The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-08-18

Tho major. no doubt saw the aim
Guilty but having resolved to retail
tho myth for the benent OF English
renders. adopted tho simple and In
genious device OF supprossing tho pas
sage that gave tho whole story the
he.
now come to tho mos, nagran, TN
stance OF what is practically a shame
less suppression on tho MAJORS mart.
$50 far as English readers arc con-
cerned, OF the actual documents" that
would enable Englishman TO decide
for themselves.
Shameless Suppression OF rnct~.
Let me preface briefly that there are
two "oocuments OF zine nrst Importance
bearing on this question OF General
Thomass attitude towards resignine
the old service. and Two Others only
second TO them. owing 90 the fact thst
tney come from officers vino enjoyed
ID very close friendship with MIN. t)
two letters in Thomass own hand
writing. now In MSS division of the
Virginia State Library Ce) a lettor
from Major General Fitzhugh Lee.
pointed ia the Richmond Dispatch Of
.,pril o. 1870. C3) Fifty Years OBJ
servatlon." etc. Of Major General T. d.
Reyes T. :. a. Why did no, this
metlculously accurate major print in
his communication single word Of
any OF them? Above an az he pleads
lack OF space" FOR ain four. why
did ne not publish Thomss's letter to
Governor Letcher. Of Virginia. dated
March 70. 1861. a conclusive docu-
mentr which 1 hrst printed C'with a
faw appropriate reUarksD IN the New
York sun OF December %. 1898? He
did not do so because he was afraid 10
let English readers see what Thomas
mad said himself.
he knew that. whatever else Eng
lishmen may be, they are nor fools.
and that had he published that one
letter mis- wretched sonhisms would
have been received hv English soldiers
with scornful Homeric laughtss. So
;his choleric major who plumes him
SELF upon referring TO official records
TO be known TO Csic) all men" (yet
never cltee single one In all his pie
thora OF citations, prints none OF tho
important documents" named above
hut sneakingly refers to Plat. p. 50
ct seq" (sic) and "Piatt p ST."
knowing full well that not one OF the
readers of The Saturday Review
could have access TO Plata envea-
omed book Ca pc-fect storenouse OF
malignant perversion). unless. per-
chance. sufficiently Interested 70 make
u pilgrimage TO the British Museum.
IT, indeed copy OF the book may be
found even there.
Thus. practically suppressing the
whole Of the apparatus criticus. he
proceeds to give his own gloss of the
contents OF these letters. need not
from top to bottom.
In the mrs, letter Thomas who had
received q twist OF his spine In alight
ing from railway car" writes IN
der date OF 18TH. January. 1861. TO Col
onel Francis II. Smith ian old West
Pointed" who had resigned as far
back as 1880. superintendent OF the
virginia Military Institute" South
ern institution. where "Stonewnll'
jackson was then one OF the profes
sors. commonly known as the West
Point OF the South" (Piatt. IN the
depth OF his ignorance. calls 1t "a
private schoor). asking further in
formation touching an advertisement
.hat Colonel Smith had placed in a
Washington newspaper for p suitable
commandment OF cadets and instruc
tor in tactics" At that great school.
In this Letter Thomas writes: 'If not
already filled. I Will be under obliga-
lions II you Will inform me what sal
AIRY and allowance pertain to the sit.
uation, as from present Appearances
fear It viii soon be necessary for
me 10 be looking for some means of
support"
The major and the whole gang of
Thomas's apoloSists say that he wrote
This letter because "he feared he would
he unable TO return to active duty"
Sc, because OF that fear. this thor
oughly conscientious man" sought
portion requiring a man OF the great
est physical activity and soldierly
10 10 rN-
planat'on any OF them have ever Civ
en-. 1 may observe. incidentally. that
Thomas's powers OF recuperation must
nave been o4 a most remarkable char
acter. for we find Majer Johnson @.
$50 thus describing Thomas's activity
Cwithfn three months OF the date OF
this letter. in reorganizing his reSi-
ment at CARLYLE barracks. The duties
were rufficient to break down an o.
dinary man. but Thomas gave them n'S
incividual attention both day AMI
night"
The Rcduc,io nd Abmrdum.
OF course. no one but those whom.
sweet VIII" calls simple guns1 ever
e,plaration Trhe matter Wont no
further" says the major. but very
shortly there was letter from Gov
.-nor Letcher. OF that State (Virsiina).
nronering him an appointment. as
chief OF ordnance, c. S. Army his
stern reply. under date of 18TH. March
1851. can be found in Donn Fiatts
work. in r. Sc 1t would be i.ritat-
ing. did IT not end by becoming piti
able. To- see a man cursed Win such
Ignorance and inaccuracy. The mat
tor went no farther" becausa Thomas
was promptly informed that the posi-
ton had been ililed-there was never
any letter from Governor Letcher to
Thomas. and how the Governor OF
Virginia could have "proffercd him an
appointment as chief Of ordnance, CON