Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1865-02-27

~ sees certainly think that he is the first OF vkst
commanders Eyen the nres Of the Lieutenant
General have paled beside the spLerdoI OF sherman :
acI ievtuerts While they talk now OF SLeTmSn ;,
exalted genius. his brilliant movements has pre-
bound strategy, they can find no spJer comparison
Tor Grart than that OF obstinate liza Sild, stub
b.rlIy tenacious OF his bone. They are beginning
indeed 60 discover tina, Grant is something OF hum
tac The idea hGs been forcing its way into their
minds ever since those disastrous battles Of last
srI,a- ami summer, from the WILDERNESS 70 Peters
burg. which the Legteuaat- General backed ~
Stanton, had the impotence TO claim as series Of
r,,-I cent Victories. By the Isl OF June, by the
trt of July. by the lst Of September, by the ldes
OF November, by Christmas Day, Grant was 10 be IN
.,e>sau OF the Confederate Capital But the siipu-
lsted eras came and passed away, aud still the Yam
lse army after gaining unparalleled victories and
executing extraordinary manGuvRrs, lay wearied
and exhausted beyond the dofences Of Petersburg
b., No., the same army which had crossed the
R3r,tau with haunting banners and flashing bayo-
me-, -. the merry month Of May. That army, then
boayed TO be double the strength Of the Cosieder-
s,e force confronting 1t, had long since melted
away before the whitening ares OF tie wilderness
and Sp5tsvIvania Court House and Cold HArbor.-
Huudred-iay men, aud garrison5 OF distant forts,
and dearly purchased recruits, and stolen negroes,
hal twice replaced the veteran troops who CON-
minced the campaign with halcyon antieip0tions OF
marching straight into Capitol Square. When the
TsuEees found that all Grants splendid victories
bore the fruits % defeat, when they counted M
the losses OF the campaign and found them TO reach
IN Virginia alone the enormous aggregate OF ESQ.,
600 men, the truth began 10 dawn upon their souls
They slowly but surely approached the conclusion
that Grant had been playing the charlatan and
Stanton the liar. And, at last, whe n one Of then
own cherished iavOHtes-a general who had partici
uated in the campaign and knew its plan, boldly
declared THAT Grant had been outgeneraled from
frs, 20 last, and congratulated himself on being
the hero oil the Big Bethel defeat aud the For,
sher +i.c5 rather than Of those brilliant victo-
r.,s Of Tue wilderness, and SpotsylyanIa and Re
tersturg doubt grew into distiust AMI istrust was
ST. Gee led by a convection very different from thai
..alch bah recently peEvadej the Yankee mind il
regard ta the Lieutenant Gcuegsl. There are ne
very vreu ieuuuciati'us ot Grant. There Is still
remaining q sogi deal fto1sJtUl u,terance con
gera.u- his skill ami ability But JhcIe IS none
that pa s.onate adulation which was exhibit
Ell in the earlier stages Of the campaign non,
Of tina; determined prophesying Of spec
dy capture Of Richmond by means at h,
Immediate command. Il i sad but It ., true, thai
the ewes . the Yankee nation are turned else
where. Tfiey have b.ea convinced that A. Rich
1lyua Is TO tl az ALL some other hand than Grants
Is @. strike the blow that II the rebellion Is TO be
crushed the result o., u be obtained by some other
plan than that o.. violent ami spasmodIc assaults.
succeeded boy l.ug intervals % inert lassltude.-
>legmau j, their uts hero he has risen Iu pop
lsr favor a., Grant has fallen. tie Is the idol. OF
che hour. The newspapers are nIIed with him
The pOpu.4le tabcle %, him. Orators expcnd o.
a.m prolGsest stores OF rhetoric. All Yankee iand
- GREATNESS With expectation, aud waiting 10 hea
.lat he has emerged irom the depths OF the Caro-
-.ua5 With BeaUrsgdrd aud all hI, army cap
t.yys, and Ice a sUpplaut at his ieet or fugitive
% the mountains. Aud what foundation il there
fyrthis remarkable faith, Has Sherman eveI done
anything % justify At or. not.as great an i'm
o. .ster as Grant viii he not prove - be as great
failure
1, IS certain tina, sherman Is an educated soldier
,sysed in the techLieaiiSe, OF 81, profession, ana
iu such OF its theories as may be CLEANED nom
book. Bu, IS ne the military geniu, that he l.
supposed 10 be- universally the North and yer!
generally az tLe South. II So where i The proof.
Can ans one name battle that Sherman has ever
won beside the partial engagement At Jonesboro
Can any one name another battle that be has ever
fought. excepting the battle Of Chickasaw Bayou.
.r which lie was di5aS,rcusly defeated by General
Stephen .. lee with vastly interior forces The
,uEaEemsuts with General JObL0Su, from.DaltoI
% Atlanta, a. not rank battles and even IT,
these he Was AWAY, defeated the immedat,
tej The popular opinion OF sherman -, that he
s. marked b. great energy ana activity Of conduct
and decision o. purpose We believe that his mill
,ary history proves jus, tue reverse. he is espe-
,islIy remarkable Otor caution, aud for caution
So extremely circuulspect that IL invariably pro
Jrces vac. !atiou and timility just where general
at re., genius would exhibit decision and CELEBRITY.
WINES, his march across Mississippi At the head Of
magnificent army. destined Tor the occupation Of
Montgomery and Selma. A disaster to his cavalry
caused Ligt % hesitate and turn back, just upon
lie borders Of the promised land OF Alabama. " IT.
ness, too his he,itancy ana doubt in Georgia even
when there was no army 20 oppose him. We could
say likewise witness his present movement, did We
no,re:rsia from fear OF giving Information which
The enemy are anxious 10 obtain. One thing, how
ever, We wiz say when the history oftbis campaign
comes TO be written, it will be seen that Sherman
h.s displayed none Of the characterstics of great
caumaUder More than this We cannot venture TO
state 90 present but our readers may draw the in
ference and it will he correct that he is no longer
q, he .,a-ed for any qualities pecuiW to himself
I.he succeed in anything il will only be from the
..J,sest weakness, and negligence on our part