The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1868-01-15
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES

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/ a9il@s sCHANcELLORSYiLLE.*ssd g4a W
The two years that have elapsed since the
surrender at Appomattox Court House have
taught us, among other things, mot to be
| sansuine in our expectations of value in
each new book upon the war! Is Bad as many
Of the books Of this kind that have been
written at the North have been, those that
have been written at the South have usually
been verse. The nominal inferiority of
Southern literary efforts has been accompa-
MED in their accounts OF their doings in the
late rebellion with such reckless disregard
Of truth and such insane Boosting, that one
| no more thinks Of placing Harry Gilmor's
book. for instance, in his collection of ma.
terial for the history of the war, than he
| does of placing "Gulliver's Travels" among
his books Of geography. And yet = good
thing has at last come out Of the peculiar
Nazareth which lies below Mason and Dixon 3
line. "A most excellent book has been writ
ten by Captain Hotehkiss and Colonel Allan.
| who were formerly officers Of the staff of
the Second Corps of the Army Of Northern
Virginia, in other words the corps com,
naanued by Stonewall jackson till his death.
This book, published under the title which
| is given below, is the best book Of its class,
and the most valuable contribution to the
history Of the war Of which we have any
Knowledge. 1t is monograph, as its name
imports, and it is precisely the sort of book
that is wanted. Summaries Of the campaigns
OF different generals and armies and OF the
war are plenty enough already. What we
wish for now is books that will enable us to
become famliarly acquainted with each inn
| portant battle.i' ssChancellorsyille" is just
such q book, 'andait isso thoroughly satisfac-
tory thatiit is delightful to beiled to believe
| by the form Of the title that the same or
equally competent hands are to illustrate the
other battlesfelds Of Virginia. iijw a go8.
| The story Of Charlottesville is not pleas
ant reading for Northern mcu as Northern
men. That must be admitted at the outset.
All things considered, it was the most glo-
fious battle for the South and the most dis
graceful battle for the North that was fought
| during the war. The larger army was beat
en- by the smaller, the army that divided in-
to two parts was beaten by the army that di.
vided into three parts. The army that FIRST
placed itself on the faux Of its adversary
gained nothing by the brilliant manmusre,
and presently had its own flank effectively
turned and crashed. As final and growing
disgrace, 1.-THE finest army on the planet" was
cooped up IN its intrenehnlents and then
driven fairly from them by vastly less
numerous body of men. edama 3ai GaIos1
But though it is true that the story
Charlottesville is mortifying story for
Northern men, lis no less true that it is
an intensely interesting story for the
student. For six days the two great ar
mics Of the North and South were in pres
ence Of each other andsoiten actually engag-
ed The stern fighting Of those days was
not the mere shock of one moss Of brave
men meeting another, like the melee in the
E'sGentiesand Free Passsgesof Arms at Ash
by de a.Zouche." Nor was it like Freder-
icksburg or Gettysburg, where gallant
storming columns pressed in vain on positions
too strong for them to carry. Still less was
it like the common run of battles in our war,
where the vicious parallel. order was followed,
and II q the only question was which could bear
the hard pounding longest. There is not "a
passage in7q the history Of the rebellion ii,
which more genius in conception and more
eaergy and skilliu execution were displayed
than in the operations about charlottesville
IN the spring Of 1853, when the Vhginian
forest was just bursting into leaf ~ .ssi9ls
t No faithful account of the campaign OF
Chancellors. lille could be otherwise than in
teresting but Captain Hotchkiss and, Col
Allan have done their fwork SO admirably
4 tliat their account is fascinating. g It might
have been pardoned if they had INDUCED in
some glorifcation III writing onsuch a theme
but the tone Of their book is all that could
possibly be asked. III Their moderation and
their abstinence from fine writing are eminent
| ly scrcditable, and there is not q word OF
sentence, in the book that even approaches to
being offensive. The foreigners who visited
their army aud write about what they saw
might well, learn a lesson Of good taste froa
them. s.4sg IN 4 ,,o..f...sg III
A careful examination of the principal au
1 thorities upon this campaign, and COMPARE
son OF the results derived theretorm With the
contents OF this book, lead directly to the
conclusion that it is altogether, accurate and
trustworthy. Nc man can ever say that lany
&C count OF any great series Of operations i.
absolutely free IRON error; but we believe
this to be one OF the most faithful accounts
OF great struggle that was ever written
1t is written 10 good, simple English, and
thai enough to say before passing to more
particular notice Of its contcnts
J The action about Charlottesville has three
matters Of special iuterest--the movement
by which jackson turned aud crushed Hook.
ers right, and the battle of May 3, whict
ended in the capture Of Charlottesville By
the Southern army. Of subordinate inter
est, but hardly less Importance, was the CHECK
received by the advance Of our army, neal
tabernacle Church, on tie LIST, Of May UI
to that time the tide OF our success seemed
to be at'the food. There aud then the It'd,
turned and from that time the ebb wa.
strong and its velocity rapidly increased.
IRON the first twenty pages Of the bool
we lear., little that we did rot know before
Tn, most noteworthy statements contained il
them are the assel tions that in the winter o
1868 the alphabet Of the Federal signal
aChancellorsville." By Jed. Hotohki.s, lat
CAPTAIN, and Typographical Engineer, Secon
4 Corps. A. N, ", ana William Allan, late Lieu
| tenant Colonel and Chief Of Ordinance, Secon
Corps, An. v. New York j; p. Van Npstrand