, 1865-11-09
FROM WASHINGTON.
Onr Generals aa Observation-Disclosures
General Grants Flint Repott-The
Mexican Loan.

4&tkt0FtAnN-u.tNfifRFH0
General Grant,a First RcportEThc
Mexican Loan.
from ou. Own Coue.pondcnt.1 !
wAsuxoros, Nor. $, 1865,
During the progress Of the civil VIII. yas
frequently called upon In the dischargs Of nv
professional duties to make careful examine
tions of the official reports Of the best known
Of our Generals. In this way made myself
thoroughly acquainted with their respective
style and merit AZ historical writera-anc,,
thew BECAME AZ recorders of tbc,r ou-,, ->a,-
formauccs-and hence II NAV mi ha it,
re,her nresumnt,ve IN nv n,r. IN se,tnr.
upon a critical review of tieir acbIcxe,nsutx
in that partlcular direction.
As a rulc. the Generals that enterat7 ,hs
service finn, cIyi1 life hare n1acad m r,.cor,,
much rnore readable docnmcnta tbsn tho IA
-..,,1,- n,s,,, sa7aasa :. ...1, sA1 Nv Wv
tnst men VINO Ind ths sean "f ,sn1ss
thorough education, like the West Point
g1aduates, ahould be incapable Of fluent,
crauuatically correct English comnosit,on
Hut the rcnort, n, not = ew ~ th.ao rro-s
49, snsh ~ 49, w.. 11'.. I ae.IA@Np " 49, p"'e
.ua. 80 eusu - tue ease' .nes enot1eo!o1ne On
previous to the rebellion they had no oppor-
tunity to acaui.e a more perfect style br fire..
oncnt n-sc+ice ond ,hst t,,as S2a.+ - ~
60 T. ~ *.,,Ss - ~. ~. epas -. |any
1eMe ~ .ns "nus y. |as "es', "ae3e long
'sectusion from society Subjected them to
accomplishments. That those Of their com.
pccrs, WIN entered The army fresh finn, tbs
ff1 .t - wv" .,'7
oenen' ING oal OF LIE los.fun' or lron Inc
haAs Of universities ana Colleges, aud other
intellectual pursuits, should thus WELD a
There are, however, some very striking ex-
cent;ons tn MI. rnle. M onr w;,, ouestton
-, ~ .1,o, ~ w ~" 4uset'on
eue aotnlS ~ =, oeoc1a. -'iee.enAn ~ tateE VI
reports Ihc recoEds o1 his campaigns, fur-
nished by General Buell., IRE, In my opinion,
dprsd 1v The war. They are rrm.rkoh, fo,
49, ".. ~ ~. --.,as =. .sa. e1.'s Az
hinootn' e4eal expression PRECISE anu aateut.
Gio!e statement Of lacts lucid definitions Of
his mouyes and o61ccts, and freedom from all
that hlga-slrnng theiofac tnat 90 many other
eral shelman's reports Will rank nearly as
high smonE the military "classics" +" ot the
Wnr. General McD0wells report Of the first
bnttle Of Bull Run is very able document.
The reports Of General Grant are distln.
gnlshed for modesty and strict truthfnlncss of
but bis style Is Of the too boastful and self.
laudatoty and partaking Of the nature Of
special pleas. General Rosecsans Is capable
and well-ycrsed writer, but prone to be par
tial. General Halleck Is polished, but dis
plays the theoretician almost too much.
General Hooker writes graphically, but re-
veals too strong, sclf.vauntins incifnations.
In two respects. the records, even Of the
better writer's, are, With very few exceptions,
elngularly deficient. While the authors mar
rate the events, in which they were the main
actors, FULLY and lnteng15ly enough, they
omit to state the original plans underlying
their operations, and thei. proposed modes ot
BILE TO strike the balance between what they
meant to do and What they actually did;
Again. the writer's 1atl to gave such detailed
descriptions Of the field OF their operations as
can alone .t snao!e Inc r Fcaaer sas 10 Understand
Re51ec!y ane eauts y. tsnte G ana snccsss:
aut.hoa ~ .s.,a.4 ~ tha Il no.naa; ~
Army A Of the Potomac. &C. II There Is hardly d "a a
Ssas aSI1 w. nc X
- ~ direc4fon "a rhoran+ar ~ ~ 1eaa
the conrae ~ streams iiistonrcs etc asr IL
q ord hcnce he reader vii f.e1 an m,ch M. -,
lid AZ en1frhtened afyer ner11sIno 4. Tho
most notable excentions IN Ibis rssnert arc
Generals Sherman, Buell., and RosccIans. It
Is great pity that full itineraries and topo-
graphical notes we're not rigidly e1actcd Of
all Generals commanding. Very few of them
kept or had snch kept systematically, With
ont them, descriptions Of the kind mentioned
were, Of course, mprncticable
Under the army regulations, no officer can
TIC discharged from the service, and receive
his nop-i1debtedness to the ordnance depart
menf. It would hare been well Tor the COM
pletepess Of the official record Of the Tnr. If a
like rule had been adopted a. to the rendering
ot carly reports Of active operations. and en-.
forced against officers Of every rink. Many