The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1864-05-28

Ne early stage WAS quite sucoessful-so nuch that
Gen Butler teiegraphed 20 tho War Department. that
Gen. Grant VIII mot b troubled with any further
foroemsnt 70 Lee from Bsauressrds forces But
prediction was not verified Besursgard with hs army,
Butler advanced his 10 the iortincatiops Of Rich
south Gen. itnore. with the Tenth army
OF the works for extent Of three miles and secured
very advantageous position. Cen. Gtitaaora, Wk0
knson TO be one Of Tic roa scientific officers n ~ army.
pvesssd upon his superior, Gen. Butier, TIE necsssly
o. tntrcnchin0. Gen. Bulv thought unnecessary.
1he consequences that the foggy morning OF the
secead day after, the rebels ewooped down upon the
Eighteenth corps at the right aud troops at such
disadvantage TO gain great success, capturing two
guns and neartv thousand prisoners among whom
was General Hickman the most splendid fighters
III Inc army. After three hours lighting retreat was
ordered by General Butler TO Bermuda Hundred, seven
hes IN the rear, where be behind bis intrench
ments, closely besie&ed by tho enemy. The Pos--a
paper which has always shown great Partially for Gen.
from an "authentic source" whereby 1t Is shown
that 70 was General Buffers nan comphaoce nth
made ne adck Of the enemy Formidable and haiti
General Butrs repeated and pereiaytorys order which
ter had fed himself hat he could suoressv ,a;na,u
his position and had expressed an earnest wish to DO al
lowed 70 40 80 Accounts from other sources public and
prvate corroDorate THIS There be doubt that e-
neral Butler first displayed undue confidence and after
odrds undue di coura9emt-ne faults all others most
natural 70 cto'dn conmdsdevs The consequences is that
ground mas been lost which be without
q great expenditure OF blood, several thousand men
have been put hors da combat the enemy
again 10 full possession Of Ricnmond Petersburg
Railroad ana two corps OF army as brave men as
ever trod are coopet the banks Of the
to all appearance almost helpless and useless
words the movement from the Peninsula which obtained
sHSh an suspicious start has not been y sustained by
General Butter, and has turned out veritabe mscar
riage.
This failure completes the record Not one solitary
cioitdn from the beginning of the till nolo shotvn
htmset comretent for hiqh command. The folly
OF trusting military empiricism has been written
out IN letters OF blood, with illustration after
Illustration. during this war, that no
observing in the country possibly gainsay it.
The truth ought to have plain enough the outset
that military science demands systematic and pro-
tracted study as that Of law medicine: and that s
just as absurd to improvse general from lawyer
merchant as to improvse Judge from schoomaster
or physician from mechanic The want or pro
sonal training Is just to make military charatans
as to make legal or medical charIatans. is astonishing
hoc s'oio our Government and people haze been TO recos,
simple truth.
Probably The government has felt at liberty to gorey7,
itself 6y p0rly military considerati0ns-hds fell that TO
aro,d III feng and dtscord heed must be paid p0
heal fdros and to the OF adopted citizens
This, perhaps. needful in tho early part OF the
But the time for 1t has long since The great body
Of the loyal people taught by experience, for
nothing but military success aud ynced that this
success is atanabe only through professional science
They will, at all times hereafter, accept without
mur any military changes that the good or the
may demand as they have just accepted the spersedure
OF General Banks by General Candy and p General Sge
by General Hunter. All personal party predictions
conducted with the utmost efficiency. The government
cannot better commend itself than by chan gng unit
fit commanders, without exception without hesta
ton