The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1870-11-09

LEES GREATEST CAaPAIGN.-This is what George
Alfred Townsend an ultra Northern correspond
ent, says of General Lee:
Lees great exhibitions of skill were he Antietau
campaign the overland fight from the Wilderness tc
the Chckahomny, and the defense of Petersburg. Il
was not remarkable that he beat Mcclellan with Joe
Johnstons army, that he held the heights Of the
Rappahannock against Burnside But from the time
when he crossed the Rapidan to face Pope the
ninth of August down to the eighteenth of Septem.
ber when be prudenty and successfully reerossed the
Potomac after Antietam, he established a military
name such as no cavil impair In those forty
days his army fought eight battles--Cedar Run, Ma
nassas Junction, Gainesville Groveton, Chantilly
Harper's Ferry, South Mountain and Sharpsburg, de
stroying and capturing $4,000 men, To the dissen
| tons OF the Federal commanders and to jackson:
energy part Ehis success was due
The overland campaign even cleaner ant
more skfnl series of defensive actions From the
9th of May to the 10th of June-six weeks-ht
fought the battles of Wilderness Tavern, Parker
Store Spottsylvania, North Anna Cold Harbor Der
mudas aud Riddles Shop, and while he turned Grant
main attacks rom forward to flank marches, he foeC
Hunter in the Valley and bottled Butler on the James
In the bloodlest campaig OF the Lee lost his ab
lieuenants, Longsreet and Stuart, and was as mucf
annoyed by Sheridan amused by Butler He prob
ably never equaed his prescence at Cold Harbor. o
which this is good indication
Federal officer told me that opposite his brigade
| on the evening OF one day, certain Alabama regi
ment was stationed, from which prisoners we're taken
This was in the extreme flank. That night the Fed
eral commander resolved to attack the next morning
on the other flank, and transferred large body o
troops in the darkness. When they attacked in the
morning they again took prisoners from the sam.
Alabama regiment. This is good evidence that Lee
generaship foresaw the attack the other flank ant
shifted troops to encounter it. Such chess
blindfoded is not to be explained away particularly
where Lees general sagacy warrants the belief tina
he did it intelligently
The Petersburg defense from June a. 1864 te
April 2, 1865-290 days in ALL or upwards of forty
| one weeks-was conducted with diminishing materia
and men, and was the last of Lees military deeds o
note. Many things of luck happened to the
Confederate Commander here, such as the mraculou:
retention of Petersburg until he could occupy it. ane
the panic of the Federal assaultng columns after the
explosion of Burnsides mine but the establishment
of Gen. Lees new line of works within the old circle
was a vndication of his abilities as an engineer he
proved to be vigant garrison commander, with the
due sanitary knowledge he kept open his commun
cations with his capital admirably; his flying columns
were often alert and formidable, and he was able tC
avert much of the force of the Federal raids. II
short his talent outlasted the spirit of his forces anG
the resolution of his government, jeff Davis mule
obstinacy only excepted. He further showed his gen
eralship by declining to defend Richmond when it was
strategcaly wrong do So and when be surrendered
he chose prudently and we'll By that surreder he oh
tanned good for his army and closed its
with dignity. l him ride into Richmond with
part of his staff while the ruins yet smoking
the only whole thing left of the in favor Of
slavery-a personal reputation in gray uniform the
most expensive suit of clothes seen in this world
since it has been said of Him whom Gen. Lee pro
fessed to revere: "They parted my raiments among
them, and for my vestures they did cast lots"