics
70 snalyze and comrare the two reports with each
other and with the ooutenporaneous correspondence
10 ascertain whether they agree or in what respect
they difer. This ] have done and 7 found it I'M
possible % reconcile their diheFeDces. 10 Was my
fortune 70 serve under the direct orders Of Gen
Robert ,. lee and Geu. Stuart, and for beth I
have always felt a deep Affection Gen. Lee men
TONED my name when I was private In a general
order 20 the army, aud the last corpmaud received
from him put me in command Of al Northern Viz
ginia.
Who Was Responsible
OF course, the verdict OF history up TO
the present time has been that Gen.
Stuart's nonadherenee 20 orders was pri-
marily responsible for the loss TO the
Confederates Of the battle of Gettysburg
This view has been borne out by official
correspondence and orders signed by Gen.
Lee, and il is Col. Mosbys task in seek
ing to reverse the judgment Of history
70 explain how Gen. Lees name IS signed
TO papers that do much injustice 10 him
self. as well as TO Gen. Stuart.
Col. Mosby introduces Us TO Gen Stuart
az the battle Of Chancellorsville which
was fought on May 3. lse9-the prelude to
Gettysburg The Southern troops were
numerically much inferior 10 the Federal.
And the fact that the Southern army
took the offensive and drove its antag-
onist out Of its intreuchmeRts and over
the river it had just uiumphantly crossed
marks H. as Col MOsby says. as "the
boldest deed OF arms and the most Won
derful achievement in the history Of
war"
But. as Col. Mosby says. the credit for
this Southern victory has always gone 10
Gen. Jackson. and the world has taken
little account OF the fact that Stuart took
Jackson's place on the field and finished
the work which Jackson had begun. An
English officer. Capt. Cecil Battine. Of
the Thirteenth Kings Hussars, wrote
thus Of this battle:
James Stuart or Jeb. as he was called IN the
army. from his first initials proved himself IN his
short career the greatest warrior amongst the great
men who have been SO called Whether or not he
really descended from Robert the Bruce he
certainly inherited the kindly talent for leading
and making waT He Won the great battle OF Mas
3 which was decisive IN this campaign. b. skllfUl
and gallant leading He Was but rTenry-eighI yCaTs
old when be took Jackson's place at the head Of
the Second COrIs. and il would have PERHAPS been
well for the SOV'nCn CHUsc II Lec had retained hin
az his SIDE 10 share in the supreme Command be
Ddu u1tl ddtAeln- unlldQ OF az uult dEhn udll-
tcTTing him to the command Of the cavalry which
Fiizhugh W. Lev or Hampton. qualified 10
hold. Soon after the outbreak of the war
Stnart distinguished himself as cavalry leader
and his stIategcal work in brndfoidinG the enemy
and in enlightening his own army has never been
surpassed As a cavalry tactican he is not only
the first but hitherto ttc ouly leader Of the army
who understood how o. ~-nbine the effect Of IRE
and shock; how 20 rcuG- effective service in fight
ing foot ,withou. losing the power % strike on
horseback when oTportunity ofered. though his
Federal orroreuts initiated his strategy and tactics
with some success in the next comTatgu.
The Battle at Brandy.
After the battle OF ChanceIorsville and
the death of Jackson began the first
steps in the campaign that eliminated at
Gettysburg; but first was fought that
engagement at Brapdy in which Gen.
Stuart once more greatly distinguished
himself.
The second part of Col. Mosby's volume
is devoted to the battle of Gettysburg. for
the loss of which to the Southern arms
Gen. Stuart has been made 10 suffer
blame. Col. Mosby goes into the details
OF the whole campaign with marked thor
oughness. and with an evident desire to
be just and fair Indeed. il Is not an
easy task that this historian has set HIM
self, for he finds himself confronted with
the necessity Of taking blame from the
shoulders OF one revered chief and placing
it on the shoulders of another. But ne
shows that before any blame can be at
tached to Gen Stuart for the loss of the
campaign Il must appear Cd that he was
guilty of disobedience of orders and inn
properly absent; (2) that in consequence
Of II there was an imperative necessity
for Hill and Heth to move TO Gettysburg
on July l. Col MOsby shows that il is at
least a coincidence that in the October
following. Gen. Lee on the Rapidan. again
took the offensive and moved 10 strike
Meade on the flank: and that Hill and
Heth should have been again in advance
at Bristoe and have repeated the blunder
of Gettysburg
But it is impuacticable for the reviewer
Of this admirable volume of Col Mosby's
to go as he does. with a wealth Of detail.
into all the circumstances Of the Gettys-
burg campaign. The author Of this his
tory has culled testimony from living
eye-witnesses: he has testified from his
own knowledge: he has taken advantage
of Federal reports and Of reports from
the leading officers on his own side and
10 those who read the mass of evidence
thus accumulated and set down in order
it will seem that full justice is done to
the memory of one of the most brilliant
leaders Of cavalry that the South pro-
duced.
y Personal Tribute.
1t is well, perhaps, to quote Col. Mos
by's personal tribute 10 Gen. Stuart. AT
one time he writes:
He greeted me curdially; our last meeting had
been at CupcpCr. Wbcn I carried Gen St0nghIon
10 him prisoner. he in his usual gay humo.-
u never saw him at any time in any other Al
WAYS buOyant in spirits. he inspired with his own
high hopcs all who came IN contact with him I
felt the deepest affection for him-my chief ambi-
fion was 10 sorve him He WIS thr rare e,r hi,,a-fc