Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1866-11-01
Misttllaneous.
The Genius, Character and Organiza-
ton of the Confederate Army.


ton of the Confederate Army.
From an interesting and spirited article
in the September Crescent Monthly, by j.
Quitmau Moore, of Mississippi, We make
the following extracts, treating of the &C.
MUS, character and general organization of
the late Confederate army:
The army of the late "Confederate States
of America" Qhe glorious name of that
bright, meteor power, now quenched, that
shook its radiant spleudors on the flaming
crest of Mars y was an eclectic, or excerpt
ed system FROM the high military models of
Austria, Prussia, France and the United
States. 1t vas beautiful and complete
model of thorough scientific organization,
full of interest and instruction to those who
wish to learn how to make war terrible and
destructive, and above all things else, that
sprang from the master hand of that direct
ing and all-iuforming mind that stood at
the head of the Southern revolution, attest
ed its commanding genius. From Austria
was taken the admirable organization of the
grand field staff; from Prussia the Srm and
compact general military anatomy; from
France the model of its field ordnance and
scientific artillery theory and practice; and
from the United States its tactical economy,
its infantry equipment and drill, its army
regulations and its theory of military ma
neuvre and stragetic practice. West Point
confronted West Point, and accounts in
great measure for that phenomenon so in'
explicable to the criticism of the foreign
lockers on-great battles fought, with no
marked or decisive results attained. Gen.
Lee and his adversares made the same
moves on the hostile field that they learned
to make on the ehess-board of the common
parent academy. Jackson, alone, repudia-
ted West Point, studied Frederick and Ma
poleou, and as consequence, achieved more
brilliant results in brief career of twenty
months, than the whole army of eminent
commanders, Federal and Confederate, COM
bined, accomplished in four years Of war.
The organization of the Confederate army
was complete piece of military mechanism
methodical, harmonious, composite in all
pertaining to its exterior, practical arrange
ment; but there was fatal defect in its
interior, vital economy, morbid, organic
arrangement, that defeated every hope of
healthy bodily action, preyed upon the seat
of life, and caused its ultimate dissolution.
That disease was the absence of rigid dis
cipline If it had possessed this one im-
portant quality the battle of Sharpsburg
would have declared the independence of
the South. General Lee crossed over into
Maryland fortnight before the happening
of that battle, with eighty thousand troops;
but on that field he could only put his hand
on thirty-fve thousand of that number. -
Not that this more than moiety of his army
had wilfully deserted their colors; but al
lured from their commands by the profuse
hospitality of the people of Maryland, they
fingered behind the advancing army, think
ing to rejoin it in time to share iu its lau
rels. Such conduct the systems of Frede.
rick and Napoleon pronounced desertion,
aud infexibly punished with death. The
great body Of the rank and file of the South
ern army was composed of social element
that, in the armies of other countries, is
seen only in positions of command and au
thority; and the officers elected from among
themselves, and often their social and III
tellectual interiors, left matters of authority
and subordination to take care of themselves
while their only care was to make their re.
ports correspond from day to day; and
grave delinquencies were connived at in the
same way that college students deem it
badge of dishonor to act the part of inform.
er against their associates. Under such
general relaxation of authority, disci pllne
was impossible; and the Southern army was
nothing more than an association of patrl'
otic gentlemen, animated by the enthusiasm
of common cause, and regarding discip-
line and army regulations as designed only
for a race of slaves When once in battle,
they fought with dash, spirit, resolution
and desperation of valor such as has never
been excelled by any soldiery in the world,
ancient or modern. In the European sense
of the word, there was no such thing known
to the Confederate army as discipline. The
punishment of desertion by death was the
exception, rather than the rule and the
hand of the commander.in. chief was weak
ened just in proportion as the severity OF
the discipline was relaxed. jackson was
the only general officer in the Confederate
service who applied the rigid discipline of
the European armies to that under his own
command; and in proportion to its num-
bers, and in view of the brief period within
which its splendid operations were perform
ed, no army in the world ever accomplished
such brilliant results. His severe disclp'
line held his troops firm: close, compact, IN
hand, and when he struck, it was with
full strength of his arm, and victory was
the result Bragg made some Intellectual
attempts to discipline the army of the West;
but the Southern blood was too high to bend
to what it conceived to be a degradation,
and could not then realize that it was better
than the eternal degradation that followed
The infantry service of the Confederate
army was the finest body of light foot, bat
ing the discipline, the world ever saw. 1t
possessed all the tenacity in line OF the
Ill Tho oonfdanoe in colnmn