Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 07.djvu/533

Rh ," I laid the book aside and for hours revolved in my mind the eventful scenes, so graphically described in his allusion to Ewell's division, in Jackson's Valley campaign of 1862. "Ewell's division?" Where are the general officers who left Swift Run gap on that memorable march? Where are the officers who commanded Taylor's brigade? The Lynchburg Virginian announced a short time since that General I. R. Trimble and General Nicholls, now Governor of Louisiana, were near by here, in Botetourt county, Virginia. Ewell, Taylor, Semmes, Peck, Stafford, Hays, Wheat—"all passed beyond the river." Trimble, with one leg, and Nicholls, with one eye, one leg and one arm, were there to recruit their shattered frames in the mountains of Virginia. Feeling it a duty to, "render honor to whom honor is due," I shall begin my sketch by referring to Generals Jackson, Ewell and Trimble. Of the first two, General Taylor has said much. His trenchant pen spares neither friend nor foe. His admiration for them is endorsed by all who knew and served with them. Their peculiarities and idiosyncrasies were generally known. I propose to tell what Ewell thought of Jackson and said to me, and what he thought of Trimble. I have made above an explanation in defence of Ashby, believing it will make clear some of the difficulties he had to contend with, and put the kindly words of Taylor's narrative, and of General Jackson himself, in their proper light. I shall speak of Ashby again. Having served with them all, knowing them all personally, I do not hesitate to say I loved them all. They were, my friends. I know there was at one time a bitter feeling between Jackson and Ashby—it was reconciled. I do not think that even General Jackson fully appreciated Ashby's troubles, because he complained of his disorganized command, and no order for the organization of his command was ever given until after Ashby was killed. I have in my possession at this time from General Jackson himself a note, asking for recommendations for field officers to command the twenty-six companies of Ashby's command, to whom one Major was attached—afterwards Colonel Funsten. General Beverly Robertson, of the old army, was assigned to General Jackson by the Department at Richmond while his cavalry command was at Harrisonburg, immediately before Jackson left the Valley. General Taylor thought General Jackson, the "lemon squeezer" was "crazy." General Ewell at one time thought him "a crazy wagon hunter," and an old fool." All of us knew that General Ewell "had a curious way" of doing things, and a very free way of