Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 32.djvu/53

 General Joseph Wheeler. 41

JOSEPH WHEELER.

His Rank by Commission in the C. S. Army Major-

General.

INTERESTING INCIDENTS IN THE JOURNEY SOUTHWARD OF PRESIDENT DAVIS.

[The following communication from an esteemed supporter of the Southern Historical Society Papers, and a gallant follower oi Wade Hampton, is of interest incidentally, apart from the conclusive evi- dence it presents of the permanent rank in the Confederate States Army of General Joseph Wheeler. It is but just to the valiant warrior to state that he has made no claim to the rank of Lieutenant- General by commission, and that there has been published such disclaim.

Inadvertently the subscriber reprinted in the last volume (31) of the Papers, pp. 189-192, a statement from Rev. J. Wm. Jones, D. D., in the issue of the Times- Dispatch of January 12, 1904, in which among the commissioned Lieutenant-Generals is that (the 2Oth) of Joseph Wheeler. There has been rank ascribed to other officers of the C. S. Army to which they were not entitled by actual commission, but the editor should not be held even for implication on mooted points, nor should he be supposed to guarantee cor- rectness of any statement save such as he may be assured of by individual cognizance. He has charity for the foibles of all men, cherishes malice toward none, and abhors controversy oftenest idle.

R. A. BROCK, Sec. So. His. Society.'}

[Copy.]

" CHARLESTON, S. C., April 2, 1904. "Rev. Dr. J. William Jones :

"My Dear Sir, Allow me to recall thyself to your recollection.

" I have very pleasant memories of our meetings in the past. I

observe, published in the last volume of the Southern Historical

Society Papers a letter from you, in which it is stated that Gen.

Joseph Wheeler was a Lieutenant-General, C. S. A. I think that