Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1864-06-18
Iron The Army aud B'py Journal
ANRRIoAN AND EUROPEAN FIGHTING.


AuERIoAN AND EUROPEAN FIsRTIHG.
~ Snrino ,oursge ami the iensciy e1hioited Ia
all thc great bst lea Of this war, by both armies, are
oual 10 any Exhibition OF she qualities recorded
IA bistory-in respects are supenos Scarcely any
copfc, has been decided be- srg trial AT OoFinth,
AZ Murlr esboro' a. Chattanooga, at Vicksburg, at
Knoxville, in the South sad Weet in the seven days
fighting on the Peninsula in the series of battles during
Gen. Pope's campaign, IL the oola lets eliminating in
the victory Of Antetam, at Fredericksburg, IN The
memorable three days at sburg the armies OF boh
combalants have shown the moral power which 10 IN
herent in the American character.
1t s great mistake however, to assert, as as is SO
frequently done in the general newspapers thar EURO
pean history does not present Instances Of coohuous
lighting, and Of battles continuing for several Gays
W thout referring to siege operations, many cases can
be mentioned of campaigns, including numerous con.
c,s and of great battles that were decided only after
several days of fighting. Indeed It has been iouSht
without various preliminary s4s though as these are
not specified in history AID attention Is permanently
given the chief and decisive engagement We IAN into
Ihs conclusion that only this occurred We douot now
ever IT, in the whole history OF warfare since firearms
came into general use, any parallel can be 70
the seven days 6ghti0g the Peninsula and the re-
cent engagements in Virginia. Suol BATHS IN Europa
would have involved the destruction OF one or the othtr
army III all is mstsriel. In lis country, however,
from ia pbysical peouIiares above alluded 10, the
are pEcpostionay small and the result sone"hat
| lndeeisvs.
We natarsll, seek for comparisons to cur own bat
Il in those OF the Cmean and Italian wars but 'he
tanner "a mostly comprised in the siege operations,
ana 10 the latter the French immeasuraby SUI
psror 20 the Ausians that the drama closed win the
two great acts of Magenta and Soterino, without mHch
b. pay or accessory ineidsnta IL Is 10 the wars oi
lowing the French revelation, there ore, that We Tust
nrn for uarale incidents. IL will be interesting 10 70
call them the FIRST place, as matters OF history ana
in the second place, to STOW how much similar
ty there is notwithstanding the charges IN tactics and
weapons il the methods by which great hostile armies
come iQto encounter. For lt Ia well known that tle
nrineles on which battles are fought do vary, al
though there are such innumeIabe combination OF de-
tails Strategy is the now as in the early eyes oil
history Tee differences in arms make differences IN me
/ modes of arrsying troops and Of fighting; but suen
movements for ins ance as flank attack and attempts
20 break line in its ssntre have always been among
| the grand mar O lvres OF commanders.
In 1898 under the Archduke, Carries attacked the
French on the i Of March, aud The battle was Contin
usd on the I'd, the French be ng defeated, the Aus
triapsfought them again the An and again defeated
theut few DAYS aiterW rd3 the Au'trian5 eApt9red
| the otv of To1ests Dlmourer now to)k the com
mand of the French and few days attacked an doeat
a portion OF the Au'trisns asd on he lSin, general
engagement occurred in which the French were ely
| defeated.
In 1894 tie French on tIo l0sh Of Nay, crossed the
river SAmbre aud attacked he Au3,rans, ou were Ie-
pulsed on the goth, 22d aud 2S.h, they tried 1t aga
with the same result; the Sd Of June they fought
and we're repulsed; On the 4ih, the French rensWeu
their attempts aad kept their ground for several DAYS
but we're again driven hack Ca the 18th, they crossed
again and held their position till the 26'h, when the
Eustrans attacked them, but rece we'd severe defeat
Thus in something month there acre eigdt has-
i tles besides q number Of smaller actions
The extraordinary euergy displayed by Napoleon IN
his Italian cAmosign is well kaowi. Tne hgh ing IN
some portions OF it was almo5. continuous as the
/ operations in Virginia Thus on July 20, 1926, the
Austrians attacked the French and were successful
L Z aN lHa aHr Ha
of Quasdonch and defeated il; the 81 OF August he
broke the Austrian centre at Lensto be then marched
70 the help Of AugeTeau, aud defeated the Austuans
who we're attacking that General the final battle took
place August 5h and ended in the defeat OF the Aus
| trians-ths campaign occupying eight days. similar
series of col hics occurred in the f ending with the
battle of ArcOla which was fought through two days
without result; the third day af erwGrl was re-
sumsd, and the Fre5ch were c;essiul
Battles OF several days du alton were not uncommon
during the wars OF Napoleog. Ills great victory at
Um, in which he clptarei the entire Austrian asaag
under Mack a series OF fights, com nsooing ABOUT
the lat Of October and continuing to the l6ta. Sinu-
i laueOusly, Massena was having three days eo-uc'
| with the Austrian army IN LAZY.
| The movements at jena commsuced on the s.h OF
October 1907 and skifmshes oil advanced parties con
tnued for three days. the IA the French won Their
principal Glory; on the 10 h and l7sh they obtained
other successes; they pursued and encountered the
P.ussiaus at various tines uni Oh the 2Sth, they Dap
/ tured the remnant Of the army.
The great battle of Lsipsc where Napoleo - career
as cor Queror terminated occupied fcur days, com
menciug the l9:h of 0ctcbsr, 1918, and raging TIL
night the next day there was suspension OF general
| conflict which was renewed on the 18th; the French
retrea,ed on the lSih, and pursued and rcu cd
with terrible slaughter.
During the European smplgu Hhieh, more than any
other in history, resembles Ia activity Snd the NUMBER
of engagements those are accustomed TO see IN our
war; i that in France jest previous 70 the successful
entry of the Alles into PaIis--a campaign more re-
markable in respects than all others OF Napoleon
one in which with but comparatively small number Of
men be made efforts almost superhuman against the
overWhelmu forces of his Oppt nenis
The Frsn eh aImJ numbered 10000 mr.; that OF the
/ Allies under SchWaz snoufg and Butcher, 400 600;
whole those entering the couruy from other points
amounted to 500 600 more. Napoleon attacked 10000
Prus ans at Brenne with one-ttird that number ana
de Gated them the next day the Alice returned Wnh
$50 900 and attacked Napoleon, who had only 10000
He held his ground till night and retired. few days
after he fell on the flank OF Russian column OF l20,
OOO and broke &c ur The d,y siterWard With 20 600
he defeated 60 900 under York aud Sskan. Tie hifd
day alter he was attacked By Buc1er, who had l0O-
/ 600 but defeated him. Making forced mNch across
toe couary few days aiterWard he defeated the Aus
trlans under Bsnch. Returning to TroyeJ he was at
tackled by Buohsr with 5000 az Merry sur-Aube, but
defeated hin. After various other battles, he was
finally 0verNhslaed, and the Allies compelled PaTI 70
o,prua,e.
Waterloo is general instanos1@s battle OF nsle
day Bus prev The great battle occurred tie AZ
lar Wit the P'ussansat Lgny, aud that D. Ney with
the E1glsh At Quatre Bras