Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-01-28
FLIGHT or HUNTER
FROM lYNCHBuRe TOLD
Federal Forces Suddenly Depart on
Arrival of General
Early.
No REASON EVER KNOWN
Northern Officers Had Ordered De-
struction of Virginia Military In
Stitute-Many Of His Relatives
DIV cit in The Valley.

stitute-Many OF His Relatives
DweIt in the Valley.
Aitei the battle OF Second colo H.,r-
bor Tile Federal army prepared 10 cross
the James RiNo: With the purpose OF
surprising tho small Confederate force
at Petersburg and capturing the city.
On June l.. 1855. Genera! Leo de-
tAched the Second Corps. under COM
mand OF General Early, General Ewcll
being veiy i'll at til, time. TO check
General Hunters raid upon LynchOurS.
The troops marching to Charlottesville
and goinE thonCc by rail to LynchburE.
General Early's little army reached
LynchburS Very soon after General
IIuutor's Union forces occupied tho ad-
iacent hills, There was no lighting OF
consequences at Iynuhburg, and i; then
was ana still IL comprehensive 10
me that tho small force under General
Early seemed to have flied General
Hunter With sudden panic. Ills huI-
ricd exit trom Lynchhurs MAS in
mark cd contrast 10 his ronfiucn, :id-
vance upon it, for he ran AWAY without
any fight "a; ali At least without any
demonstration that rould h. called =
tight lie not onlI fod without u test
OF relative strength. but hcd lrccipi-
,atelH. and aid not stop until he had
found "a SAT- retreat beyond the noun
'ains tow ards tho ohio.
II wcrc asked for an opinion as to
This utterly causclcsS fright and 1iSht,
, should he tempted TO say that CON
science, tho inward monitor which
make. rc,wards, was narrowing Gen
cr:il Hunter anu causing him to sec am
ayonErr wrapped in every gray Jacket
hotoro him. He was not Il NirSinian,
hy; his Virginia liinsmcn almost to q
nau Wcrc enlisted IN tho struggle Tor
Southern Independence. ono of his
relatives. Major Rohcr; W. Hunter. was
3, staff Officer uf ono Of the brightest
stars OF tho A,iu! OF Northern Nir-
cuia. and that was BrEadicr General
John e. ,iord"n, of Georgia Another.
y. NJ. I. Hunter, was Confederate Soc
Rotary OF state. In the Valley of Nir-
-inia dwell; many OF his kindred. who
wore often made to feel tho sting OF
his military power. Had he been
Nirginian, however his support of the
Union cause would have onGendered no
bitterness towards" him. il he had worn
his uniform Worthii!, remembering
that lie was An American soldier. har-
ins /. high commission from the fore
Most aud frcest republics of Garth
SISTER or GENERAL LEI:
MARRIED. To UNION of'FICiIk
General Lcc's own sister Was Union
,vtman. the wife of - Union officer, but
that fact did no, deprive her OF the
affcctionatc interest OF her family. nor
ot the chiNairr rcsaid OF southern
soldiers. II did rot ubiitoratc or APP
parcusy lessen IN amy degree her de
yotion 10 her brother. Robert +. Lee.
nor her appreciation OF him as a great
soldier. In eapTcSsia2 he" loyalty to
her husband and the uuion cause, and
her hopo for the triumph 81 The Federal
armies. She would usually add = doubt
as to their ability 10 whip Robert
General Thomas one OF the ahieSt
commanders of the Union forces. WAS Il
Nirs MAN. and Will here state that at
The outbreak O. tho Wac Between
the states General Thomas did make
application 10 President jefferson DAVIS
for 4 commission - bri.;a,iicr- general
IN the Southern army. hut | will go
hack TO my subject He did not appl!
tho torch to private homes OF order the
burnius of his hiUGred's farms. Hence
the cstocu with which he will always
Nc regarded ID! the southern people.
General Hunter mus; have possessed
.umc high qualities or he would not
have been intruStcd with the grave re-
,nunaibilities ~hivh :;ii.ch 10 the COM
nandcr OF department. but 1t is hard
10 trace amy evidence OF llniEhthood in
the wrccl. and r..vaGc which marked
he lines of his marches He ordered
the destruction o. IN" Virginia Mill
AIRY Institute, ono o the most import
ant educational institutions in the
State
|; w.u be diGicUl, 10 fad any rule
&c "iv'li3cl warfare or an? Plea Of
nsccs sit! which could justify General
Hmtcr ia tho burning OF these build
ings. IIr could scarcely plead rs an
earusN the fac, that the boys OF this
>Choo' had marched down the Valley in
body Joined General Brcchinridge,
ara a.ided materially in tho brilliant
Victory. st New Market over his pre-
aecessor. General Sigcl Upon any
>Uch ground. the destruction OF every
university. college and common school
IN tho South could nave been Justified.
fcr all of them we're converting their
nupils into soldiers.
MANY CONFEDERATE:
SOLDIERS ONLY BOYS
My youngest brother was member
at company composed OF school hoys:
hey Wcrc too .oupg for soldiers The
southern armies c"nis incd i very much
Larger proportion OF boys under proper
aSc than The Union armies. bu, tharc
were notable instances OF young North
eru boys wh" demanded places III the
AShtirg luc.
';cnc!al Grants OWE son. row BrGa
dicr-Geu"rsi Frederick r.. Grant. Of the
United States ArmN, whose court csy
auG consideration haze won for him
ths esteem snd tri"ndship Of tho south.
cru Dcoule wore :. blue uniform and
rss under Arc before he Mas nftccn
General Hunters campaign OF de-
eiruction did 10; end with tho burning
Of the Virginia Military Institute. The
h"ncs OF Governor Lctch"r. of Andrew
hunter. Of Charles James Faulkner.
whose wife was General hunters rcla /
'Tc: ~ Edmund Lee. frs; cousin Of
General Ice and az Alexander g. Bot.
c'er were burned. with their entire
'outr nt", aud out. tune enough was
given nc women and children 90 70
'np" will their live. Many other
neace'u' homes were burned under p
Gcrs. and had General Hunter been c-b-
ilred al thA tint II could doubtless
TEAM ynup uho &c AZ