Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1863-09-17
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RICHMOND WIG.
THURDAY ,IoRNINo, sKPr.I7.r.ss.
Coming Battles A Suggestion.

IOmluk oalllta n 0uSkcbtlOus
Southern papers tell US that gcat battle is immi-
nent At some point Of which they profess TO be gnO
rant. The number OF forces 10 be engaged and the
object to be accomplished mysteries TO our South
ern brethren. As gbOrsnt as themselves in regard
these matters nsvert el.ss Yield dsgiee Of ere
denee to their pFedstou sId avail ourselves OF the
prospect Of Oae great battles to make sug-
grston, which may be OF ssIvee u our officers and
sollers
Preliminary g this suggestion, We wish TO e1Prsss
our sincere belief that George MeCloll,n in some
respects the grestest living Louis Napoleon and
Robt T. Lee not excepted To Mcclellan belongs the I'M
mOltL gcry having made nstOu Of Bull Run coWarGs
bettr soldiers than thOe Of the South, aud equal al
mo t To the regular OOPS Of EaIOPcan eOuntriss-
Nothing can deprive IN OF this glOry neither the
petty malice of lincoln, the iutjgueV Of AbOlitonist
politicians nor the iAlsieatOns Of New England hsto
rians and journalists After all has been said aud done
By his foes, the fact viii rmain patent 10 the whole
Worll that Mcclellan took mob Of poltroOns and made
OF it an army.
HIS method vas simple A, 4 solder, he knew the
value Of discipline aud jd no. hesitate to enforce it.
In ,i-, be wa5 susta ned by bis Government Had be
been as lax and squcsmsh the COnfsderat4 officials
and Generals be would have carried 10 the Pc linsua
the same useless tnid mob thaI ran bowling back TO
Washington, with Mcdowell q It's head He knew,
moreover, the Of the people With whom be bad
to deal, and adding tact discipline, accomplished
those marvel, whea have surprised tie South AID i'll
toziel.sd the North with the strange JOY Of a neu,
found fcul.y-nOt eOursgs precisely bus the autOmac
indifference - dauger which discipline and habit viii
impart 70 even lowest orders Of the human race
Mcclellan was derded for using the spade aud axe,
bit they we're the instruments which his hOrdel we're
mat accustomed and he made them weapons Of osnse
and defense almost pOseru for The furious sodery
of the Coaiederacy he taught that in the hauds Of
men supremacy small the spade mighGer tlau th.
sword Compare Lis retreat from the CnickSbonluy 10
Harrson's Landing, with MeDOwelrs retreat rom Man
assas q Washington and have the exact measure OF
the value Of bis tact aud discipline. IL vii be remarked
too, that every Northern General Who has achieved
any success has folosed hcCelaas tac.ics. Halleek
50 ded Beauregud out q, COrinth, Grant spaded Pom
bsrton out Of Yiek,bJrg aud Gilmore relies upon
the spade to force Eoaureg4rd OF Charleston Pope
and Burnside who d5esArded hes Ide sclttered
70 tAs Wind without dlhcqty. Hooker mad, the re
treat from Cbsne louisville less degracSiul than Barn
sides ii sht from Pre- lerck-b burg OU by the
ormous use Of the spade and axe.
But Mcclellan did not stop hee. lie studied the
character Of the SOubsra sOdsry and discovered ieir
weakness Is accurately he had before discovered the
weakness of his own troops. tie perceived tina. the
impetuosily Of the Southern soldier at OuRe his
strength aud his weakness. Lacking steadness partly
By nature but more for want Of dseil Ne the Conled
crates Ike tie French eEeeIed il the mpetlouI charge
OF this rash val0r he took advantage, not ess tie
protection Of his eOWard than Tor the destruction
Of the Southern braves. Selecting impeguable
position in rear OF his line Of battle he esored 10 the
common fent OF pretended n order to engage
his Southern opponents in hot and disOrdsred pursuit
aud to snrap them the formidable position already
chosen and fortified Vitae Ellyson's Nal aud Nal
Vern Hill.
This second discovery Of Mcclellan, With Yankee
readiness has beon prlied aud adopted BY ali SUCCESS
ful Yankee GsnsraA 10 fac they owe all their fame
to the tactics aud strategy taught them by Mcclellan
The foil 10 Southern impeuosi,y invented by Mcclellan
enabled ROsecrsns retrieve tue well nigh fatal day at
MuEfreesboro, and subsequently, when Bragg, falling
into tie common srror of Southern Generals sacrificed
Disadvantages nObls division in the mad charge across
Stone river. In ike manner, Meade clrbed the rising
fortunes ofthe Concdescy and turned the tide Of war,
By retiring 70 Cemetery HILL where division after dvi
sion Of Lees mAlchle5s army rushed against him 10
vain
Our suggestion i made, or rather makes itself. after
what We have said Of ths ensmy's tActcl If in the
coming battles it is heeded, we'll and good If ii is
Seornsd because it canes from Newspaper General"
the bloody lessons Of AurrsesborO and Gettysburg will
have been taught in vain.
In conclusion, word Of explanation. We have said
the Yankees were better soldiers than our OEn. They
are more Obsdian Ru,Oms Gus, because they are sub
jeetsd 10 proper thorough military discipline, and. in
90 Jar, better soldiers. As 6shters, there is no com
pafison, except among the Northwestern troops and
renegade KentJckians aud hissourans.