The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-12-15

cOmrsde. ". X Wheeler nave 1850
a book recently issued EMITTED ne
New Market Campaign, Written Dy
Idward Raymond Turner As ara
that Few people. have Ieso
Or viii! road THE wonderful produc-
ion. the sole purpose of when Is 70
immortalize the TWenty-srith virginia
battalion and " possible bring disgrace
on the Fifty nrst virginia S~sibneh.. !
wish To make a few brief comments
on this work.
In the beginning ! wish 70 cay thai
4 certainly have no desire and would
lot II 1 could snatch from the brow
Of the brave Colonel Egdar or any OIL
cor or private ia his command single
laurel that they Justly won on TIE pat
flens.d OF New Market or eiseWAe' :.
BAT facts are stranger than fiction. ano
TIE actuai facts are indeiitAy stamped
on the minds Of those mem oeTs OF tho
IIfty-frst who still live. and u Is only
these actual facts that desire 70
bring out ia answer 10 the ignomln-
ious charges made against OR resi-
ment.
There is an old saying that he that
hioyveta not his own horc. the same
7osa 70 unduly ia1d the conduct Of
my Own regiment. but fssef that II ie
"a duty that the surviving member
owe to those who have fallen IN the
battles of war and life 10 refBte the
siander that has been made agaiEs;
the Fifty-first on the pages OF tina
took 1t would seeFn tina. the Twenty
sixth Battalion has certainly bioSed
loud and long its own ho'n. although
y was some forty or forty-five yeaTa
after the war befors IL decided TO DO
70, and or every page OF professor
Z turner's book there e loud blast
Tor this battalion but there IL no
nat battalion ever gave that horn 3
single foot References is made In this
book TO the cowagdiy conSuct OF the
Fifty-first Regim ent. some twenty or
-~enty-fivs times and as Many TO the
vaiorous conduct OF the Twenty sixth
% think that before he ran establish
ne bravery Of the Twenty-sIxtn q =
-a.ion he must trst destroy the name
and honor Of tho Fifty-Srst Regiment
From the pages Of Professor Turner .
Dock We learn that Of the Confedefate
forces engaged IN the battle Of Ee~
Market ne record Is as follows; ne
y ~ T. cadets 81 engaged. IS wound
cd and killed ! Missouri com pany
att-ched 20 the Sixty Second Resi-
faent 20 engaged. 81 wounded and
killed. The Sixty-secOnd Regiment
haI 20 engaged. of whom al were killed
and wounded The Fifty-first hegi-
and wounded numbered lfc-
Th. Twcnty-sixsh Rattelion had al
engaged. OF whom were killed and Il
were wounded. I have no: been able
10 learn the killed and wounded IN
either the Twenty-tnird or the Ihirtieth
Virginia Battaiions nor can make
any ststemsnt as to the Casualties Of
these battalions. but 1 do know that
they bore an important part IN the
engage nrnent and must have lost
H-avily Now. the point that I wish
20 make here - that. according to the
-tstements Of made by different ones
III Professor Turner's book The Twenty
s.xtn Battalion was the most important
and prominent command in the en-
,-aserneHt II not only. according TO
these statements. checked the retreat
Of and tried to rally the dis
organized Fifty-first virginia. but pass
- through its broken ranks. drove
back the enemy. captured the gUns
on the nile. turned the enemy's right
flank and drove them p<sirnell from
ths hill. All this. according 10 the
stztements. and much more the Twenty
s.xth Battalion did. aud their loss
was only three killed and twenty
one wounded. while the losses OF the
Flsty-first Virginia were more than
-FOUR times as great yet. according 20 the
:, steueuts. this regiment did no fight
ne. Certainly the Twsnty-sixth Bat
Lion niue: have had some OF its men
v.e ell protected behind somebody or
ecrneehing. or more OF then would have
gotten hurt
According 70 the statements of the
oAicers and men of the Twenty-sixth
neT. General O.. G. Wharton took but
= small part in the battle OF New
Market lie seems 70 have been
only IN command Of tbe Flfty-first
VIRGINIA. and with this regiment in
dissrganized condition. and fleeing 20
the rear. Colonel EDGAR comes on tae
scene orders his men to shoot down
this fleeing ana GisorGsnized mass.
takes command. passes through their
broken ranks. captures the guns and
saves the day. Comrades OF the
Fifty-first Virginia ! ask you II tins
~ . correct statement Of facts. 7 know
your reply will be in 10 uncertain
terms know you viii say that me
good brave and noble General Whsr-
ton was on the field and in the thick
81 .hc battle watching with the eye OF
q trained soldier and the conduct
81 a brave man every move.o of bic men
IN his a. well - other commands. he
,gas not 9 man that would see his men
sct disgrscefuily in time OF BATHS and
frv TO shield them On the contrary.
- reouke would b rensnbereo 70
Lis coed Gay by svsr7 soldier Who
lad heard t.
On psgs i4s OF bic book Prof. Tur-
q says "a examination OF ell the
e.. zenoe here presented leads 20 the
-.roiuGor that Ecssr's case Il far
s;rcessF thsa trst Of the Fffty-crst sne
81 90 fsf 50 judgment 70 70 &c made
s-o-a these statements. II should be
r q, IN his favor. and in this BOOK the
5rl..nent has 50 been made. 50. you
&c. comrades. the Tvenfy-sixth VIZ
gn'a Battalion captured tie gcrs N
tie Professors book. But the question
e.. ARE The ststenents True enc IN
accord with actual fact9
- % tie conduct OF the fif'y-nrss
- a. erzaserneaf. 10 10 70 be renera-
> s-rs snat ths battle Of New Market
- a. net The srst nor the lest bette -
". f.ch thta regiment vas s.is~Sc- ost
S. Ie 10 frsf End only un- that "
a. : over b-er accused ~ cyTardice