Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-03-08
NUMBER V2ls.

| the force of his resolution and the energy
\ of his character, from the lowest point of
/ depression, he had at once arrested the
course of disaster and struck the most ter
rible blows against the armies of the allies.
Suddenly stopping his retreat after his de-
featat BTienne, and falling perpendicular
\ ly on the line OF march of Blucher's army,
he had surprised the Prussian marshal,
whose scattered corps fell an easy prey to
hesuperior force which he directed against
them. At Champaubert, Montmirail, and
Vauchamps, he had inflicted loss of 10000
men on the allies, losing only 5000 men
himself; at Nangis and Montereau he had
stopped the advance of the allied army,
caused them a loss of IL, 900 men, and thrown
back their victorious standards across the
Seine. Such was the terror produced by
his arms that irresolution and indecision
succeeded to boldness in the allied councils,
and 100000 of the best troops in Europe
abandoned their strong position at Troyes,
retreated ANONYMOUSLY before sixty thous-
and, and concluded, as we have seen, by So
liciting from Napoleon an armistice. In
order to gain time, Napoleon consented to
a conference for an armistice. But so con-
fident was he in his ability to gain the ends.
he had in view, that he would not consent
to suspension of hostilities while The con
ference for an armistice was going on.
CAUSE OF THE DOWNFALL OF NAPOLEON.
But new actor now appeared upon the
stage. England joined the allies, and threw
the immense weight of her vast military
power into the scale against Napoleon. BY
the treaty of Chaumont, March /, it was
agreed that the four allied powers-Eng-
land, Austria, Russia and Prussia-should
each maintain one hundred and fifty thous-
and men in the field. 1t was before this
fcix ht,n raI md
that Napoleon fell and Paris capitulated.
GENERAL LEE WILL ENDEAvoR TO FOLLOW
THE EXAMPLE OF NAPOLEON.
Now, what are the lessons which General
Lee, as a careful student of military history,
will derive from the above remarkable pass
age in the life of Napoleon? 1t may be
set down as certain, that he will endeayor
to follow, as closely as possible, the illustri
GUS example of that great General; and that
he hopes that the same results will follow.
There is no great degree of dependency at
the South; the condition of the South is
nothing like as desperate as that of France
in January, 1914; and General Lee is now
concentrating around him, as l will show
presently, a much larger army than that
which Napoleon had in February, 1914. 1t
may be, that after lie has concentrated all
his troops, and after he has assumed the of
fensiye, he will meet with defeat in a
pitched battle, as Napoleon did in that of
Brenne. But it was after his defeat at
Brienne, that Napoleon gained all the bril-
liant victories enumerated above, defeated
the allied armies, stopped their march to-
ward Paris, saved his capital, and compell-
ed the naughty allies to beg an armistice.
CIRCUMSTANCES WHICH WILL CONTROL GEN
ERAL LEES FATE.
In view of all the circumstances as they
really exist in Virginia and the Carolinas,
it seems probable that battle of Brienne
will soon take place. 1t may result as Ma
poleon wished the battle of Brienne to re-
suit; or it may result in the defeat of the
Confederates. In the latter case, although
General Lee must retreat, it will then be for
him to pursue the tactics that gained for
Napoleon the victories of Champaubert,
Montmirail, Vauchamps, and Montereau;
and he will doubtless endeavor to do so.-
Will he be even measurably successful?
That depends upon the force that he can
concentrate; upon the condition of the roads
for a month to come; upon the nature of
the defenses of Richmond and Petersburg;
upon the number of troops that can be con-
centrated against him; and upon the COM
parative ability, as strategists, of himself
and General Grant.
GENERAL LEES AVAILABLE FORCE.
General Lees utmost available force at
present is as follows:
Troops defending Richmond and Petersburg 20 900
In the Shenandoah Valley and at Lynchburg. 10000
The Wilmington garrison, etc., withdrawn. >. 1900
The Charleston garrison and troops under l-l
Beauregard and Hardee.. $4,000
Total 10000
Opposed to him, in Virginia and the Car
olinas, he may reasonably expect to be con-
fronted by the following bodies of troops
at least: r .., ~
General Meade army. .130 W0
Sheridan's army in the Shenandoah Valley $4,000
Available troops at Washington and Baltimore 900
Sherman's army, including 10000 in garrisons
ana detached ........... .:a... 10000
General Terry's army, near Wilmington. $4,000
Total .270OO0, I.
OTHER TROOPS FOR EITHER SIDE. a
Iti possible that there may be some other /,
bodies of troops brought to CO. operate with
General Grant, enough to raise his whole
force to three hundred thousand men. On
the other hand, it is certain that General
Lee has made arrangements for the transfer
ofsome troops, not enumerated above, from
the extreme west of the Confederacy. These
troops are now en- route, and will certainly
arrive in time to take part in the final COM
bats, so that the whole force of General Lee