, 1865-04-14

HISTORIC.
E:armonJ AE1onz the Generals Of tho
Army.


Reside Tic 1oltcy Of concentration, which:
Gen. Grant jn&ugurated, and to which nc
have bet n Indebted for the happy results Of
the last ytat's aghting,w ne owe him also that
remarkable concert of feeling and action
among The Generals, Without which, no plan
. sfopcrations could have done us much good.
The history Of the Army Of the POTOMAC be-
fore his day, was maiuly made up Of sQuab-:
III. between Gene:aIs Of corps aad OF diYis.
itpa. At1sr McClelfan'3 rcluavu1, most of
those whom he lefs behind IN high commands
wtre either SO eatfstled that be ras tue only
person Nho WaE competent 10 command the
army, or 60 determined that no one else
should commaulit, that they made all active
operations well nigh impossible. They hunted
down Pope, who in spite of lis Dragging
proved himself N able and meritoffous OFFICER,
and almost sacrificed the army and the nation
to their desire to be rid OF him Burnsfde's
career in the chief command WAS one hap
pi]y,short struggle with their in:riyues. They
discussed Lis plans tn the presence OF Officers
and men, and openly predicted Their feilure
and vt lust gathering couEe1e with impunity.
some Of them came up to Washington to get
leave Of the President to disobay bis orders.
And Gen. Meade's operations, in the earlier
marred BIZ the timility, growing ont Of the
doubts which experience only too fully justi-
ti,d, Of tho hearty cooperation Of tb2se
around him. In snort, every d{rislon and
every corps e mmauder was 9 Candidate ior
Sc highest place, and felt that the way to
get 1t was to bring about the failure Of the
actual Incumbent.
In such state Of things the wonder ia not
that ne did not make more progress In Fir,
.inie, but that Te got of SO cheaply MT
that Lees army WAS not destroyed afte=
three Jears Of desperate fighting, but that it
did not destroy ours. Since Grant took ths
l.conmsnd-1n.chief, however, We have heard
40 more Of this. He has removed and re-
taIned whom Re pleased, and ws lave sub
| raittcd without murmur. There have been,
undoubtedly: sqrabblcs betwecp Generals :;
for military officers, like Other people, arc
human, but they have mover pesn allowed to
affect the course Of events in, the field. Ona
or other Of the disputants have been inya-i.
ably packed off to settle his grievance, 1t
Washington Or elsewhere, and the public has
really known nothing Of the matter, except
that there has been difference, and that
somebody has retired, % that discipline has
rot been impaired nor the popular confidence
Weakened by The spectacles If "roxs" be-
tween superior officers in the presence OF the
enemy. And re believe there has been hui
one-and that = very notorious one-lnstance
Of wllful dieohedience Of Grants orders, o.
or tic smallest disposition to doubt theil
| wisdom, or even to criticise them.
i He has from the outset exercised the powel
of removing officers from their commands, O.
transferring them to others, very lavishl5
without Whimper of complaint from any
quarter. Some Of the most conspicuous OH
GERS Of the old Army Of the Potomac have
since his advance been sent to tue West
some of the least known Of the Wester1
officers have, On the other hand, been b7ousa
to.thc East and va doubtful history, excep
/ in Napoleon's case. contains more remark
able example Of Judgment Of character ami
skin IN selection justified by events tha,
has been afforded during the last year By th
career of Grants favo1itee-Sueridan, She,
. | man, Thomas, AcP oil prove
, Themselves men worthy of tic highest pla:
. IN military annals, and Jet though the VA
has lasted so long, it Is only within Iiitl
more than year that they have been charge
!: With auy very importent or conspicuous SUI.
t in the conduct Of it. Nothing sh ,rt Of the
: entire. devotion to the ca1se, their impljc
!. confidence in their great chief, aud the
q | hcal ty desire to carry out his plans, cop]
4 hase secured the success Of the gSapd md e.
4 ttao1d;DaIy combinations which has lust ca
;. minated in the destruction OF Lc.'s amy az
I. the overthrow Of the Confederacy. The
= has been through all no blind striking, ,
/, matching hither sad tbi her for Vapt Of an
l. thing better to do, or for the aaEe Of mali1
l. administrations. The smallest, rs we'll as t!
l. greatest movements have been maac to ii
w. On the final result. sherman was me-chi
is to Ralefgh VII. he let out from .Chattano
ID 60 Thomas was helping him along WhsI