When I was placed under guard near his quarters he sent a staff officer to the front to learn the result of the battle.

After a short absence he galloped up to General Patrick and yelled out “We have whipped them!”

Patrick said:  “I want no foolishness, sir!”

The staff officer then said:  “General, if you want the truth, they have whipped us like hell.”

* * * * *

CHAPTER XXXIV

Leaves the Trenches in the Shenandoah Valley.

To relieve the tension that oppressed both Richmond and Petersburg, General Lee determined to dispatch a force to the Valley to drive the enemy therefrom, to guard against a flank movement around the north and west of Richmond, and to threaten Washington with an invasion of the North.  The Second Corps of the army was ordered Northwest.  General Ewell being too enfeebled by age and wounds, had been relieved of his command in the field and placed in the command of Henrico County.  This embraced Richmond and its defensive, the inner lines, which were guarded and manned by reserves and State troops.  General Early, now a lieutenant General, was placed in command of the expedition.  Why or what the particular reason a corps commander was thus placed in command of a department and a separate army, when there were full Generals occupying inferior positions, was never known.  Unless we take it that Early was a Virginian, better informed on the typography of the country, and being better acquainted with her leading citizens, that he would find in them greater aid and assistance than would a stranger.  The department had hopes of an uprising in the “Pan Handle” of Maryland in recruits from all over the States.  The prestige of Early’s name might bring them out.  Early was a brave and skillful General.  Being a graduate of West Point, he was well versed in the tactical arts of war; was watchful and vigilant, and under a superior he was second to none as a commander.  But his Valley campaign—­whether from failures of the troops or subaltern officers, I cannot say—­but results show that it was a failure.  There could be no fault found with his plans, nor the rapidity of his movements, for his partial successes show what might have been accomplished if faithfully carried out.  Still, on the whole, his campaign in the Valley was detrimental, rather than beneficial, to our cause.  Early had already made a dash through the Valley and pushed his lines beyond the Potomac, while his cavalry had even penetrated the confines of Washington itself.  It was said at the time, by both Northern and Southern military critics, that had he not wavered or faltered at the critical moment, he could have easily captured the city.  No doubt his orders were different—­that only a demonstration was intended—­and had he attempted to exceed his orders and failed, he would have received and deserved the censure of the authorities.  The