Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1863-09-24
From the Richmond Wing.
CD.a1is g ERtties--A sUGgestiOn.

From the Richmond Wing.
<c.,.it & ERtties--A Suggestion.
Southern papers tell that great battle is immi-
nent at some point, of which they process to be igno
rant The number of tCces to be engaged and the OBJ
ject to be accomplished mysteries to our Southern
brethren. AS ignorant themselves IN regard to
these matters, nevertheless yield degree OF Gre
dence to tbe" predictions, and avail ourselves Of the
pros ect Of oe Or great battles to make sug-
gestion, which may be Of service to cur officers and
! soldiers
Preliminary to tbs suggestion, We wish to express
our sincere belief that George b. Mcclellan is IN some
| respects the greatest living Louis Napoleon
! aud Robt f. Lee not excepted 10 Mcclellan be-
longs TIE immortal glory CT having made nation oil
Bull Run EDWARDS letter soldiers them those of the
South and equal almost to the regular troops of Faro
pan counrlcs. Nothing can deprive him OF this
glory petty raltce Lincoln, the utriguea
OF itiOnSt politicians, the falls 2ati0us OF
England historians and journalists. After all has been
said and done by his toes the fact will remain patent
to the whole world that Mcclellan took mob OF pol
! troons ard made Of it army.
! His method was simple AS a soldier, he knew the
value Of discipline and did not hesitate to enforce it.
! la this, lie was sustained by bis Government. Had
he been lax and squeamish the Confederate Off
Gals aud Generals, he would have carried the Pen
iIsu}A the useless tmid mob tfat ran bowling
| back 10 Washington, with Mcdowell at its head
! He kuew, moreover, tie nature of the people with
whom lie had to deal, and, adding tact discipline,
accomplished those marvels which have surprised the
South and Intoxicated the North with the strange 10y
| ii a newly found tacuty-not courage precisely but
tie automatic Indifference to danger which discipline
and Ia bit viii mpart even the lowest or Ter OF the
human
McCh al Gcridcd Tor using the spade end axe
Lut ey tie Instruments to which his hordes were
most mes and be made them weapons OF oflense
and de.ns@ almost toe powerful for the furious sodery
OF tie C,ruerucy. He taught that in the hands of
s." PR nI"iy s:lIa the spade mighter than the
sword Compare his retreat from the ChicI1ahomDy to
Harris MS Landing, with McDowells retreat from
Maus-s.5 10 Washington, and we have the exact mea-
q The value CT hl8 tact and discipline. 1t will be
mark d, too, that every Northern General who has
achieved any Success has followed McCleHan's tactics
lialeck speded Beauregard cut of Corinth, Grant
spaded penbCcton out OF Nclsbur and Gilmore now
rciiea upon the spade TO force Beauregard out OF
Charleston. Pope ard Burnside tho disregarded the
spade scattered to the winds without difficulty
Hooker tie retreat from Charlottesville less dis
graceful than Burlsdes flight from Fredericksburg,
only by tie most enormous OF the spade and
But Mcclellan did not stop here. He studied the
character q be Southern soIdiry, and discovered their
weakness accurately he had bf)Te discovered the
WeukGesS OF his troops lie pcrceigei that the
ipeuosity OF the Southern soldier was at once his
stre1gth and his weakness. Lacking seadintss partly
by nature bat for want Of discipline, the Confed
crates like The FRENCH exceled in the imEetuous charge
OF this rash valcr he took advantage not less for the
prote con OF BIS towards than for the destruction
OF the Southern braves. Selecting an imeregna5!e
position i'll Of his line Of battle be resorted the
common fnt Of pretended retreat in order to engage
his Southern opponents in hot and dsordered pursuit
and 20 eitiap them in the formidable position already
chosen and fortified Witness EIly20ns Mill and Mai
7ern Hill.
This second discovery of Mcclellan, with Yankee
readiness has been prated and adopted by all
FIJI ankee Generals. Ia fact they owe aIl their fame
to the tactics and strategy taught them by Mcclellan
The toll 70 Southern lmPetuoslty inveaed by McCiel
Ian enabled R0sccTanz retrieve the well nigh fatal
day aJ Mu:tceesb0r0, and subs quenty. when Bragg
falling into the common error OF Southern Generals
al in no
charge across St0ne river, In ike manner Meade
curbcd the rising fortunes OF tie Conederacy and turn
ed tie tide OF war by retiring to Cemetery HILL where
division after division Of Lees matches army rushed
against him in vain.
Our 82g3cstia is made, or rather makes ITSELF ter
what We have sad of the enemy's tactics. IF in the
coming battles it is Needed, well and good. If it is
scorned because it cJnes from Newspaper General"
the bloody lessons of Murreesbor0' and Gettysburg will
have been taught in vain.
La conclusion word Of explanation. We have said
the Yankees were better soldiers thar own. They
are mare oCeIient automatons, because they SUBJ
jected to proper, thorough military discipline and in
so far better soldiers. AS fighters there is no com
parsop, except among the Northwestern troops and
renegade kentuckans aud Mssourians.
Il REVIEW IN GEN. LEES ARMY.--Gen. Ewel's
corps was reviewed by Gen. Loe last Wednesday, A
correspondent CT the Petersburg Express gives des-
crptlon OF the SANG
The buge soon announced all in readiness and Gen.
Lee was dispatched for, who riding up, and
now the cavalcade, composed of Gen. Lee and Staff
Gen. Ewcl and Staff and the division commanders
started off at swift gaIlop to the right Of the first d.
vision, and soon they coming down the front OF
the line, each brigade coming to present as the GOV.
acade passed. and they swept by the strains of
music were swelling up all along the line. They passed
around the LETT Of the lne dashed back to the right OF
thu second division, aud reviewed the second and third
divisions in the the first, and once more
came back to the original starting point The riders and
horses both looked much aded the distance they having
gone swiftly over bling fully nine miles.
General Lee Immediately dsmounted and came to his
carriage, which was only lew steps distant, and in
which two OF bis ghters, and in few minutes
called to his side many OF bis Generals, among them
Generals E|e, LHngstreet, HILL Stuart, Wilcox, and
Others ard gave his daughters introduction them
daughters have exceedingly pleasant and intelligent
countenaaces both having dark and piercing eyes, and
both bearing some resemblance to their father.
The Generals took a stand just by the flag and
the troops commenced passing in review before General
Lee and each flag in passing would be lowered as
salute the General response, would take his Lat of
And nov [ got close view of the men composing this
gallant corps. Here passed those who had so Oft
en- followed Gen. jackson In his numerous battles and
who had won fCE him that renoWn which will live thro
ages to come ana now passes Jackson's old division
at present commanded by the gallant Gen. Johnston Il
and here comes the est neWa Brigade" which was
composed Of veteran looking soldiers. Many of the ban
OF the corps bore evidence of having been oft
to the breeze amid the Whistng of bullets, and all Of
them contained some dozen fifteen names to mark
the different battles the respective ment had distn
gQshed themselves in. One stand OF coors belonging
TO the 2lst Virginia reg nent carried by Color
Sergeant ohm Brent, formerly Of Richmond city who
present performing one OF the most gallant acts
that has exhibited itself