Letter from George C. Cabell to William D. Stuart

Scope and content:

Letter regards a report in which George C. Cabell erroneously commended Captain Thomas D. Jeffress.

Language:

English .

Other descriptive data:

18th Va. Regt.
Nov. 26th 1862
Col. W. D. Stuart

Col.,
In reply to your note rec'd some time since asking of the "mention made" of Capt. T. D. Jeffress "upon" a report of one of the Richmond battles forwarded by myself to Brigade Hd. Qrs., I have to say that Capt. Jeffress made out the report of the battle himself, he being the Senr. Officer present who was in the fight. When the report was handed to me Lt. Chaffin Actg. Adjt. told me that the officers of the Regt. desired that I should make mention of the good conduct of Capt. Jeffress in battle, as the Capt. from motives of delicacy would of course say nothing of himself. I endorsed upon the report that I was not in the battle myself, was not in command of the Regiment at the time the events spoken of occurred, but that at the request of others, I would state that Capt. Jeffress deserved "honorable mention" for good conduct in battle. I have since learned that Lt. Chaffin was not in the fight himself and I am sorry that I acted upon his suggestion and made the endorsement referred to for the reason that I appeared to discriminate in favor of Capt. Jeffress when in fact I knew nothing of the conduct of any officer in the Regiment in the battle alluded to.

I am Col.
Very Respectfully
Geo. C. Cabell, Major

Subjects:

United States—History—Civil War, 1861-1865—Personal narratives—Confederate
Correspondence

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