Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1912-12-06
COL. R. PRESTON Chew.

daredevil fellows, who relied upoi
their guns, and hose motto wa:
level firing, with grape ant
canister Louis XIV, had on al
his guns their names near the
muzzles, then "nec pluribus I'M
par" This was Wanting, bu1
the French stood to their guns
i and. never lost them while there
3. were men enough to man them.
I know that the uea OF ehew's
Battery felt that their guns were
to fight with, and would quote
the unsavory words of McDuff,
and damned be he who cries
hold !-enough ?"
Major-General M. C. Butler,
writing from Washington, D. c.,
March 7, 1904, says:
Il beg to say when l first met
Chew in the Army of Northern
Virginia he was captain of a
battery of horse artillery, and
from that time to the end he was
a conspicuous figure in that DASH
ing branch of the service. / was
with him On many trying occa-
sions, and he was one Of the cool
est men in battle | was ever as
ISOLATED with. He was then a
very young man, boyish IN ap-
pearance, but no veteran IN any
army ever stood the shock of
battle with more courage and
conposure than Chew.
Young and handsome, a superb
horseman, always cool and self
possessed, he was the beau ideal
of battery com mander, and
later as the commander of a
battalion of horse artillery. He
was most compartment bic,
agreeable comrade in camp and
as dashing a daredevil in battle
as ever drew sword. | can
scarcely find words to express
my admiration and regard for
Colonel Chew as soldier and
man. Our relations have always
been Of the most pleasant charac-
ter, and l am gratified that you
give me This opportunity to pay
this inadequate tribute to his
character. What a splendid lot
Of young fellows of the Horse
Artillery in that incompatible
army-Pelham, Chew, Brethed,
Hart, McGregor and others. l
can pay Chew no higher COM
pliment than to say he was easily
the peer of the best of them
Major-General L. L. Lomax,
writing from Washington, D. c.,
March %, 1904, says:
Il knew Colonel Chew well
during the war, and ! can truth
fully say he is one of the best
officers | ever met. He was es-
pecially cool under fire, and the
thorough discipline of his COM
nand made his battery always
effective and reliable. He was
au universal favorite with his
commanders, who striyed to have
the battery attached to their
commands. My admiration of
him as a soldier is only equaled
by that as gentleman"
General Thomas L. Rosser, of
Charlottesville, Va, March 16.
1904, says:
Colonel r. Preston Chew
commanded the Horse Artillery
of the Calvary Corps of the Army
of Northern Virginia after the
death of the immortal Pelham,
and there was not an officer in
the army of his rank, who stood
higher in the estimation of OR
higher officers in point of courage,
military ability and enterprise
than he, and there was no one of
greater popularity and influence
am ong our generals, or one who
commanded greater respect or
inspired greater confidence among
the fighting men than Chew, and
I regard him as one of the very
best artillery officers l ever knew,
and indeed, one of the very best
officers of his rank in the Con-
federate Armv.
"Stuart's Horse Artillery OF
the Confederate Army was by far
the most gallant organization in
it, and its history, if correctly
written, would be the mere re-
counting of daring episodes ant
heroic achievem ents.
War is the occasion for testing
manhood, and every man who
goes through its trials, battles
its victories and defeats, come:
out with his proof mark" in
deliblly stamped upon him. The
heroes names! names n entionee
above, are stamped maximum