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| Headquarters, Army of Va., February 28, 1865. | } |
My Dear Smith: Your application for transfer to the Army of South Carolina has just been returned to us from the Department at Richmond, approved, and I take pleasure in enclosing it to you, together with transportation for yourself, servant and horse. We regret to give you up, but hope that you and Bemby may render as signal service to General Johnston as you have to General Early.
I remain, very truly yours,
Amos Halstead,
Acting Ass’t Adj’t Gen’l
Major John Smith,
of Gen. Early’s staff.
As explanatory of this letter, I would state that, when our regiment first reached the Army of Virginia, it was placed in the old “Stonewall” brigade. Ben soon began to attract the attention not only of the officers, but of General Jackson himself, for his daring bravery in battle, but chiefly for his skill in conducting foraging and scouting expeditions. So successful was he in stealing through the enemy’s lines and gaining reliable information in regard to their strength and position, that General Jackson honored him with a special appointment for his own service. Soon after this a friend of father’s, in high position, secured for me a place on Jackson’s staff, and Ben and I were thus thrown together in many a field of danger and hair-breadth escape. After Ned’s death, at Gettysburg, and father’s capture and subsequent death in prison, I became more than ever attached to Ben, and we were fortunate in not being separated till near the close of the war. When Jackson fell at Chancellorsville we were both transferred to Ewell’s command, and at his death to Early’s—Ben receiving a commission as chief of scouts, while I was appointed aide-de-camp with the rank of major. After that memorable valley campaign, and when we had joined General Lee in the trenches around Petersburg, Ben was sent to General Beauregard, in South Carolina, to act as scout and spy; and as I felt lonely without him, and General Early had little need for staff officers in the trenches, I applied for transfer, with the result indicated in the letter.