Partisan Leader (1862)/Introduction
IT is said of Mr. Burke that he could take a survey of the political sky and tell the destiny of nations for twenty years to come. Judge TUCKER has literally done this, as far as the American people are concerned, as will be found strikingly illustrated in the work before us. Written and published in 1836, but bearing in its imprint the date of 1856, and intended as a tale of the future, applying to the intervening period, it has substantially foretold the great leading features of the history of the twenty-five years intervening between the time of its first publication, and this eventful era, at which it is again given to the public.
In following the history of the hero through the strange vicissitudes of love, and war, and wild adventure--glowing now with the roseate tinge of sentiment, and, anon, with the fiery hue of tragedy, the reader will be amazed to see the incidental mention of the great historical facts which have, in the last eighteen months, marked the disintegration of a vast republic, and the organization and struggles of a new one. The secession of the more Southern States--the formation of the "Southern Confederacy"--the hesitation of Virginia--the arguments which fifteen months ago resounded, from the Chesapeake to the Ohio in favour of her seceding and "accepting the invitation to join the Southern Confederacy"--the "pretext" on which the Northern army was raised; "the apprehension of hostilities from the Southern Confederacy"-- the war--the effects of the blockade, even to its influence upon the article of common salt, etc., etc., seem as familiar to the pen of the great political seer, as if he had actually been a participant "in the great struggle" which he writes, "I witnessed and partook."
The reader will realize, perhaps, more amusement, though less of wonder, to see as thorough appreciation of Yankee character, as well in small things and in great, as the lights and shadows of twenty-five additional years of peace and war afford. "He surely had read some of McClellan's reports," was the playful remark of an intelligent friend, as we read the account of Col. Trevor's defeat, and his official report, which "lies like truth, and yet most truly lies."
Indeed, so marvellously does the book apply to recent and current events, that sometimes sketching its striking passages, with those who were not readers contemporaneous with its first circulation, they have taken the venerable copy and turned it over and said, so skeptically, this indeed looks like an old book, as that, by an unpleasant association of ideas, I have almost fancied myself suspected as a sort of Thomas Chatterton, with his affected old Saxon style, and black-lettered, artificially- blurred volumes, attempting to impose on the literary world. Many, however, will hail it as an old friend, whose eccentricities once served to amuse their idle hours; but treated at best with neglect, had withdrawn, and so secluded himself, that when by experience, they discover that "his folly was wiser than their wisdom," comes not promptly, when in their perplexity they call for him, but waits for the darkest hour,[1] and then in the benign and venerable aspect of a prophet of God, comes to remind "of how these things must needs be," and in his very salutation speaking words of cheer, and heralding a bright and glorious day.
It was for a number of years unknown who "Edward William Sidney" was. Indeed, that the public has remained in doubt to a very recent period, if not to this hour, will appear from the following quotation from the Southern Literary Messenger of June 1861. The editor, introducing a notice of the "Partisan Leader," as recently re-published in the North, taken from the Baltimore Exchange, says: "We see that some of our exchanges have given credit to the novel in question to the pen of Judge Upshur, of Virginia, who was killed by the bursting of the 'Peacemaker;' but we believe the Baltimore Exchange is correct in attributing it to Judge Beverley Tucker of Virginia." It will be, therefore, gratifying to see this question set fully at rest, as it is most satisfactorily done, in the following communication kindly furnished me by Lieut. Governor Montague, of Virginia:
- RICHMOND, July 6th, 1862.
DEAR SIR--I have received yours of the 30th ult., asking me to give you any information I possess as to the authorship of a book called "The Partisan Leader." The late Judge Beverley Tucker, of Williamsburg, was the author of the work; and the first time I ever heard him declare he wrote the book was under the following circumstances: In 1842 or 43, I do not now remember the precise period, the Hon. J. M. Botts accused the late Judge A. P. Upshur, in a printed communication, of being a disunionist, and among other items of evidence brought forward by Mr. Botts to sustain this charge, as well as I now recollect, it was insinuated that Judge Upshur was the author of "The Partisan Leader." This controversy excited a good deal of interest in Williamsburg, where Judge Upshur had many warm friends and admirers. I was at that time a student of William and Mary College, and a member of Judge Tucker's class, and on this occasion I heard him declare to his class that he wrote the book and was responsible for whatever sins or heresies it contained. This was the first time I ever heard him refer to the subject. After this I heard him refer to it frequently in private. I have often heard him say that those who were then deriding him, and denouncing his book as a treasonable production would live to see the day when they would acknowledge that his appreciation of the Yankee character was correct; and lament in tears and blood that his views were not sooner adopted by the South. It was written by its great author to open the eyes of Virginia and the South to the dangers which he so clearly saw just ahead, and which we all have so keenly felt. Well, well, would it have been could all have seen as he did.
I am glad to hear you design its re-publication. It is a master's work, and I have no doubt, but that, even now, its re-publication will be productive of good. Wishing you success in your enterprise,
I am hastily, but very truly yours,
- RO. L. MONTAGUE.
"Is he related to Christian Witt?",
"I don't know, he has a good many kinfolks of his name. He's at the stable a little way 'long up the lane there, and you can talk with him if you feel like it."
I found him feeding his horse. When in response to my call he straightened himself, I recognized, with scarcely the shade of a doubt, the original of his graphic picture; and was sure that the "Christian" prefix was given by the author only because be had forgotten his christian name.
Alighting and introducing myself, after an interchange of enquiries, which fairly opened the way, said:
"Are you related to the Old Mr. Witt who once lived at the place now occupied by Charles Davis, just at the foot of the 'Devil's Backbone?"
"He was my father, sir."
