Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 38.djvu/240

226 withal. He admits his failure, but has no thought of attributing it in any degree to himself. He lays the entire responsibility for it on his four Generals who served under him. He, too, for his proved incompetency, was supplanted by Sheridan, and he has his apothesis in the judicial murder of the widow Surratt.

General Early, after defeating Hunter at Lynchburg, directed his course down the Valley of the Shenandoah, crossed the Potomac, and entered Maryland, encountered Lew Wallace at Monocacy and defeated him and moved' on Washington. He encamped at Silver Spring, seven miles from the city, and advanced his line to within gun-shot of the exterior works, but the arrival of the Sixth and Nineteenth Corps made further approach impossible. The object of this movement of General Early's is shown in the letters of General Robert E. Lee, of July 7, 1864, to President Davis, in which he said:

"It is so repugnant to Grant's principles and practice to send troops from him that I had hoped, before resorting to it, he would have preferred attacking me."

And in his report of July 19, 1864, to the Secretary of War, he said: "It was hoped that by threatening Washington and Baltimore, General Grant would be compelled either to weaken himself so much for their protection as to afford us an opportunity to attack him, or, that he might be induced to attack us."

But General Grant was not lacking in either courage or wisdom. He rightly considered that if by cutting off their supplies he could compel the withdrawal of the Confederate force from his front, or its attack upon his selected and entrenched position, it would be far better than imperiling his own command by the desperate chances of an encounter in the open field.

So much then for the general history of that campaign, of the drama then enacted and of the principal actors who played their parts. We are concerned here with some of the scenes and some of the actors, who have, for us, a far deeper and more exciting charm. We would inquire here, with a peculiar and untiring interest, as to the victory achieved at New Market.

To whom is the credit for that great victory due?

The great statesman and soldier who commanded the Confederate forces on that day lays no personal claim to the honorable