The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1865-05-20
Armies that Never were Whip

AS"x8O 3not never WSxe " Mp
ped.
English writer's on the American war
have frequently complained, and with
some show of reason, perhaps, Of the total
disregard Of usage and precedent in the
conduct of the great struggle just closed on |
this continent. The Admir- able Crichtons
Of the British press have worried cOntin- |
uany over the fact that Grant and Sher- |
man and Sheridan seemed to have read Of
Marlborough, Wellington ana Napoleon to |
little purpose, and ,ha: instead OF profit
ing by the experience o; such Captains,
thew conducted their battles and moved
tier rattalions IN way peculiarly their
own. We are sorry to have to add to the
long s.st OF instances furnishing fraittn!
Cause FOR transatlantic grumbiing the
entire history Of the Army of the Tennes-
see. II has SO far violated all pyeceien:s |
in ancient, as well rs modern warfare, as
TO have fought for four years without be- I
ing whipped once. No doubt our military
censors over the water will see in this fact
convincing proc; fthat lack of discipline
hich they have SO much deplored in our
behalf. But the truth Of history must be
told, even a: the risk Of incurring the
sneers Of B!ackwood, or the contempt OF
the Saturday Review, and, therefore, we
must frankly own that the American war
has produced, among other anomalies
an army that has never been whipped.
w uSu u ulciU mo nus S1ucc WOu luIpeIe
ishable renown in battling against armed
treason, told the seceders on the floor Of
Congress that the men Of the North.west
would cleave their way down the Missis-
sirpi with bayonets, he was though, to in
dulge in q little frenZied rhetoric-v01, ct
pretereG nihil. But what was then thought
to he defamation, has since proven pro-
phesv, and has been literally fulfilled by
the Army of the Tennessee, with whose
history few are more honorably connected
than the prophet himsen-General John
A. Logan.
The history of the Army Of the Tennessee
f.! ia. in a great measure, the history OF the
| war in the South west-a history, SO far as
tha: army is concerned, OF vic:ory-a his
1 tory OF human courage and endurance
/, which no other war has furnished. The
heroes OF Donelson suffered hardships and
privations parable, ed only at Valley Forge,
in the Revolutionary struggle, and in the
midst OF q rigorous winter won the first
great victory Of the war. The same men
afterward s.ormed the dreadful nights Of
I Vicksburg under q tropical gun in mid
summer. They have suffered every thing
but defeat. Death has t.ecimated their
i ranks. but dishonor has never sullied their
1 banners. They have been hungry often,
almost naked az times, chilled by frost n
winter and scsrched by heat in summer
but have never been whipped.
No army has transformed 50 many bars
and eagles into single and double stars as
the Army OF the Tennessee. An opportu-
nifty to command such 1aen has, with any
moderate ability, invariably secured pro-
motion. Grant commenced as Colonel;
Sherman as a brigade commander, and
nearly ali the general officers entered ct
the head OF companies OK reg imen:s. j.
!. will not do TO give all the credi. to good
: generalsh!p: muca is, doubtless, due 70
this-much more to the individual! courage
- s.,A Q ~Yv,, Aov1r
men who left home and friends, not 20 win
renown, but to save their country.
l And not content with proving to the
world that an army can fight 70. focr years
! against powerful foe, in s.rongholds pro
, nounced impregnable, without ever yield
!. ing mile Of ground once gained, or leav
. ing the dead and wounded Of single skir
+ mish in the hands Of the enemy, the Army
i Of the Tennessee has fittingly closed glo
. rious career by the most remarkabl'
o march on record-one hundred and ffty
! five miles through the pine swamps Q
9 North Carolina, and over the n1',! roads
/ Virginia, in five days and q half,
h no jnvidious distinction between the arm,
|. Of the Tennessee and other armies, equal
! + y brave, hut not equally fortunate, !ha
. have fought the battles OF the Union. w
q single it out simply as an Illustration
i precedent ior the futu1s-;sn army :ha: 70
s NEN.lHE, H1aiculuk. VI e0u0I1n, SaEIo' u
Il excelied; an amy that has fought NOR
/, than twenty battles, any one Of them lars,
o enough to have decided the fate of empire
!. in by gone days--and has never beel
! whipped. And we may appropriately ad
!. indeed it is objectionable not 20 say Il
n this connection, that Te have not los: A
q army during tie war. and that sincs th
= frs, Bull Ran no National army has bee
n SO badly worsted as u lose it's organization
n or to. fail to bold any position of oonse
quence entrusted to its care. The Army {
n tue Cumberland wac, at Chicalnauga, bsa,
q en- back by oyerpoweripg numbers concen
,e trated against il from the Rapidan 10 tn
q Mississippi, and yet held the cbiecfiv
y point Of it's mpaign--Chsttanooga Tn
: Arn;y Of the Potomac failed In grand ot
;. fensive operations at Fredericksburg an
,. Chancellorsville, bu: was not defeated, an
- never failed TO beat its enemies when as
: sailed. If any thing has distinguished on
: armies in this great war more than anosh
y er it has been the tenacity Of their grir
e They never let 60 any first class positio
Is in the South, with the exception Of Allan
= Ia, and that was done TO get better bold
d Al the beginning, st. Louis, Louisville
It Washington and Baltimore. were dispute
~ points. But We held them. Next, Nash
+ Vile, Memphis, New Orleans and Norfoil
i were contested places. Once in our poe
Il session they we're never relinquished
ls There has been in the progress that "
K have made the most impressive constanc,
et While we have. never surrendered an al
= my. (unless the imbecile capituiation g
e Harper's Ferry is an exception,) thong
1. marching vast distances in the hOs:il
Il couatYy, and taking extraordinary risk
"a the rebels have surrendered five armies
- lst. that under Buckner, at Fort 'Donne
son to Grant; ID, Pemberton, at Wick.
Il burg, to Grant; I'd. Lee at Appona.to
Court house to Giant; 4th, Johnston, {
= Greensboro, to Sherman, sth, Dick Tayle
=, y in Alabama, to Canby. AS Of the o.
~ Guard Of Napoleon, j, may be said Of Ii
= Y soldiers of the Union that they learned .
y = die, but not TO snrrendsr.-Ct Oogs,'e1
=. ciak 5tt
- TOUCHING lSc1DENr.-non. John *
re- voae was in this city on his return from
sr Southern tour, yesterday. he had lcst n
es cons in the war, as he supposed, two veal
1e ago, and falling in with members of one
o. their regiments who had just been release
n from the rehsl prison at Andersonvili
ts Georgia, made inquiry preparatory to ash
is ing where his boys were buried. Judge
10 his surprise when he was answered.
il You must be prepared TO learn Mr. O.