The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1868-09-30
A Competent Critic on Gen. Grant

ACompetsnt Critic ON Gen. Grant.
The following letter by Prof. Mahan, Of
West Point, one of she highest authorities ON
the art and past history Of war, gives sn ex-
eelent comparison between our great Gen
eral and other famous Captains Of ancient
And modern times ~ we'll ~ , satisfactory
answer to The feeble and tedious ca!umnies
Of tho. Wo1lfs correspondent, who UNDER
takss 70 shew- tAat Gsaas 10 no seldies
Toras Eps4UW cY1nH NEW York Times:
Some one hast4ken the trouble 70 sand me
several numbers " the New York World,
containing series of AEticlea. Of course very
depreciatory, on Gen. Grants generalship.
Having no idea as to whose courtesy | am
indebted for these, will Jou allowi me,
through the Tines, to say TO my unknown
friend that, differing toto cello, from the views
put forth in them, hare, for the last few
years, since Gen. Grants name has become
historical, represented his generalship in my
lectures on the military arts to the cadets of
the United States military academy in to-
tally different light from that in which he is
shown up in these articles; and that, satiafied
Of the business of my views, shall continue
to do 30, 80 long as hsve the honor to hold
my present official positioss &N
Tie military renown of Alexander rests
upon his conquests of the nnmilitary hoIdes
| in every respect, that Greece up to this time
had produced that Of Hannibal rests upon
hi. sussessful passage cft the Alps into ite3y,
opposed only By the barbarous tribsx % his
line Of march, and subsequently, by rash and
incompetent Roman consnls; Caesar 9 GA his
conquest Of the semf.barbarous and
rebellious. tribes of Gaul, and his subse>
quest .dtf@ETN Ne demorslDed forces
| Of hA}Syl H43edsk the Greet and
| Napoleon X, of OR period, won their victo-
/ ries over armies greatly inferior 10 theirs in
discipline, and led by generals incompetent
/ from age and military talent. while Grant
| has crushed one Of the most formidable re-
! belHons, whether we regard the numbers,
the intelligence and the means engaged in it,
/ that the world has ever Witnessed; aud - al
| legged by his detractors, both at home and
| abroad, against leaders superior to himself
| in generalship, against troops superior to
his own in chivalry, dash, and all other fight
| ing qualities; operating in q country every
| inch of which vas thoroughly knownto them.
i and rendered defensive by all the resources
Of nature and art skillfully combined. And
| this he did by measures Of which he was the
originator, taking for his own position the
most important and mos. difficult one Of the
work to be done.
/ Happily Ear American patriotism, the de
scendants of the men who are now engaged
in defaming Grants military actions will live
TO blush for their sires and glory in the grand
results Of Grants triumphs; and when thess
dstrac.ions, which are as ephemeral as tn,
sheets which contain them, now scattered
broadcast through railroad cars and grol
shops, and their authors shall long have
| passed away from the memory of man
Grant name aad military fame, like; thos'
Of the great captains who have preceded him
will loom up, grander and grander, as the,
recede into the mists Of successive ages.