Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1909-08-27

| milton, he reptile i: They must hold
their ground with the bayonet.' He
then massed his troops on his left, and
stormed the Federal works Twice he
was repulsed, but the third time Stuart
placed himself on horseback at the
head of his troops, ordered the charge,
carried the entertainments, and held
them, singing with ringing voices Old
Joe Hooker, won't you come out OF the
Wilderness An eye witness says he
could not get rid of the impression that
Henry of Navarro led the charge, ex-
cept that Stuart's plume was black, for
everywhere the men followed his
feather"
Gen. Z. P.Alexander wide his Mill
tary Memoirs of a Confederate Soldier
and letter from Alexander in McClel-
Ian's Campaigns of Stuart, whose COM
petence as critic upon such a subject
none who are acquainted with his ca
reer as soldier would question, has
left on record his judgment in regard
to Stuart's conduct of that battle. He
tells us that "Considering everything,
l do not think there was more bril-
liant thing done in the war than Stu
arts extricating that command Jack
sons corps) from the extremely criti-
cal position in which he found it as
promptly and as boldly as he did. Il
always thought it an injustice to Stu
art, and loss TO the army, that he was
not from that moment continued in
command of Jackson's corps. He had
won the right to it. He had Jackson's
genius, and dash and originality, and
possessed the rare quality Of being al
ways equal to himself at his very best.
The battle, he continues, of Chancel-
lorsville, as conducted by Stuart was
one of the foremostsin the worlds his
tory, both on account of numbers lost
on both sides, and amount achieved by
the victors.' Had Gen. Lee been pres
ent on the left, and seen Stuart's en-
ergy and efficiency in handling his re-
serves, inspiring the men by his con-
tagious spirit, and in the cooperation
of the artillery with the infantry, he
might have rewarded Stuart on the
spot by promoting him to the now va
cant command of Jackson's corps. He
had boldness, persistence, and magnet
ism in very high degree. Lee once
said he would have won Gettysburg
had he had Jackson with him. Who
so worthy to replace Jackson as the
man who had successfully replaced
him on his last and greatest field ~
Another thing for which, as caval-
ryman, am thankful, is that the war
did not terminate before the cavalry
had the opportunity to show that in a
fair and square fight with no advan-
tage on either side, and about even
numbers, they could whip picked
forced of Federal infantry.
Truth about that war is in some res
poets slow, but she is sure-footed, and
wears for cavalrymen well-pleased
and smiling face, as she gives US a
knowing look, with some pity in it for
the ignorance when the infantry, with
perfectly satisfied air, imagine that
they were ''the whole show"
AS Southerners, we are very proud OF
the grand and heroic deeds our infan-
try and artillery accomplished on a
hundred battle-fields, and as cavalry
men we are justly proud of the part
done by our arm of the service on
five times as many battle-felds, on
many of which we selfishly denied the
infantry the opportunity to take a
hand. We cavalrymen are proud to
have fought with Stuart, and to have
made it possible for him to teach the
armies of the world new possibilities
in the use of cavalry and horse-artille-
ry, by penetrating far within or around
the enemy's lines, destroying their
quartermaster and commissary trains,
and vast quantities of supplies, taking
with us the telegraph operator and his
instrument and coil of wire, with
which to tap the enemy's wires, and
returning to our own lines, having OBJ
tanned most valuable information that
would often checkmate the enemy's
| intended movements. These beautiful
days of summer seem to suggest that
it is good time to ask some of our
sometimes not too modest infantry
friends, upon what occasions did they
fight the enemy's infantry from behind
it may be some little natural breast
work, and fight them so hard that al
though successful in getting over the
breast-work, and bayoneting some Of
our men, yet in spite of that fact, and
without receiving any reinforcements,
they by themselves, succeeded in glo-
riously driving the enemy out, and
holding the position | ask upon what
occasions did our infantry do that, and
while pause for reply, we cavalry
men want to say, and yet very modest
Iy that, that was just what our cavalry
at one point did at Spottsylvania CHI.
and thereby secured possession of that
strategic position which coveredi the
roads that converge there, and then af-
terward, those nice comfortable four or
five feet high breast-works were con-
structed, which were destined to be-
come the scene of splendid heroism on
the part of our army.
The days of May always remind us now
splendidly our cavalry and matchless
horse artillery fought to save Rich
mond in '64, from the ruin and devas
tation of Sheridan, who in the Shenan-