The Coolidge examiner., 1933-02-10
Custer Statue in
New RUmieJ, Ohio

escort and where Stuart went he went, with
his banjo and his ditties.
1.-THE by-ways Of Virginia heard old joyous
snatches ringing above the thudding of the
horses hoofs Small country towns awoke at
night, and the girls turned out In their stored
fnery for impromptu dances, where Sweenys
banjo pitched the measure and Jeb Stuart led
the rout. But if it chanced to be Saturday night,
everything stopped at u o'clock. Jeb Stuart had
serious ideas about Sunday"
Theatrical as Jeb Stuart was he was much
more. He was truly great cavalryman. OF him
General Lee once said HE never sent me a
piece of false information" and in Civil war
days military leaders had to depend upon their
cavalry for information and accurate nfOrma-
ton was all-impOrtant. As an ad0red commander
Of the horsemen in gray ("Jeb, he never says
GO on" He says "Come on !" they used to re-
mark,) he led them in some Of the widest caval-
ry escapades of the war.
OF his right to a place among the great Amer
lean cavalry leaders another historian, Joseph
Hergesheimer, in "Swords and Roses" has said
"He was a born. an ideal. leader Of cavalry.
His perceptions there were faultless he was
never known to make tactical error. His plans
were formed instantly with no more than a
single sweeping view of a complicated battle
field. At times, however, nothing but his uncon-
querable resolution, a cold desperation, saved
him from destruction. General Stuart was often
forced to depend upon sharpshooting but he
enormously preferred pure cavalry fighting but
when his men were dismounted in skirmshes
he remained stubborny beside them, buOyant
with encouragement and songs.
"His great ability was in raiding. in rapid
flank movements. charging and falling back with
horse His extraordinary energy was practically
ineXhaustbe; Stuart almost never slept He
needed, it seemed little if any rest On the night
of the second battle of Manassas he gave com.
prehensbe orders when be was aseep After
days and nights without interruption in the sad
die, he would stop by any roadside and lie down
safe or in the enemys country, without pickets
or videttes. He did this at Carlisle Pa. wrapped
in his cloak he rested for an hour against a
tree. 'and then he remounted, completely re-
freshed. Through moments of extreme peril he
sat with leg thrown over the pommel of his
saddle drumming with his fingers on a knee
He was often begged not to expose himself SC
recklessly; he must it was pointed out, be killed
but his invariable response was that he recl
oned not. His life did appear to be charmed: he
lived untouched in a rain of shell canister. round
shot and bullets until he was hit fatally at Vel
low Tavern.
HE died, happily, at the moment of his great
est glory, at the last glorious moment of the
Confederacy; he suffered none of the ignominy
the poverty and Sadness of defeat. For that rea
son he was the most satisfactory, the most
wholly romantic soldier OF the Civil war. Moth
ing about him. nothing in his career. was dis
appointing it was all handsome all ingratiating
like his yellow sash with its graceful, fringet
ends"
No more appropriate Taps" could be sounded
for this Beau Sabreur of the Gray than by q
fellow fighting man, Captain Thomason, who
writes:
"Ali his life he was fortunate 1t was giver
him to toll greatly, and to enjoy greatly t
taste no little fame from the works Of his heqds