The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1873-02-02
MORNING STAR AND CATHOLIC MESSENGER SUNDAY

OF the State. He came back carrying the
heavy wait of defeat, and unsppreciated
~ the people whom he served, for they
could not know as knew, that il his plans
and order had been carried ont, the result
would have been victory rather than re-
have known it, had he not breathed it in
my ear, only at my earnest request, and
begging that nothing be said about ii. .
1etthroagh all this, with magnaninity
rarely equaffed, he stood in silence without
defend himself or allowing others to de ,
fend him, for he was unwilling to offend
any one who was wearing sword and stri-
king blows for the Confederacy.n The
great soldier who had hitherto command
% with such signal ability, the army in
Vlrginia-General JohnsOn-having been
severely wounded in the battle of Seven
Ftnes, on the 31st of may, GeRerall Leo
was aPplnted to succeed him, and assumed
command on the I'd ofJune. From this time
untiA the close Of. the war, the history Of
General Lee is the history of the immer-
tsi Army Of Northern virginia-that no
blesf army that ever tfod this earth. To
record the sU1paralleled achievements
Of that army while directed by the
genips of Lee, woald be task far too
great to come within the scope Of an ad-
story-than which NO brighter has
ever been traced on the page Of history,
belongs to the historian: It will be his to
unfold to our wondering posterity that
grand panorama whereon is portray ed this
oloodiest picture in the book Of time"
He vii! tell Of the constant sufferipgs-the
devoted patriotism the unfinching coar-
age, the heroic deeds of that noble army,
as Its great Captain led it from victory to
victory, in such rupid succession, that the
world stood amazed alike at the prowess
Of the men, and the genius of the Com
mander.
Do you not remember-what Southern
heart can ever forget-how Lee, called un-
expectediy from his duties in the Cabinet,
to lead on army to which he was an entire
stranger, grasped that army at once, with
the hand Of giant, and hurled it with the
force of thunderbolt upon his enemy,
driving him in the great fgLt Of the "sey,
en- Days." demoraiized and defeated, to
seek ignominious shelter under the fire Of
his gunboatsf These were the first oper-
atoms OF General Leo on a suitable field
for display of his powers, and the result
was magnificent success. The enemy
who had been threatening Richmond were
driven, by the combination of brilliant
strategy on the part of the Southern Com
nander and desperate valor ON the part Of
the Southern troope, to seek safety in
flight our people were relieved Of great
judges-felt that they were ouee again in
the hands of great Captaiu-one whose
genius had already gained the confidence,
as his Kindness was soon t" win the love
they had cherished for their former leader. I
Leaving this subject, however, to follow
the career Of Lee, every step OF which is
iliumiBed by glory, We see him hurryiDg
from the James river, where one defeated
army was covering under protection of
gunboats, to meet another army on the
ol,on n0Nly xvhf rI
to Richmond" These troops, from whom
the Federal Government expected results
Of the utmost Importance, had been placed
under the com n,apd of Pope, who will be
damned to everlasting fame,
for the brutality of his or
ders and for inauguratipg a system of war
fare, which was properly denounced by an
English journal at the time as "casting
mankind two centuries back toward bar
barism." Easily foiling this new pretend
er to military fame, Lee brought him to
battle on the historic field Of Manassas,
where Southern arms were again crowned
with the glory that had once before been
lowing up this brilliant victory, Lee struck
the Federal Army at Cbantilly, and drove
it in confusion into the Notifications of
where its brutal and braggart
sunk at once into the insignifi
canoe from which only his own presumption
had ever raised him. IhuS II Will De seen
that Lee, in the short space of two months,
with force at no time exceeding seventy
in FIVE thousand men az, 000} men, defeated
engagements two Federal armies
each of which was not less than one hun
dred and twenty thousand (l2O, O0O) strong,
relieved the Southern Capital from danger,
and even threatened that of the North.
But the campaign, great as it had been,
was not to end here. Throwing his army
into Maryland, Lee swept down from that
State on Harper's Ferry, capturing it with
its garrison of eleven thousand III 000)
men, and seventy-two t72) guns, and then
again concentrating his troops on the north
Of the Potomac, he fought the brilliant and
bloody battle Of Sbarpsbnrg. In this great
fght-for great it was, though the Sothern
arms failed to gain so decisive victory as
had 80 generally attended them-Lee with
only thirty seven thousand (H ,000) men
repuised every attack of the enemy, who
brought into the field an army three times
as strong as his own. Is this not glory
enough for one campaign-for one army
for one mani Yet the story of these great
deeds is scarce begun-the glory not yet at
its zenith. Before even this campaign
ended F." Fredericksburg" was to be in
scribed on those Southern banners, which
were already SO covered by the names
70 fnP