The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-07-07


To my question what he thought of
Gen. Grant, Mr.. Davis replied that he
was great soldier beyond doubt, but
of new school. If he had not started
with an enormous account in bank, his
checks would have been dishonored be-
fore the elimination was reached. At
Shiloh he was defeated the first day
and would have been destroyed or COM
PEELED to surrender next morning but
for Buel's timely arrival with a fresh
and well-disciplined reinforcement, the
strength of which had been variously
stated.
When secretary of war, thought Nc
Clellan the ablest officer in the army,
and had employed him on two impor-
tant services-as military commissioner
IN the Crimea, and to explore route
for the Pacific railroad-bOth of which
duties had been discharged in a manner
to increase his reputation. He orgHniz-
ed the army of the Potomac admirably,
put 1t required a commander of more
Dash to WELD the weapon in the field.
McClellan's caution amounted Very
closely to umidity-mora1 timidity-
Ior he was personally brave. On
his first landing in the peninsula there
nao oeen only seven thousand troops
TO meet him, and these he should have
rushed upon and overwhelmed at what
ever cost. Cautious, and wishing to
spare the blood of his men, he com
menced regular siege at Yorktown,
giving his enemies time to concentrate
suthctent numbers to drive him back.
AS magn0nimOuS enemy he respected
Mcclellan, but thought he had been
promoted too rapidly for his own good
before he had ripened ia command
ana gained the experience requisite for
the supreme position Had he been
Kept IN a subordinate capacity the two
first years of the war, rising from a
division to n corps, and thence to COM
mander-in-chief, he would have been
the greatest of our soldiers. He had
the best natural gifts and highest in
tellectua1 training, and was just be-
coming fitted, and the best fitted, for
his position when removed. Had he
been supported by the government he
might have taken Richmond two wears
earlier, and it was with joy Mr.. Davis
heard of his removal after the battles of
South Mountain and AntieLam. such
sacrifices of officers to the ignorance of
an unwarlike people, anxious to find
IN hlm u scapegoat for their own lack
OF discipline or endurance, were un-
avoidable in the early stages of every
popular war.
Pope, while Secretary of War, he had
never been able to make serViceabl
and Pope held his own gallautly. His
mind was not less inflated than his
body. He was a kind of American
gascon, but with good scientific attain
ments. Sumner and Sedgewick were
gallant and able soldiers-excellent
commanders in action, courteous and
reliable in all the relations of life. Hun
Ter, OF whom asked him specially, as
one OF my old commanders, was his
beau ideal of the military gentleman
the soul OF Integrity, intrepidity, true
Christian piety and honor. Mr.. Davis
had long been associated with him,
both in the service and socially, and
Has NWEN.N
IN great measure to his unwilling
ness to bend to anything mean or sin.
lster. lie was rash, impulsive; man
OF action rather than thought; yielding
10 passions which he regarded as divine
instincts or intuitions-the natural
temper of n devotee or fanatic.
Ofthe officers on the confederate side.
MIR: Davis spoke in high terms of Gem
eral Lee, as a great soldier, and pure,
christian gentleman; also, in praise of
Brngg and Pemberton, though the two
latter, from unavoidable circumstances
and the hostility of the party opposed
to MIR. Davis, had not been accorded
the position due to their talents by pub
lie opinion in either section. Pember-
ton made splendid defense of Vicks-
burg, and might have been relieved ifI
the otdcer commanding the army sent
TO relieve him General Johnston) had
not failed 10 obey the positive orders TO
attack General Grant which Mr.. Sed-
don, then secretary of war, had sent. If
the same officer, who was upheld in
command by the anti-a1ministration
party, had vigorously attacked Sher-
man at Atlanta when directed, the for
tunes of the war would have been
changed, and Sherman hurled back to
Nashville, over a sterile and wasted
country-his retreat little less disas-
trous than Napoleon's from Moscow.
De did not do so, and was relieved
General Hood, a true and spirited SOL
dier, taking his place but the oppOr-
tunity was then gone; and to this DELAY,
more than to any other cause, the
Southern people will attribute their
overthrow, whenever history comes to
be truly written.
Bragg's victory over Rosecrans at
Chickamauga, Mr.. Davis regarded as
one OF the most brilliant achievements
of the war, considering the disparity of
the forces. The subsequent concentra-
ton of Grant and Hooker with Rose
Grams, and the victory of their combin-
ed forces at Lookout Mountain, was
the result of an audacity or despera-
ton which no military prudence could
have forseen. So confident was Bragg
in the impregnability of his position,
that, Immediately after Chickamauga,
he detached Longstreet with I6 600 men.
about third of his entire force, to
make demonstration against Knox
vile, thus Indirectly threatening
Grants communications with Nash
vile: Bragg's position was finally car-
ried by the overwhelming numbers of
the enemy. The opponents of his ad-
miniStration censured Bragg for de-
tachtng Longstreet, but the subsequent
events which made that movement un-
fortunate were of character which no
prudence could have forseen, no mill
tary calculation taken into view as
probable.
TIE Mobile Tribune, of June 26, in an
article reviewing DIR. Craven's "Prison
Life of Jefferson Davis" uses the fol-
lowing extraordinary language:
''Christ came to the earth tn aava
sinners. The Saviour was a vicarious
sacrifice for universal salvation, The
disciples would have died in his place.
If 1t had been possible. What those
disciples were to the Saviour, we be-
lieve any honest man in the South
ought to be to Mr.. Davis. He suffers
for us. If he dies, it will be for us; and
every Confederate man deserves death
as much as he."
says:
This Blasphemous attempt to COM
pare JED. Davis to the Son of God. and
to set UP his fellew-traitors as Southern
apostles, while it will shock all the
ideas of Christian reverence, only
serves to show how even the most
sacred and holy sentiments of religion.
as well as patriotism, have been pollu-
ted and debauched by the sin of rebel
lion. The Democratic heresy of State
sovereignty has proved potent for evil:
and neither love of country, the sacred.
ness oil oaths, the sense of moral honor,
or the most awful sanctities of religion,