Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1862-08-28
GENERhLSHIP.

and capacity to command, in the very out
set OF their career. The successful mill
tary chieftain must possess not only a
broad and comprehensive intellect, an
ability to conceive great plans, and to ar
range their details, but also a bold self
reliance in the execution of them, stop
ping at no obstacles, but rather make even
seeming obstacles contribute to his sue
cess. Such was Napoleon, and Yelling
ton, and in earlier times Charles the
XITth of Sweden. And the truth of our
observation is particularly illustrated in the
career of Alexander the Great. As an
instance take the battle which he fought,
when only twenty-one years of age, with
the Persians on the banks of the Grant
Gus. He set forth with an army OF only
thirty-eight thousand foot and horse, and
seventy talents for their subsistence and
pay. This was all his revenue, aside
from the Estates Of the Crown. But I'M
daunted by no obstacle he promised to one
farm, to another village, to this the
revenue Of a borough, and to that of
post, until he had disposed of all of his
Grown property, reserving to himself, in
his own heroic language, nothing but
hope" In this spirit he passed the
Hellespont, and advanced boldly against
Darius, who had assembled great army,
far outnumbering the Macedonians, upon
the banks of the Granicus. Arriving at
the opposite shore, many of Alexander's
officers were apprehensive of the depth
of water, and the rough, steep banks on
the side occupied by the enemy; while
yet others had a superstitious regard to a
traditionary usage never to march out to
war in the month DatstuS, which super
stition Alexander Immediately cured by
ordering the month to be called the Second
ArtemjStus. A superstition Of this kind
kept the army of the Potomac inactive
for long weary months, but there was no
Alexander at Washington to dispel it.
Arriving at the Granicus late in the
day, Alexander halted not a moment, but
ordered passage at once, saying that
" the Hellespont would blush, if after
having passed it, he should be atraiQ OF
the Granicus." He, himself, led the way
into the stream with thirteen troops Of
morse and his historian says, as he adj
vanced in the face of the enemy's arrows,
in spite of the steep banks,which were lined
with cavalry, well armed, and the rapidity
of the river which often bore him down
or covered him with its waves, his motions
seemed rather the effect of madness than
sound sense. But by great and surpris-
ing efforts he gained the opposite banks,
which the mud made slippery and dan
gerous. When there he was forced to
stand an engagement with the enemy,
hand to hand, and with great confusion on
his part, because his men were attacked
as fast as they came over, before he had
time to form them, the Persian troops
charging with loud shouts and making
good use of their spears and swords
Alexander being easily distinguished by
his buckler, and his crest, on each side of
which was large plume of white feath-
ers, was hard pressed by the enemy. His
cuirass was pierced by javelin, after
which two Persian officers of great dis
tinction attacked him at once, both Of
whom he overcame. Meantime while the
cavalry were thus engaged, the Macedo-
Man plalanx passed the river and then the
infantry were engaged. The enemy made
no great or long resistance, but soon turn
ed their backs and fed, losing twenty
thousand foot and twenty-five hundred
horse, whereas Alexander, according to
Plutarch, had only thirty-four men killed
The effects produced by this battle were
magical. Sardis, the principal ornament
of the Persian empire on the maritime
side, at once made its submission. The
boldnes. of Alexander and his PhaIanx
paralyzed and amazed the Persians, and
all the other cities followed its example
except two, which he took by storm, and
subdued all the adjacent country.
Thus closed Alexander's first important