Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1866-02-16
FOR the Delaware Gazette.
GENERAL SIBERIAN.

L
more valuable as being a new illustration
of the character and abilities Of its illus
trious author The modest conqueror OF
Richmond, SO successful with his sword
now makes his first notable debut as cham
pion of the pen, and the admiring public
/ is enabled to study its fayorite but reti-
cent hero as he appears upon paper.
Not venturing formal criticism of this
literary feat of the Lieutenant Gen
eral, or to say in what manner it reflects
[ him, there can be no harm In indUlging
for a moment In the comparison it natu-
rally suggests between the literary and
military qualities Oflts author and those
of his no less distinguished and able
cotemporary, the hero of Atlanta; nor will
1t be ungracious. while we are SO lavish
OF our praises OF him who either by force
of genius, or circumstances. or both, has
risen to the highest place In military rank,
to properly weigh and adjust In the scale
of honor the merits of those heroic and
faithful subOrdinates who IN their sphere
have been no less efficient IN organizing
and achieving the victories of the republic
Between two characters so strongly and
clearly developed as those Of Generals
Grant and Sherman 1t Is not difficult to
discover the salient points of difference.
In their official conduct In the field and
manifested with equal clearness. Com
pairing the latter, we find on the one hand
a plain, unVarnished narrative, so utterly
devoid of ornament, SO general In state
ment, and commonplace IN style, SO
honestly told and artlessly framed, as
to be almost out Of keeping with the tre-
mendOus events and operations it de-
scribes. On the other hand is clear,
forcible, and picturesque description, Of
almost romantic interest, not diffuse, and
yet displaying at once by a few magic
dashes of the pen the grand outlines and
the fascinating details of the thrilling
war-picture, and sweeping in its stately
grandeur through successive campaigns
and battles like the triumphant march of
an army in review Neither picture is
oEerdrawn-bOth come short Of the real
ity-but while each is faithful one is far
more striking and vivid than the other.
1t has been well said of General Sherman
that he wields the most powerful military
pen in America. For proof of this it Is
only necessary to point to his reports and
eerrespo spondence. Equally with his cam
paigns, they exhibit his boldness, skill,
and Intellectual power. While we ad
mire his matchless movement which COM
PEELED his adversary to abandon the
stronghold of Atlanta, divided his army,
and scattered the fragments to the winds,
we are astOnished at the resistless force
and unansWerable logic of those few caus-
tic burning sentences with which he an
initiates the attempts of the rebel leader
to withstand that unpopular measure
the removal fthe inhabitants Of the city.
Whether in ciTeumventIng a hostile army
or in replying to some vituperative trai-
tor, we behold this strong, bold, original
character ever mastering the emergency,
I, ,l- 4
opposition IF fGeneral Grant is modest,
earnest, and persistent, General Sherman
is bold, skillful, and resistless. While
the one ruins his enemy by the slow,
murderous work of 'attrition' which in
dfCTs an equal injury, the other by patient
brain work and cOnsummate skill thWarts
the plans of his antagonist, and by con
tinually graphing at the foundations Of
his military strength, lmpaIrs his na0rnLe,
faugUes his muscle and finally, drives
him to desperate measures which works
his own self-ruin, The one destroys the
pyramid by beginning at the top and re-
moving it stone by stone, the other by
sapping its foundations and tumbling it
at once into irrecoverable ruin.
General Grant embodies a persistent
and heroic use of, and sublime faith in
brute force. General Sherman a splen-
did combination of force and intellect
The one goes forward with resistless might
and unfaltering determination seeking
his end at every cost, the other, no less
strong in will, or bold IN execution, yet
far more brilliant in conception and skill
full In plan, studies the best and easiest
method to accomplish his design, then
executes 1t with nOless persistency and
inheXiblllty of purpose. Both are gifted
with great fertility of resource, both are
Of Hrr hot
have sublime courage, but In originality
of design and boldness and skillfullDess
Of execution the palm must be awarded
to the hero of Atlanta rather than the
hero Of Richmond.
The two campaigns just referred to
illustrate the foregoing assertions. Grant
plunges his immense army across the
RaDidan and thrusts it against the enc
my's impregnably fortified position
The Corps go into action as they
successfully arrive that is each IN its
turn, comes up, and to use common
of army phrase, butts against the enc
my's works" After several days of
dreadful fighting in which an equal
loss is inflicted upon the enemy. but
nothing gained in prisoners, glatertet
or position, our army makes a flank move
ment which compels its adversary to with
draw to Spottsylvania. Here the same tao
tics are repeated with this exception that
a bold dash by one cOrps-the 2d-captures
a rebel division and some artillery. The
vantage ground Is quickly lost, however,
and after eight days of tremendous fight
ing characterized on both sides by fearful
sacrifices of life but by no substantial
gain or loss to either party, our army exc
cutes another flank movement This
time our columns advance to the North
| Anna and the enemy voluntarily retires
rather than is forced back that far. IF
/ General Grant had been weakening the
enemy so that he might not advance
Northward, it might be not improperly
| said that the rebel leader had coTrespOn-
| dinghy impaired our ability to move
| SouthWard. But we were superior in
numbers and here was our salvation.
Thus the two armies wrestle with each
other until they reach the skeleton
strewn swamps of the Chickahominy-
! Here it is decided not to repeat sMcClel-
/ lens tactics before Richmond, and our
army plunges across the James. The
movement by General Grants confession,
| but probably not his fault, is not as sys-
tematic and prompt throughout as it
should be, and we not only fail to get
| Petersburg but are soon confronted by
twenty miles of forts and natural obsta-
cles, defended by powerful army, while
/ General Butler who was expected to get
to the rear of Richmond is 'cOrked up
at Bermuda Hundred.
II /, Al