Deep Thoughts, with Jubal Early

[ColonelBuckwalter]

I can't seem to find anything online as to General Jubal Early's having any public comments about Appomattox and the ANV'S surrender.

Any pithy words from him, is his legendary use colorful metaphors in it, or must you find the places to insert them yourself?

 

[RedRover]

Early was not present with the Army of Northern Virginia at Appomattox. He had been relieved from command shortly before, from the Valley district. Was awaiting orders, etc.

A memoir of the last year of the War of Independence, in the Confederate States of America : Early, Jubal Anderson, 1816-1894. : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

x p., 1 l., [13]-144 p. 22 cm

archive.org

In a speech at Lexington in 1872 Gen. Early was quoted...

 

[ColonelBuckwalter]

Early was not present with the Army of Northern Virginia at Appomattox. He had been relieved from command shortly before, from the Valley district. Was awaiting orders, etc.

View attachment 559834

A memoir of the last year of the War of Independence, in the Confederate States of America : Early, Jubal Anderson, 1816-1894. : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

x p., 1 l., [13]-144 p. 22 cm

archive.org

In a speech at Lexington in 1872 Gen. Early was quoted...

View attachment 559835

Thanks. I did infact insert four language in my mind but for matters of taste will not include the things that go on in my head here.

 

[RedRover]

General Early was said to have been rather plain spoken. He was a lawyer by profession, and lived in hotels.

Alexander Hunter of the 4th Virginia Cavalry...

Staff officer John S. Wise observed of the general...

.....

 

[ColonelBuckwalter]

It's odd you say lived in hotels. I would have guessed he lived in a small room surrounded by books, sitting on a cot, chewing tobacco and bitterly grumbling.

Truly one of my favorite CS general officers, to spite his sometime lack of talent in the field.

 

[Sheltowee]

A "social and political Ishmaelite"…..terrific stuff. I'll have to use that one.

The polar opposite of Lee- he was in a class of his own. I would like to have met him…… yet the proposition is somehow frightening.

Think we've all known a Jubal Early.

 

[ColonelBuckwalter]

A "social and political Ishmaelite"…..terrific stuff. I'll have to use that one.

The polar opposite of Lee- he was in a class of his own. I would like to have met him…… yet the proposition is somehow frightening.

Think we've all known a Jubal Early.

I read, I believe on here, that whole at church service late in the war the pastor, in his sermon, asked, what would happen if all the souls who had died in the war came back?.

Early was heard by one of his staff to mutter something a long the lines of, "I'd have them all conscripted."

 

[Nathan Stuart]

Thought it interesting to compare Early's apparent shifting views on Lee's surrender, as evident in his penned 1866 'Personal Memoirs' (see https://archive.org/details/memoiroflastyear00earl/page/138/mode/2up?view=theater ) and in his published 1872 address on 'Lee's Campaigns' (see https://archive.org/details/campaignsgenrob00earlrich/page/44/mode/1up ).

In his 1866 memoirs (@p. 138), he openly expressed disassociation, embarrassment and defiance with Lee's (and Johnston's) surrender. In contrast, six years later, in his 1872 address (@ p. 44), he seemed to rationalize, and even romanticize, his view on Lee's surrender by highlighting Lee's command qualities and the nobility of his virtual non-existent army against a vastly overwhelming enemy, claiming military surrender was inevitable.

Early appears to have changed his attitude about the surrender over a short period of time.

 

[ColonelBuckwalter]

Thought it interesting to compare Early's apparent shifting views on Lee's surrender, as evident in his penned 1866 'Personal Memoirs' (see https://archive.org/details/memoiroflastyear00earl/page/138/mode/2up?view=theater ) and in his published 1872 address on 'Lee's Campaigns' (see https://archive.org/details/campaignsgenrob00earlrich/page/44/mode/1up ).

In his 1866 memoirs (@p. 138), he openly expressed disassociation, embarrassment and defiance with Lee's (and Johnston's) surrender. In contrast, six years later, in his 1872 address (@ p. 44), he seemed to rationalize, and even romanticize, his view on Lee's surrender by highlighting Lee's command qualities and the nobility of his virtual non-existent army against a vastly overwhelming enemy, claiming military surrender was inevitable.

Early appears to have changed his attitude about the surrender over a short period of time.

The personal memoirs (I can't write that word without thinking of Dan Aykroyd as Nixon) were written while living in Canada, and came out a year after the war, more or less. The war was very fresh in his mind. He hadn't been entirely sure the year before that he wasn't going to be detained, imprisoned, hanged or all three as a traitor. He was also being supported by his brother and father to one extent or the other.

I'm not forensic psychiatrist or analyst, but he seemed rather gruff to say the least, I can't imagine what his opinion of the Lee and Johnston would have been April 10th.

After the mass pardons in 1869 from Johnson, then Lee dying, he may have seen things differently. In 1873 he was elected head honcho of the Southern Historical Society. Bad mouthing Lee probably wouldn't have been his best bet if he were running for office of any kind in the post war south. It wouldn't have been a good thing if vying for any other office after that.

Or the Bad Old Man just changed his mind arbitrarily.

I'm not sure, of course. Interesting speculation.

 

[Rhea Cole]

The personal memoirs (I can't write that word without thinking of Dan Aykroyd as Nixon) were written while living in Canada, and came out a year after the war, more or less. The war was very fresh in his mind. He hadn't been entirely sure the year before that he wasn't going to be detained, imprisoned, hanged or all three as a traitor. He was also being supported by his brother and father to one extent or the other.

I'm not forensic psychiatrist or analyst, but he seemed rather gruff to say the least, I can't imagine what his opinion of the Lee and Johnston would have been April 10th.

