The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1862-05-25
A Great Military Reputation Analysed
- Nf.sx


| We're Moliere living at the present time he
would probably have given US another version
OF his pleasant satire |" LIE Medecin Malgre
Lui.r Amongst TIE rebel leaders he would
have found subject for portrait equally sug-
gestige and piquant.
General Beanregard belongs emphaticaliy to
that highly favored class who, in Shakesperian
parlance, have greatness thrust upon them."
Somehow or other, he has c0ntrived to obtain
the reputation Of the greatest military COM
mandcr on the continent; but sndeavor to
analyze how that reputation has been made and
| you are utterly at fault. Certain it ID, never
theless, that wherever he goes his presence
produces . great effect. Even at the North
many think that the fact Of his being in COM
mand at Corinth renders II difficult, if not i'm
possible, for the Union forces to capture that
stronghold and this notwithstanding he II
confronted by Halleck, who, with the exceptions
of Generals Scott and Mcclellan, is the greatest
military commander and strategist thus far de-
veioped by this war.
Now, in order to show how exaggerated is the
reputation accorded to General Beauregard, we
shall have to recapitulate & few historical facts
concerning his career Of the last twelve months.
1t will not be necessary for US to touch on his
military antecedents previous to that period
As simple lieutenant and captain of engineers
in the Mexican war, he had, of course, no great
opportunity Of displaying the qualities which
| are called for in his present position.
The first epoch in the nascent fame Of this
great military genius is that of the fall Of Fort
Sumter. There he signalized himself by
bombarding with force Of ten thousand
men garrison composed of seventy half
starved regulars under Major Anderson. That
was the sum total of his deeds at Charles
ton. When he assumed command there he
found everything ready to his hand. The shore
works and batteries had all been previously
constructed by Generals Ripley and Walker,
and Lieutenant Hamilton, the two former West
Point officers in the rebel service, and the
latter an ex-lieutenant of the Union navy.
| For the fact, that during these operations
| the value of iron plating on shore and float
| ing batteries was demonstrated, IAN experience
that our government failed to profit by, but
which the rebels turned to account in the Merri-
| mac,) Beauregard is entitled to no credit what
| ever The merit OF it Is due entirely to the
officers we have named though, of course, the
general commanding came in for the lions
| share of it.
The next remarkable period In this career of
| military glory was that marked by the battle
of Bull run. There Rcauregard had the entire
direction Of the operations; but his plan of bat
tie had to be entirely changed by the move
ment of Mcdowell, and when the rebels were
utterly beaten and routed as was shown by
their own journals, twas only the strategy dis
played by General Joe Johnston in bringing up
his reserves that saved the day. And yet to
Beauregard, at home and abroad, has been ac-
corded all the credit of the victory, such as it
was
We now come to the last and eliminating
event in this history of brilliant military achieve
ments-the battle OF Shiloh. There Beauregard
was subordinate to Albert Sidney Johnston.
unquestionably one of the ablest, if not the very
best general in the Confederate service. The plan
Of attack upon Grants force was drawn mp by
the latter aud under his direction 1t was being
carried out with considerable success up to half
past two o'clock on the Sunday, when Johnstons
death. and Grants tenacity, altered the face Of
affairs. From The time that Beanregard took
| the chief command General Grant was able 10
hold the rebels in check until the arrival OF
Buell's advance divisions brought relief to
| his exhausted troops, and ultimately enabled
| the federals to drive the enemy hack to
| Corinth.
So much for the military capacity of this
| Napoleon of the South Let Us now add few
words Us TO his moral qualities. What is to be
| thought of q man who. educated at West Point
| and accustomed 10 Northern ideas on the sub
jet of religion and morality. dared to charge
the federal generals with using as q stinu-
liant 10 the ardor Of their soldiers the prom sc
| conveyed in PalSenham's famous phrase Of
| 'beauty and BOOTY And again, what com
mander, with spark of selfestcem or respect
! for the opinion OF the world. would lie in the
| way that he has done in his bulletins? For
| example. at Pittsburg Landing he claims
| great victory and the capture OF from eight to
| ten thousand prisoners and thirty-six guns,
1 when the fact Is that he was driven twenty miles
back to his intrenchments. after losing nearly all
that be had previously gained. There can be
no better evidence Of the completeness OF our
victory than the request made By him Tor per
| mission to bury his dead: and this after his
refusing at Manassas similar request FROM
iuhumaRity pushed even to the barbarity
| of turning deaf car to the touching appeal
made by the sister Of Colonel Cameron for her
brothers body.
These are not our impressions alone. They are
borne ont by the estimate placed upon BearTe-
| CARDS abilitic. and character by the Richmond
authorities themselves. Thus after the vic
| tory at Bull run. instead of obtaining the chief
command. Johnston was Kept over his head.
| Even when he went to the Southwest il was