"Do you remember anything of Judge Beverley Tucker paying a visit to this section some thirty or forty years ago, and going up to look at these mountains?"
"Who?" said he, "Adjutant Tucker. I knowed him in the war of twelve. Yes! I was living then at my father's, and he come up there and said he wanted to go and look at the mountains; and my father went up with him. I said to him,'why Adjutant Tucker, how do you do, sir?' and he said 'what, do you know me?' 'Yes,' says I, 'did'nt I hear you read the orders at the head of the rigiment every evening at Norfolk.' And then he laughed."
"What kind of looking man was he, Mr. Witt?"
"Well, Sir, he was about five feet ten inches high, slim and straight, had light hair and light eyes, and looked as keen as a night-hawk, sir."
From the account of many familiar with the author, it appears that his description of the mountaineer, though more elegant, was scarcely more graphic or comprehensive.
Curious to know whether the latter would recognize his own picture, and that of his father's house and its romantic approaches and surroundings, and could endorse the sentiments attributed to him twenty-five years ago, as those he would avow in the midst of the stirring scenes in which he is supposed to act no unimportant part, I continued:
"What would you think, Mr. Witt, if I were to tell you that this same Adjutant' Tucker, some ten years after his visit here, and twenty-five years ago, wrote a book, in which he foretold all the great events in our history as a people?" giving him an outline of the book, as furnished in the beginning of this article.
"Well, sir, I should think it right strange, but mightly like some of our leading men told us; for I heerd Gov. Floyd make a speach once, and tell that these things was gwine to be, and pretty much how they was gwine to come about."
"But what would you think if I were to tell you further that he has your name in the book? that he thinks Virginia hesitated till she was nearly overrun by the enemy, that we are sustaining a sort of guerilla, 'bush-whacking' warfare out here in the mountains, and that you are a kind of lieutenant, exerting a valuable influence among your mountain neighbours?"
"Well, I'd think that was strange, too, but he know'd me in the war of twelve!"
"I have the book along, Mr. Witt."
"I'd be mighty much obleged to you if you'd read it to me."
I produced the book, and complied with his request by reading the first two or three chapters. The description of the road, the stream, the mountains, and the surroundings of his father's house, were endorsed by an occasional "that's so, sir." When his name was introduced, and the description of his person, he said:
"He must a meant me, sir."
I suggested, "He supposes, Mr. Witt, that these things occurred some twelve or fifteen years ago: Could you not have borne, at that time of life, such a part as he attributes to you?"
"I reckon I could, sir; for I ought to be mighty thankful that though I am failin now, I have been a very powerful man."
When I read to him his remarks, at the dinner, about the scarcity of "salt" "and the Yankees holding James river," he added, with an air of grave astonishment--
"I say that to you now, sir!"
I could but regard him with a kind of romantic veneration, as a real character in a great prophetic story, whose thrilling events have been essentially fulfilled, and in the realization of which, evincing the same characteristics and endorsing the same sentiments which it was supposed he would maintain. All that I learned from his neighbors tended but to show that precisely such circumstances as those supposed would probably have developed precisely such a character as he is presumed to have sustained. I may add, as a pleasing little episode, that, though for these forty years "they have wedded been," he has never been known to depart or return, on a few miles trip, without kissing his "darling Katie."
In company with a friend, I spent a day traversing the mountains. Fanned by the pure air, seven degrees cooler than in the sultry vale beneath, bearing upon its ever waving wings the sweets of a thousand flowers, we observed all the varieties of growth and scenery remarked by the author. We counted thirteen vertebra in the "Devil's Backbone," or "notches in the Hen's Ladder," and it required no fertile imagination to locate the rocky covert of the sentinel, the stand of the piquet, and the headquarters of "The Partisan Leader"--marked as the wide, wild gorge, with its difficult approaches of steep precipice, and its clear, dashing river, "pouring over rugged barriers of yellow stone."
The reader will observe that I have avoided the mention of the mere objective political features of the story, such as the person, and time of service of the President, whose election, by a sectional vote, caused the dissolution, as also the date of the occurrences, and such like, which, to the great subjective features that have been so strikingly realized, are as the drapery to the picture, and have sought simply to give him, at a glance, an insight into the character of the book, and to actualize some of its minor circumstances of scenery and character.
A word of personal explanation, and I am done. My attention being called to the work by the notice alluded to, in the Literary Messenger, some twelve months since, I had felt the intensest curiosity to read and compare it with the momentous events of the present crisis, but had found my inquiries vain during that period, and had despaired of obtaining my object. A few weeks since, however, in the regular routine of duty, by a happy accident I blundered upon it. Amazed, and gratified in finding it a greater literary curiosity than I had even supposed, it immediately occurred to me that thousands must realize a similar interest with myself in its perusual; and that while its republication was due alike to the fame of its author and to historical propriety, its general circulation would tend to illustrate the necessity of our position, to vindicate the justice of our cause, and to intensify Southern patriotism. Astonished that it had not been republished, I determined that if others would not undertake the work, with the approval of those who have the first right to represent the author and his interests, I would myself engage in the enterprise. Deferring as far as practicable to these, I was assured that they were desirous of its republication, and had once made arrangements for it; but owing to the fall of Norfolk the work had been estopped in that direction, and that I could therefore feel free to go forward with it. Pleased that I am permitted, in a manner consonant with the proprieties of the case, thus to minister, as I humbly conceive, at once to the public gratification and the public good, I commit the great work, in its original form, to its own vindication, trusting to the intelligence of the reader to apply the coincidences which mark its fulfillment as a political prophecy.
- THOS. A. WARE.
- CHINA DALE, Henry Co., Va.
- ↑ Written during the bloody week at Richmond.