The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1913-07-26

II vas the definite and total extinc-
ton OF the last recrudescence on this
continent OF feudalism. with its &C
compartments OF cayslierism, imita-
ton chivalry and fake knight-er-
rsntry.
Amid all his drolery. Mark Twain
had flashes OF rare common sense.
One OF these was when he insisted
that Sir Walter Scott's novels had
much to do with bringing on The war.
The Wo,erly novels were immense
iy popular in the south. Everybody
read them. To know them and quote
from them was a standard OF culture
The stories had 10 do with the sun
set of the days OF chivalry-;he wan
Ing OF the much-rhymed. muchpic
tured. much sung. romantic
Days OF old
When knights were bold
And barons held their sway"
All the heros were cavaliers
knights ?errant mettlesome Young
gentlemen. mounted on prancing
steeds and roaming around the coun.
try in search OF adventure. fame and
lucre.
The klightserrant were not SOL
diers. That was long before the day
OF soldering They did not fight for
! country. cause or principle. They
were out solely for themselves, and
J fought only for what they could get
cut OF il. When they rescued a dis
tIessed damsel IL was to keep her for
! themselves. when they oversame an
other knight. II was TO make him pay
a lively ransome or give up his lands.
1 Honor was very desirable, but the
question OF revenue was never lost
sight Of There were never many
steps between the knight-errant and
! the bandit and robber
Chlvalry was epidemic In the
southern mind before the war The
Waverly novels fed the hectic nush.
and every plantation became a breed
ing place for Ivanhoes and Marmions
and their feminine counterparts-
beccas. Rowenas and Ellens.
knighthood was I'm flower most
luxuriantly in the Kentucky Blue
Grass country. Therp was far less ar
South Carolina's constant bombast ~
chivalry. but far more OF the sub
! stance whereof knights are made.
On the rich lands which their pio-
neer grandsires had redeemed from
the wilderness there had been reared
IN ease and plenty a fullblooded
sinevy generation ripe for kuigEt-
errantry.
The easiest idea 20 get into III.
heads OF young men OF that tempera-
ment is that they are superior 10 the
common run OF people. These Ken.
lucky cavaliers had much 20 supper;
/ that idea
Superb horsemen. natural athletes.
! fine shots. thi-stinE Ior adventure and
martial distinction. they couiu uav"
swept OF the field an equal numumer
OF any OF the knights 81 orr THAI
| Froissart loved TO tell about.
They were ready 10 go 10 war for
I any old thing
slavery was as good as anything,
though all the negroes owned ny Nor
cams whole command would not have
I furnished enough walters for a SOC.
! ond-class hotel As kentucky would
! not secede. they lost the pretext a.:
I stat" rights. but 10 wa they would
| 20. nevertheless
They found a fitting leader In John
". Morgan. man 80 years old when
the war broke out. .e had q bricr
experience as lieutenant OF cavalry
In the Mexican war Chaucer would
have pronounced him "a veray parff
gentil knight" but he was FAR mo-.
than q kniEht-errdnt He nad hiFh
qualities % Epneralsnip While he
was not great general. measured By
the toN4ng standards developed in
our colossal civil war. yet he was
very undoubtedly superior as cavalry
leader TO any that Europe had develop.
| ID In her centuries OF wars
No man never did a. much ssnsa-
tionaI cavslierirg with 1000 horse
men - John n. Morgan. For more
than two years no ranged almost un-
ohe ,ed thru Eeufu,kv. from thu
Ii.s SANDY 20 the Cumberland from
the mountains - he ohio river lie
filled FAR more 81 the news OF tho
dsv than did BraSRs mighty army ~
10000 infantry. N which he nominal
lN belonged No oni, heard %
BragEs army a. inter, ais. but We
heard % Morgan every day.
lie was burning bridges capturing
trains. gaining mortif,irr victories
over small detachmeufs and garriaons.
skilfullv Guiding those too hig for
him. and carving havoc and ,"usU-
sion IN the rear ~ mighty armies.
Periodically tho great cities ~ Lois
Vile and cincinnati vcro in terror
issf he capture and sack fhsm
u was long. Intoxicating swirl ~
knight -srfantr'. Efrrr month woufI
have furnished r'rofsrarf and sir VA
Ter Scott With hundreds ~ stories
sGuai 20 sntfhing they ever toI4
Mounted on tho finest Ksrfu,Lv
thorohred. fed. supplied Ulth guides
and Information tt admir'nE frincds.
MORGAN and hf- cavaliers made fn.
most sIrprisfns snarrhcs 100 mile
M more past heavy Earri.ons. fo
strike sou~ weaHlr-r srdsd pia,s NJ
importance snf -Nst~ Tho COMMIT.
With The news - re ...for,
while there vsro no dlsfrsree
dsmseis rescued ru f.h rausprn-
from prisoners. not fat lands portionsd
out there was giort and excitement
galore Tor sr ~ MorFan'- kniEhts-
Grant Great wss their fame among
ths Vorshipsrs ~ chita'rt in tho
South 80 Young man could Eet into
Eood society ~ fhs Blue Grass roln-
trv unless hs foiioNed MORGAN.
But Wi'h oil This furore and fan.
faronade 80 cannot 90 said that fhe
real progress 81 Tho war was So
fuenced IN the least ty Morgan.
No great column was delayed hv
bis hindrance. no army was turned