The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1920-07-02
WHO WAS STUART?

The PledmOnt feels 1t both q pleas
ure and duty to publish the follow
ing letter:
To the Editor of The Piedmont,
Dear Sir: The Literary Digest
this week carries an article concern
ing prominent characters in our ma
tion's life whose names have been
proposed for places in the Hall of
Fame. This article is taken from
the New York Times, which paper in
devoting a few lines relative to each
of the characters says of Gen. j. E.
b. Stuart, whose name is mention
ed: 81. E. B. Stuart, General in
Confederate Army, commanded
body of Confederate Cavalry and
was mortally wounded at Yellow
Tavern May, 1864" So! Now
wouldn't it be wise for this member
of the Times staff who is telling the
relative to the names proposed for
the Hall of Fame, to read a little
history himself in order that he
might be better fitted for sitting at
the feet of some well-bred school
child who has been reared in an
American rather than a Partisan
home, and in this manner himself
learn who's who?
James Ewell Brown Stuart, COM
mander of the Marines, who cap
tured old John Brown at Harper's
Ferry; Brig. Gen., Major Gen.,
Lieut.. Gen., in command of all the
cavalry of the Confederacy and one
of the best known characters in all
history, is thus dismissed with a
couple of lines by this ignoramus on
the staff of the Times. No mention
is made of the wonderfully dashing,
brilliant ride around McClellan's
Army with a loss of but one man,
nor is anything said of the time
when he repeated this performance,
nor when. year later, he raided as
far as Chambersburg, Pa, and
covered 160 miles in "a hours with
out the loss of single man and the
wounding of but two and yet bring
ing back with him hundreds of
beeves and thousands of horses for
the Confederate States artillery and
cavalry.
Handsome, laughing, fighting,
"Jeb" Stuart! How our minds like
to draw the picture of this cavalier,
of this modern Rupert, as, in his
little fighting jacket he rides at the
head of his dashing, fearless squad
rons, spreading dismay on all sides
from the very magic of his name.
Equally at home, with cavalry, in
fantry or artillery we find him. Now
dashing into Pope's headquarters
and bringing back his coat, hat and
even confidential correspondence
with Washington, now sending word
to General jackson that he would
lery," or at the head of this fallen
generals battallions at Chambers
vile he charged triple lines of
breastworks, his golden voice ring
ing above the cannon's roar as he
sang "Old Joe Hooker, won't you
come out of the Wilderness?
| A peerless leader, brave cavalry
man and one in whose hands, even
with half as many numbers, his enc
mics would have been but as toys,
had Providence seen fit; beloved by
men, women and children, a mod
ern-day knight, gentle as a child
and as brave as. a lion was this
lcavalfer of thetSouth wh6. died with
out fear and without reproach as he
led, that fateful day at Yellow
Cavalry"
| Yours very truly,
w. Lindsay Wilson.
Greenville.
| Thus briefly but justly and elo-
quently Mr.. Wilson portrays one OF
the great cavalry leaders of all times
|-"Stuart is the best cavalry officer
ever foaled in North America!" was
the rude appraisement of his ole
commander and later opponent on
the Union side, General Sedgwick
Both Lee and Jackson held him ir
the highest esteem and had supreme
contidence in his ability. Most
jovial of cavaliers, his character was
such that General Lee said of him, in
Announcing his death to the army
"To military capacity Of high order
and to the nobler virtues of the sol
dier he added the brighter graces of
pure life, guided and sustained by
the Christians faith and hope" AL
though he had attained the rank of
lieutenant general and by the genius
of his leadership had linked his name
with those Of Lee and Jackson, Stuart
was just thirty-one years old when
he died.
Even in the South, however
Stuart's admirable life and brilliant
career are too little known. Scores
of Southern editors and numberless
Southern school pupils and college
students are hardly better informed
as to him than the Times scribe.
Every young Southerner in the
course of his education ought to be
directed to read "Mohun," John
Esten Cookies famous historical
novel, with its inspiring picture of
this immortal cavalier.-Piedmont