Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 33.djvu/348

 344 Southern Historical Society Papers.

From the Times- Dispatch, November 5th, 1905.

LAST DAYS OF THE ARMY IN SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA.

By MILTON W. HUMPHREYS.

Professor Milton W. Humphreys, of the University of Virginia (a brave soldier before he became a learned professor), has aply described the last days of the Confederate forces in Southwest Vir- ginia, under General Echols, in the article enclosed.

The picture he draws of the artillerists who raised corn and pota- toes, which were sent to Richmond for Lee's starving soldiers, makes realistic indeed the extreme hardships of the times, and the heroic toils by which they were alleviated. Professor Humphreys has contributed some most valuable material to our history, which would otherwise have been lost, and some papers which throw vivid lights over great events. It will be pleasing to his comrades of other days to hear that he will probably write more fully than has ever been done the story of McLaughlin's battalion of artillery which is one of surpassing heroism. His conscientious love of truth, his experiences as a soldier and his accomplished pen give peculiar value and interest to his writings.

Very respectfully,

JOHN W. DANIEL.

LAST DAYS OF THE CONFEDERATE ARMY IN SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA.

This article would, perhaps, more appropriately be entitled "the last days of the Thirteenth Battalion, Virginia Light Artillery." Incidently, however, it will contribute something to the history of the rest of the forces in that region. The greater part of the narra- tive is copied verbatim from a diary kept at the time. The pas- sages taken from this diary are under quotation marks. Several years after the close of the war, but when the author's memory was still fresh, the diary was copied and additional remarks appended. These remarks are placed under square brackets [thus]. The rest of the narrative appears without any marks of distinction.