The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-01-21

mere IL certainly BOOu utdl VI uuNn
in the following article from the New
York Times, and many suggestions which
deserve the attention of the military
officers, especially of Commanding Gen
erals. Perhaps the philosophy of the
whole article may be summed up in the
admonition of Divine wisdom. What
sOeyer thy hand 6ndeth to do, do it with
thy might" with energy and earnestnesq.
In these traits of character, there is GER
tainly remarkable contrast between
many of our Generals, and the great
military leaders of former times
The New Viotory-Rosecrans and
His Style of Fighting.
If the general accounts of the battle
of Murfreesboro in the absence Of spe-
cial details, are TO be relied upon, we
should have no victory but for the adj
mirabe leadership of Gen. Rosecrans.
He was the masters spirit of the occasion
discovering every exigency with eagle
glance, and doing on the instant the right
thing TO meet it. Now rallying the wing
broken by the overwhelming masses of
the foe, and forthwith forming a new
and firmer front-now bringing up sup
ports whenever his lines wavered-now
Selling the Opportune moment TO put him
self in person at the head of his columns
and charge home upon the enemy--eyer
| knowing Just what to do, and ever fving
| TO his mark, he was not only n chief, but
he was everywhere an inspiration. Not
only his mind directed, but his shirt
| fired. Probably not since this war be
gan has a victory been wrested from the
enemy by such plenitude of resource,
and such unrelenting determination on
the part of the Commanding General, as
was this. The rebels have seldom fought
with such fury, never with such tenacity.
They were handled by their Generals
JOHNSON and BRAGG-with consumate
skill. They gave battle in their own
chosen position, and with numbers GER
tainly equaling, and probably much ex-
ceeding, our own forces. But nothing
availed to cave them from disastrous de-
! feat.
Whatever his future may be, it cannot
be denied that at the present moment
Gen. ROsecrans, if success be the stand
ard, stands at the very head rf the Union
| Generals. The discretion of the Govern
ment, in placing him in command of the
second most important military depart.
ment, is more than justified Rosecrans
was in reality the real hero of the sue
cesses of Western Virginia, which did so
much for Mcclellan in the early stages of
the war 1t was he alone who won the
| decisive battle of Rich Mountain or Lau-
rel Hill, taking the entertainments in the
rear by cutting new road of nine miles
through the mountain forest, and precip-
ituting himself upon the dismayed enc
N.Y. TO their utter overthrow, before Nc
Clellan, in execution of his part of the
plan, had got in front at all. The same
success attended him, as Commander of
the Department after Mcclellan left.
He cleared the country entirely of the
enemy; though, with its rAvines, and
jungles, and by-roads and blind paths,
and mountain passes, there probably is
not district in the whole country pre-
senting more difficulties for such opera
tions. His driving back the greatly su-
periOr forces of Wise and Floyd, ending
with the complete rout of the latter from
his stronghold at Carnifex Ferry--Which
was done by Rosecrans on the same day
that he had marched seventeen miles over
| the toughest roads-will ever stand
among the brilliant exploits Of the war.
In the Valley of the ssissippi-saying
nothing of his twenty miles march and
overthrow Of Price at Iuka, all in a single
day-it was reserved for Rosecrans to
achieve the most decided and glorious
land victory Of the year, al Carinth, in
spite Of tremendous odds; and the splen-
did manner in which he followed that
victory up with instantaneous pursuit
and a second rout of the enemy at Hatch.
10 River is fresh ia the memory of all.
Why has Gen. Rosecrans been 30 PEE
culiarly successful? We are not yet
prepared 10 attribute il 70 any superior
ity in natural genius, or in acquired
science, or in personal energy over other
commanders. As for genius, in the prop
er sense, we have yet TO be satisfied that
the gift exists at all among the chiefs
either Of our army or that Of the rebels
In book science Rosscrans - doubtless
exceeded both by Mcclellan aud by
Buell.. In energy, he is perhaps oqualed
by Burnside and by Grant. What, then
is his advantage We believe il lies in
his invariabc practice Of being person
ally present on the field Of battle where
he sees for himself every movement,
gives the appropriate ,0mmand without
delay, aUd, N necessary, takes an active
part personally in the struggle. Grant is
the only other one OF the chiefs in COM
msnd who ever did this AID he only oc-
casionally and imperfeoly. Buell. never
was within the sound Of cannon, save at
Shiloh. Mcclellan was at no time with
in two miles If the hot strife Of battle
field, either in Western Virginia, on on
the Peninsula, or in Mary land, save at
Antietam, and there the docp creek low
ed between him and the scene OF action.