The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-07-27
Northern and Southern Bravery Con.
truslcsl.


Northern and Southern Bravery Con.
trastcsi.
The present wlr has lasted quite long enough
to settle beyond doubt the relative question
Of Northern and Southern bravery, aud 10 cx.
hib't the pecuiiarties oi our mode Of lighting as
compared with that prac;iscd by the South II
is the DID, old story of history over again. The
Northern troops fight with the full front, the
open. honest bravery Of men who are valiant
in good cause. The Southern soldiers light
like the Indians; hide themselves behind woods,
thickets and masked batteries; have recourse to
every mean and dishonorable fcinl and strata
gem, ana wreak their weak vengeance on the
wounded and the dying. The Northern
troops fight for their country and it's glorious
fag, which no act of theirs shall disgrace
The Southerners fgh, for present success.
and care nothing for their regulations or for the
worlds opinion OF the means which they use 10
secure victory. 1t Is the Southern Sepoy against
the Northern soldier. 1t is the Indian against
the white man. Southern bravery is that of the
serpent and Northern bravery is that OF the
man.
Now this contrast, which is so strongly
marked, and which every skirmish and
battle so signaliy illustrates, becomes all
the more striking when we consider il
in the light Of the previous declarations and
pretensions Of the South For q long time
we have been forced, 10y dint of perpetua,
selfassertion, to take The South at its own esti-
mate Of itseif-and very large estimate that
was. By-andb the time came 10 pnt all these
selfilatteries to the test; and, by way Of prepa-
ration. the Southerners belauded themselves and
abused the North more extrayagantly than
ever. According to their own account they
were the bravest. the most gallant the most
chvalrous Of mortals They sent only gentle
men" to the field to beat back our "hordes Of
Northern savages;" our troops, whose motto
was beauty and boo'y;" our ragged rout of
"cowardy wretches and prison BIRDS" who
marched to "plunder the property and outrage
the women" of the South. But the truth is,
that they seem to have left their real gentlemen
at home, and sent their worst classes into the
field.
The operations Of those celebrated thieves.
Robert Macairc Floyd and jacques Strop Cobb,
| rather unsettled the high estimate of the model
Southerner; and indeed, the whole series OF
low, dirty, disgracefu populations, criminaiities
aud arrangements which preceded tie outbreak
ing Of the Southern rebellion was, to say the
least of it, not very creditabie TO the chivarous
South Next came the thunlogs from Fort Sum-
ter, and men began seriously to question
whether it was Enlightened chivairy" to pour in
shot and shell when an enemy was roasting over
a burning magazine, or "gentlemanly bravery"
to allow seventy men to hold seven thou
sand at bay, and to march off, uncou-
quered on their own terms. The doubts
which these proceedings agtated, the campaign
in Virginia has pretty decidedly settled
And, first in regard to their bravery. Iii ascer-
tanned beyond question chat at every battle where
they were not conessediy beaten, the rebels
retreatod simultaneously with the Union troops,
and never dared to grasp and follow mp their
apparent and temporary success. This was the
case ut Big Bethel, where Magrudcrs force
retired at the same time ours was withdrawn;
at Vienna where the rebels ran away before
| General Schenck's soldiers rallied after the first
surprise from the masked battery; and as it
now appears at Bulls ran. where BeaMregard's
|
own fell back upon Cenireville and Washing
ton. BY themselves considered, these facts argue
an equality 10 bravery between Northern "pri-
son birds" and Southern gentlemen" very lit
tie TO the credit Of the chir,iry. Nor il our adj
miration Of Southern bravery increased when we
remember that, in each of these engagements.
the rebels outnumbered the Union men two to
one; were strongly iutrenehed behind masked
batteries, and-galiant gameoocks.-f fought and
fed upon their own dunghills. Nor, over
whelming as their numbers were, would the
rebels leave their batteries and brave stand
mp fight. In every case where they showed
themselves the ruthless horde" was too much
for the "gentlemcn;" and, whether flying before
Rosencrans and Mcclellan in Western Virginia
or making tracks away from the bayonets of
the Savage" volunteers at Eull's run, The CHI
vairy presented their backs to the enemy and
made the illustrious General Price their model
and exemplar.
But if they did not rival even the In
dian in bravery, they at least eqnalled
him in Ingenuity and cunning. Some of
them, II is said, displayed the Union flag at
Bulls run, TO attract small squads of our troops
| towards them. Others shouted, Don't fire on
your brothers," from behind their masked bat
| teries. in order to take advantage OF the mo.
| mentary confusion thus caused and pour in
murderous volley. Is this Southern bravery
and ohivalry9 Or Is 1t chvalr'c to rob the dead
and telegraph to Nashville how many gold dol.
lars wounded Union officer had in his pockot'
liz il chivalrio to butcher the wounded, to
nail prisoners to tree for targets, to
hack and quarter the bodies Of The dead?
Is 1t ctIvaric to FIRE upon hospitals and ambu-
lan:es, to XII nurses and viuandisres, to wound