Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-11-01
PETROLEUM Y. Massey,
Paster Nv sed Church in charge.


FROM the New IOrk CommefClal.l
1t is now becoming more apparent every
day that the Northern army possesses more
and better material for general officers than
the Southern. During the first year cor
two of the war we despsired of obtaining
generals able to cope with the rebel cap
tains, and almost ready to confess to their
assumed military superiority, we came to
rely mainly upon prepoRdersnee In num-
bers for the crushing of the rebellion. We
all remember those dark days when the
Lees, Beauregards, Johnsons, Jacksons,
LOngstreets, and Hills were repeatedly out
generating our commanders, and inhicting
defeat after defeat upon our forces. The
enemy we're plethoric with skilful generals,
while we could not count upon one The
rebels knew this and boasted accordingly.
No more conclusive proof is needed of
Northern inferiority, Richmond journal
asserted, after Burnside's defeat, than the
sinnplo fact that tho revolution has develop
ed no military capacity. While they, it
affirmed, retained their captains in the
same departments we were constantly
making changes, desperately boxing the
compass for new leader, and when found,
throwing him overheard for another This
fact in iIself, it maintained, would more
compensate them for their inferiority In
numbers.
These were indeed dark days. But it is
all changed now. AS the war has progress-
ed, and we have acquired the experience
and art of war, our relative superiority has
manifested itself, and it is now the North
and not the South which has supersbund-
ance of able generals. Twoyears ago Cen
eral Grant was the only officer who exhib-
tied anv marked qualifications for the field;
but now we have such able captains as
Grant, Sherman, Sheridan, Rosecrans Bal
dy, Smith, Meade, Hancock, Hooker, War
rem, Gilmore, Howard, Schofeld, Dodge,
Banby, A. J. Smith, Steele, Rousseau,
Burnside, Wright, Emory, Franklin, and
host ofothers.
General Lee, on the contrary, Is the only
captain in whom ths rebels now place i'm
plicit confidence, and he once disabled,
| they would feel that sll was lost Of those
dashing Southern leaders who doomed up
so conspicuously during the first year Of the
war, nearly all have gone by the board
| Pricegwas early deprived of q large com
mand. McCulloch and Mcintosh fell al
Pea Ridge. Magruder and Huger were
QlsgFac0Q aL MhlVSTu 1lllj duu eSub INV
retirement. "TheyaboGh ought to be court
martialed and shot" said General Lee to s
friend of the writer soon after the battle
Lowell subsidized at the surrender of \ eV
Orleans; ,Vicsburg finished up Penberton
Missionary Ridge buried D. II. Hill, ant
put q glIietlGs on Bragg
| Longstreet's stock began to waver likI
his troops before Knoxville, and is nov
going down, correspondingly with hi
movements on the Shenandoah, Sherman
has laid Johnston on the shelf, and will
undoubtedly, ere long, administer a finish
ing stroke to Hood. jackson and Stuar
we're laid low on the Rapidan and Chick
ahominy Barksdale breathed his lif
away on the crimson field of Gettysburg
Wheeler, says rebel paper, "has playe'
out" and Early has followed suit, so tha
the rebels may we'll ask, with dismsy
where are our leaders2 The London StG1
speaks intelligently when it says The su
periority Of genera!ship is now '0hoIt
with the Federals.