After the mass pardons in 1869 from Johnson, then Lee dying, he may have seen things differently. In 1873 he was elected head honcho of the Southern Historical Society. Bad mouthing Lee probably wouldn't have been his best bet if he were running for office of any kind in the post war south. It wouldn't have been a good thing if vying for any other office after that.

Or the Bad Old Man just changed his mind arbitrarily.

I'm not sure, of course. Interesting speculation.

Early was an example of one of my mom's truisms, "A foul mouth comes from a foul mind." His introduction to the autobiography is a testament to her wisdom.

It was unlikely that he would have stood for office in the South as he lived in New York City. Where, ironically, the Southern Historical Society was headquartered.

It was from there that he dedicated his life to editing the events leading up to the war & its conduct to fit the lost cause false narrative.

Link:

Echoes of Reconstruction: Jubal Early, Stonewall Jackson, and the Enduring Lost Cause - Emerging Civil War

ECW is pleased to welcome back Patrick Young, author of The Reconstruction Era blog. Whenever an academic historian ventures onto popular Civil War media to discuss the Lost Cause interpretation of the war and its aftermath, anyone reading the comments will note the routine denunciation of the...

emergingcivilwar.com

 

[Nathan Stuart]

Early was commonly known personally for being gruff and snarly, as well as tactless with his sharp tongue.

Might also add to the mix that he was mercurial too, judging by his seemingly changing attitude as to the surrender.

 

[ColonelBuckwalter]

Early was an example of one of my mom's truisms, "A foul mouth comes from a foul mind." His introduction to the autobiography is a testament to her wisdom.

It was unlikely that he would have stood for office in the South as he lived in New York City. Where, ironically, the Southern Historical Society was headquartered.

It was from there that he dedicated his life to editing the events leading up to the war & its conduct to fit the lost cause false narrative.

Link:

Echoes of Reconstruction: Jubal Early, Stonewall Jackson, and the Enduring Lost Cause - Emerging Civil War

ECW is pleased to welcome back Patrick Young, author of The Reconstruction Era blog. Whenever an academic historian ventures onto popular Civil War media to discuss the Lost Cause interpretation of the war and its aftermath, anyone reading the comments will note the routine denunciation of the...

emergingcivilwar.com

Originally a Union man. An example of someone though who changed his time when that war came along. Foul or not, for a guy who seemed like her would be pretty pig headed and stubborn, he was surprisingly mailable. Zero to ten on a scale, I'd give 6 1/2, maybe six if I'm feeling charitable.

MY personal opinion is that he lacked timing, did preform as he should have (March on Washington & Seven Days, as an examples) but I think, had he been utilized differently, perhaps a lower position in the army, or had he been motivated enough to observe and learn from other general officers, who knows?

There is something to be said fur a foul mouth. It's been said by research that a certain four letter word, when used by some is a sign of intelligence. I agree with Frank Zappa that there are not inherently 'bad words'. They're just words and you need to know the right circumstances to apply them. I wouldn't let Early around the kids at an impressionable age, but I have a friend with a similar outlook, similar personality, similar mouth. He's fiercely loyal, will do anything for you, and cares, but when he's working he is the gruffest person I've ever met. My Bad Old Man if you will.

 

[NH Civil War Gal]

Well, that's a new line, to be described as "interestingly lurid and picturesque." That should be in someone's obit.

I believe Early died in Lynchburg in a sea of clutter/hoarding. He lived up a narrow staircase in a room or two piled high with books and papers - but not neatly. Somehow he fell either down the stairs or in the middle of the hoarding mess and died.

He was what I call a "high-conflict" personality.

 

[ColonelBuckwalter]

Well, that's a new line, to be described as "interestingly lurid and picturesque." That should be in someone's obit.

I believe Early died in Lynchburg in a sea of clutter/hoarding. He lived up a narrow staircase in a room or two piled high with books and papers - but not neatly. Somehow he fell either down the stairs or in the middle of the hoarding mess and died.

He was what I call a "high-conflict" personality.

I was right about the piles of books...

 

[JerryD]

It's odd you say lived in hotels. I would have guessed he lived in a small room surrounded by books, sitting on a cot, chewing tobacco and bitterly grumbling.

Truly one of my favorite CS general officers, to spite his sometime lack of talent in the field.

We seem to have polar opposite opinions of him. I respect his talent in the field and think he is often underrated, but I also think he was a world class a hole and don't find much, if at all, to admire or like. He seems to have been a miserable human being driven mostly by his hatreds and resentments.

 

[SWS]

 

[Scott1967]

It's odd you say lived in hotels. I would have guessed he lived in a small room surrounded by books, sitting on a cot, chewing tobacco and bitterly grumbling.

Truly one of my favorite CS general officers, to spite his sometime lack of talent in the field.

Well Lee had faith in him can't think of a better endorsement , He might have been gruff but he took care of his men and eventually they grew to like him.

Talent is fickle and goes hand in hand with Luck.

 

[Rebforever]

Oh, he was rough and tough. But his men fought like the devil for him.

 

[ColonelBuckwalter]

We seem to have polar opposite opinions of him. I respect his talent in the field and think he is often underrated, but I also think he was a world class a hole and don't find much, if at all, to admire or like. He seems to have been a miserable human being driven mostly by his hatreds and resentments.

Bipolar maybe even.

 

[ColonelBuckwalter]

Well Lee had faith in him can't think of a better endorsement , He might have been gruff but he took care of his men and eventually they grew to like him.

Talent is fickle and goes hand in hand with Luck.

I often go by the hockey maxim: I'd rather be lucky than good.