His early life as a soldier and politician-His "Union sentiments in the Virgtain Convention Why he became an actor in the war-Reflections upon Unloniats and Secessionists. Gen. Early's services in 1863 The disuusto Rappahannock Station.-His different commands in the last year of the wwin Independent campaign into the Valley and Maryland-Outrages of the enemy in the Valley-Gon Early advance upon Washington City-Why he didn't attack it-His return to the Valley-Battle of Winchester-The dr 1.

of Cedar Creek Failure of the Valley campaign-The affair of Narrow escape of Gen. Early Gen. Leo's letter relieving him and.-Review of the operations in the Tally-Remarkable character ly.The "had old men."-Hin jeken and poculiarities odotes cap-Escape of Gen. Harly across the Misaisalppi River-His choice

LIEUT.-GEN. JUBAL A. EARLY.

CHAPTER XLI.

His early life as a soldier and politician.-His "Union" sentiments in the Virginia Convention.-Why he became an actor in the war.-Reflections upon the Unionists and Secessionists.-Gen. Early's services in 1862.-The disaster of Rappahannock Station. His different commands in the last year of the war.His independent campaign into the Valley and Maryland.-Outrages of the enemy in the Valley.-Gen. Early's advance upon Washington City.-Why he did not attack it.-His return to the Valley.-Battle of Winchester.-The dramatic story of Cedar Creek.-Failure of the Valley campaign.-The affair of Waynesboro.-Narrow escape of Gen. Early.-Gen. Lee's letter relieving him from command.- Review of the operations in the Valley.-Remarkable character of Gen. Early.-The "bad old man."-His jokes and peculiarities.-Anecdotes of the camp.-Escape of Gen. Early across the Mississippi River.-His choice of exile.

JUBAL A. EARLY is a native of Virginia, and belongs to a family whose names are familiar in the public records of the Commonwealth, and in its popular history for several generations. He received a military education and graduated at West Point in 1837. Of the same class and above him were Gens. Bragg and Townsend; and below him in the same class were Gens. D. H. Hill Sedgwick, Pemberton, Hooker, and Walker (first Confederate Se cretary of War).

He was promoted second-lieutenant in the Third Artillery, 1837; again, first-lieutenant, 1838; but in that year he resigned his position in the army, and appears to have abandoned the idea of a military career. We next find him making his residence in Franklin county, Virginia, and universally regarded as one of the ablest lawyers in the State. His profession naturally inclined him to politics. The family to which he belonged was always Wash

ingtonian in its ideas of Federal authority. They held jacobin ism and cant in detestation. They were Federalists, but fought in the Revolution and war of 1812; Republicans, but hostile to democratic ideas. As Whigs, they opposed Jackson and adored Clay; as Union men, they opposed secession.

For several terms Early held a seat in the Legislature of Virginia. In the Mexican War there occurred in his life a brief interlude of military service; be being appointed Major of the 1st Regiment of Virginia Volunteers, and serving in Mexico from June 7, 1847, to August 3, 1848.

Just before the troubles between the North and South culminated in war, Virginia called a State Convention of her ablest men, and Jubal A. Early was elected a member of this historic assembly. There he was recognized as one of the leading and most obstinate Union men, and drew many censures upon his head. He worked and spoke and voted against the ordinance of secession. He went so far, perhaps, as to say that he would offer no resistance to the Federal forces who should go to South Carolina to enforce the laws. When, however, Virginia spoke through the ballot-box, and decided to take the perils of war, this whole family, father and sons, rallied to her call. The old man abandoned his estate on the Kanawha to experience all the trials of a refugee. Three sons from Missouri entered the army, one or two of them never to return alive. Those in Virginia-one of them above the military age-volunteered, and with collateral relatives enough to have formed almost a company, they entered the army and fought as faithfully through the war as any men that were in it.

Of the change of opinion which made him one of the most determined actors of the war on the side of the South, Gen. Early has written an explanation, in which he declares: "As a member of the Virginia Convention, I voted against the ordinance of secession on its passage by that body, with the hope that, even then, the collision of arms might be avoided, and some satisfactory adjustment arrived at. The adoption of that ordinance wrung from me bitter tears of grief: but I at once recognized my duty to abide the decision of my native State, and to defend her soil against invasion. Any scruples which I may have entertained as to the right of secession, were soon dispelled by the mad, wicked, and unconstitutional measures of the authorities at Washington, and