Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1861-09-25
French Estimate Of Generals Mcclellan
and Mcdowell. .r.-

. uH0 uCDeWehs
The American correspondent of the Opinion
National 10 said to be either the Prince Napo-
leon or member of bis suite, and numerous
peeulisrities In his letters favor this idea. The
Opinion, at any rate, is the recognised news
paper organ Of His Imperial Highness. In the
letter dated Washington, August 16, We find
some curious matter
"Gen. Mcclellan, q pupil of the West Point
Academy, is q man about IS years old, very
small in stature, with black hair and mu,tache,
an intelligent, frank and agreeable counte-
nance, and of simple, modest behavior. See
ing him pass in the street, you would certainly
take him for French oficerjof engineers or
artillery. Gen. Mcdowell commands all the
troops on the right bank of the Potomac He
is man about AZ, is large and strongly built,
his face dot particularly delicate, but remark
ably open and from its expression of frank
ness and amiability, engaging. If Mcclellan
resembles one of our engineer officers, McDow-
ell Is like French infantry officer His con-
versation, his character and bis principles are
superior to his exterior, however prepossessiug
that may be. He is man as last, as true, as
simple as one can meet. He received ter
rible check at Bull Run, and he speaks of it
without bitterness, without recrimination, with
an accent OF sincerity and an elevation of sem
'iment that do him the greatest honor. De-
prlyed OF The supreme command in consequence
OF this reverse, he saw Mcclellan, his comrsde o
at West Point, and his jsnior by several years,
inherit his pswers, his positions and his grow.
ing. popularity. He accepted, without com
plaint or murmur, an inferior position under
him whose mission was to repair the misfortune
with which his own name was associated. Yet
no one doubts that Mcdowell will prove the
mos. submissive and the most devoted of the
lieutenants Of Mcclellan. Mcdowell has, be-
sides, the reputation in the army of being q
SORT OF philosophical stole, q reputation of
which some Of the West Point graduates are
ambitious, and of which they are in some de-
gree worthy. He drinks neither wine, tea nor
coffee; he does not smoke, and his sobriety and
endurance are quite analogous with his Puri-
tan principles.
VI the troops this close observer remarks:
Ihe cavalry is not at all numerous as for
field artillery, it is not seen, which proves that
1T has not yet repaired its losses at Bull Run.
There remains the infantry, which is encamped
IN an irregular but still comfortable manner
It's appearance Is not favorable; this is partly
the fault of the men, who appear strangers to
military cleanliness and the use of weapons,
and partly the fault Of the administration,
which Is Tar from having completed a regular
style OF clothing for the feet, the persons or
the heads Of the troops The instruction of the
soldier Is inefficient, and to my notion there is
too little thought about 1t. In general, the
aspect of the camp is dull-as much on account
Of the somber color and bad condition of what
theatrical manager would call the properties,
as the bearing OF the men themselves-heayy
and destitute Of animation and gaiety."
So much for our side, now for secession:
"At the hrst meeting, one can form an idea Of
the exterior Of the secessionist soldier. The
question OF uniform, but little considered at
the North, is not considered at all by the
South. 1t seems that the efforts to uniform the
troops have not reached beyond the distribu-
ton TO few corps Of a sort of coarse grew
cloth garment made in Virginia. Uniform
dresses or fancy dresses, the entire tsnus is in
miserable condition; the soldier, however,
preserves under his rags a tolerably martial
ar, ana perfect order reigns in the camps and
the outpOsts. What impresses one most is the
cavalry, which is very numerous admirably
mounted, and composed of picked men. 1t is
conspicuous at glance that these men are the
sons OF farmers, of landed proprietors, that
they are accustomed, if not to arms, at least to
q rude and rural life. Nothing can be more
picturesque than these southern cavaliers
They wear their impossible costume, dilapi-
dated by biyouac Of three months, hats with
out tops, boots without soles, with a grace and
an heroic air that Don Caesar de BaEan might
envy. And as these knights in rags have fne
Virginia faces, as their horses are magnificent,
and they ride with the greatest dsripg-one
gets to admire them just as he admires the fam
tastlc warriors created by Salvador Rosa. The
stats Of Generals Beauregard and Johnston are
remarkable. If the United States were not a
Republic, should say that these stats were
composed Of the flower Of the southern nobility
Several are owners Of immense fortunes.
"Disinterested in this civil war-a stranger
70 the hates, the passions. the interests that
have kindled it-I could not but be touched
at the sight of some of these men with white
mustaohes, aristocratIc and military bearing,
and distinguished manners, who had Quilted
their families, their fresides, their import
ance, to serve az aides-de-camp under Young
generals, lately unknown, and in the rudest
Of wars. IL Is incontestible that there is much
more passion and ardor among the officers of
Ine southern army than in those of the North
Iney assert in the secessionist camp that this
srdor, this disinterested devotion for the COM
mon cause is shared by the common soldier;
that at the South they serve for honor and
conviction sake; that among the Fsderalists
the soldier has no other motive than pay-no
other impulse than poverty, the best Of re-
cruiting sergeants from the population of i'm
mense cities. Undoubtedly this is general.
ising too widely in fact which may be true
within certain limits. Individual vaior is un
douotedly superior in the Confederate camp,
out the Union camp neutralizes this advan-
tage by more advanced state OF military
knowledge and organization, at least among
the priVates, 90 that these elements balancing
almost equally, it is difficult to foresee towards
which side the scales of war will turn