Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1912-08-06

| Colonel r. Preston Chew commanded
the Horse Artillery of the Cavalry 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 our
higher officers 10 point OF courage, military
ability and enterprise than he, and there
was no one of greater popularity and in
fiuence among our generals, or one who
commanded greater respect or inspired
| greater confidence among the fighting men
than Chew, and 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 Confederate Army.
.'stuart's Horse Artillery of the Confed-
crate Army was by far the most gallant or
ganization in it, and its history, if correctly
| written. would be the mere reeounting of
daring episodes and heroic achievements.
War is the occasion for testing nj anhood,
and every man who goes through its trials,
battles, its victories and defeats, comes out
with his proof mark" fndelibly stamped
upon him. The heroes names mentioned
above, are stamped maxi mum above
pr oof' in every measure. that war can
make. and there are none above them.
General r E. Lee was wiser and better
than George Washi ngton, but Stonewall
Jackson was the greatest soldier that this
hemisphere has produced, and is now the
model for the guidance of the greatest gem
erals of our times The Union Army was
superb and well EQUIPPED army, but it
was, in the main, unskillfully handled
The Confederate Army was a World
Wonder, y in powess and achievement, and
altogether differently equipped, it was
handled by Lee and Jackson in superhu-
man and God.like manner and now all
Americans, North, South, East and West,
claim them alike as the highest types Of
American character
And this was the spirit of the boys of
Chews battery when i knew it. / saw it
demonstrated all down the Valley in 1862,
and when the great Jackson retreated, it
was the logged determination Of Ashby
with his ubiquitous battery of Chew thai
kept back Fremont's ressipg column. As
our rear guard that battery and the cavalry
fought every step OF the way from Strasburg
to Cross Keys. where glorious Ashby yielded
up his life And well might General r. E.
Lee have said - grieve for Ashby." He
had but one Ashby (without detracting
from the merits of his comrads), and he
was as much the right arm CT Stonewall
Jackson as Jackson was of General r. e.
Lee.
had Chew's Battery under my command
and at Poolsville and Champions Gap
They depcrted themselves as they had been
instructed by Ashby, and until they Ie-
crossed into Virginia, Jaw as hard service
and did rs gallant work as was ever done
by any company anywhere. | do OF te-
iieve the Confederate army ever had two
batteries equal to Bre sthed's and Chew's.
They were famed as Flying Artillery"
There was something in the men who com
posed them; and m uch in their officers to
| make them suigeneris. ] say tuis affection
ately, yet lovingly, and do not detract at
| all from all those spleddid and distinguished
comrads of the artillery, by far the most
distinguished arm of the service. All were
a credit to State and the whole country
but these were by long usage and under
Providence the pride of the Cavalry Corps.
Lieutenant. General Wade Hampton, in
his last visit to me here at my home, told
me ''that he din't believe any army ever
had two better batteries And no Confed-
crate officer of the army Of Northern Vir.
GINA was more competent to judge. Gen
eral Wade Hampton added: Il always re
garded Chew as the best commander OF thu
Horse Artillery though that gallant banC
had been under command of able and eff
Gent officers at different times"
Soon after the Civil War Colonel Chew
married Miss Louise Fontane Washington
: the accomplished daughter of Colonel Johi
= Augustine Washington, and three obi ldrei
: blessed this union. Colonel John A. Wash
ington was aide de-camp to General r, !
e Lee, and was killed in a skirmish in IVES
Is Virginia soon after Gene raj Lee took con
u mand in 1851 The death Of Colon'
:, Washington was deeply lamented by Ger
- eral Lee and others, who knew him 10
" a gentleman Of rare attainments. Colon
10 Washington was granddaughter Of Gener'
- George Washington.
ne Robert Preston Chew was born in Lol
DC doun county, Va, April 8, lSi3, where b
father was prosperous farmer, and lat
m purchased fine estate in Jefferson count
fnow West Virginia., near Charles Tow
in where the gallant and heroic Chew reside
a beloved and honored by those who emf
I'D his acquaintance. i. Y. HAAS.
pi Washington. d. O., June 70 1872.
he --------