Defense of Gen. Sterling Price
The Telegraph has published a letter from Rev. B. Kavanaugh, superintendent of Methodist Army Missions for the District of Arkansas. Mr. Kavanaugh was present throughout Gen. Price’s late campaign into Missouri, and professes to be personally acquainted with all the circumstances attending that campaign, in which Gov. Reynolds refers in making his charges against Gen. Price. We therefore suppose Mr. Kavanaugh’s testimony in this case is entitled to some weight, and as we have published some of the charges, it is but justice that we should give some of the defense, and hence we publish the following extract from Mr. K’s letter:
“1st. He (Gov. Reynolds) professes to come before the public for the purpose of vindicating the character of Gen. Marmaduke and Gen. Cabell against certain charges which he says were made against them (which no one else had ever heard of, so far as we can learn) when every body can see plainly that his object was to slander and abuse Gen. Price.
2. He charges Gen. Price with slow and tardy movements before he got to Jefferson City, and yet he complains that his marches were so rapid as greatly to fatigue the poor soldiers! He was impatient to get to Jefferson City, but sad to pass it by!
3. He says Gen. Price kept his plans and purposes so closely that even his generals could not tell what his next movement would be, and yet they were so loosely kept that even the Federal newspapers got them, and published them to the world before the movements were made.
Now it is certain that one side or the other of these statements must be false. That they are false, with all others of such character, is proved by the testimony of every man who was on the expedition, with whom we have conversed.
General Price is charged with not knowing the country, and with making mistakes, &c. There is no man so well acquainted with the geography of that country generally as General Price, for he has been over it time and again with his army, and has peculiar aptness for a recollection of places. Fault is found of the conduct of the men as regards the depredations committed on private property. The strictest orders were issued by Gen. Price against such depredations, and if they were not carried out by Gen. Marmaduke, Cabell and others, the Governor’s particular favorites, why charge it all to Gen. Price? But the most serious charge is, that Gen. Price was in front when the enemy made a sudden and violent attack on the rear of his army. It is confessed that Gen. P. had placed Gen. Marmaduke, Fagan, Cabell and others in the rear, and surely the Governor would not say they were not good officers! If Gen. P. was so great a blunderer, as he would represent, it was fortunate that he was in front. We have been in the army more than three years under Gen. Price, and we claim to know more of his habits, abilities and firmness, than Reynolds can know, who was never in the an army train before, (for he was only a “dead head” in the train, not in the army) and if Gen. P. passed to the front, his business took him there, and he was in discharge of his duty.
But the most foul slander of all, is that he rode at his ease in an ambulance, drank his toddy, and neglected his men. We say this is foul slander, for every soldier in the army is in the habit of saying, that if General P. has a fault, it is in being too tender, careful and indulgent to his men. We have seen him dismount from his horse, and put worn out soldiers in his saddle and take it on foot himself. He does drink his toddy, at regular hours every day, and has done so for forty years. But dare Reynolds to say he ever saw him drunk, or refuse to divide with others? Never. How contemptible and low it is to see a man, claiming to be a Governor of a State, bring such charges against a character so noble, generous and dignified, as everybody knows Gen. P. to be. And yet Reynolds has done so, and thereby justly forfeits, as he has done, the respect of every man from Missouri, whether in the army of out of it. If we were permitted to elect a Governor in the army, as we have members to Congress, Reynolds would not get ten votes - our men in the army say he would not get one.
But, was General P.’s expedition a failure? To answer this question correctly, we must first enquire what were the objects of it. Gen. P. was sent to Missouri by Gen. Smith to accomplish four objects, under specific orders. 1st. To produce a diversion of the enemy into Missouri in favor of Gens. Hood and Lee, who were in great need of such aid at that time. This was but a little too successful for he drew too many. 2nd. To recruit our army, by bringing out men. This was eminently successful; for we have added more than 10,000 men to our ranks, and they are still coming. Col. Candiff lately arrived with an entire regiment, a month after Gen. P.’s return, and still they come. 3d. It was to demonstrate to the world, and especially the enemy, that we were not so far exhausted in men and courage, but that we were able to make a demonstration into the very heart of a State inside the enemies lines. In this we were wholly successful. 4th Gen. P. was to remain in the State and establish a government there, if in his opinion he was able to do so. Otherwise, he was to return by the line of retreat by which he came. He failed to remain, but was successful in his retreat. In his whole tour he followed his orders to the letter. Of this we have been officially advised.
Now who is the proper judge of the success of this expedition? The Generals under whose orders it was planned, with definite objects in view, or the “public,” who knew nothing of these plans and objects? Or shall we refer the whole question to little Tommy Reynolds, with his one idea? Gen. Magruder, long before the return of General Price, remarked to the writer, that if Gen. Price returned with no more men than he started with, he should regard his expedition as a grand success. When Gen. Price returned, Gen. Magruder addressed him a very complimentary letter, congratulating him as well as the sapient little Governor, pronouncing the expedition a success, and approving of Gen. Price’s conduct. With the approbation of his superior officers, Gen. Price is well satisfied, and will take no further notice of Reynolds, than to pronounce his statements and charges false which he has done.
But to cap the climax of iniquity, in the shameful conduct of Thomas C. Reynolds, after publishing his slanderous address, and after Gen. Price had received the approval and congratulations of Gens. Smith and Magruder, and had Reynolds’ address, he also received a private letter from Reynolds, advising him to resign his office immediately, to save him from the storm of public displeasure that was rising against him - raised by Reynolds himself! Gentlemen of character and position in society will better conceive than we can express the feelings of burning indignation that arose in the heart of the gray headed old soldier. Gen. Price knew Reynolds well before the war, and his cowardly conduct since. He knew what estimate to place on him, and took no notice of him upon his tour. This is the secret of his deadly hate towards Gen. Price. As Reynolds has brought this subject before the public, it is due the public to know a little of his own character and conduct, and if it is unpleasant to him, he must take the blame upon himself.
Weekly State Gazette, Austin, Texas, February 22, 1865.