Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-06-26

blouse of the father, but the other en-
tered the breast of the son, killing him
on the spot The assailant was seized
and taken back to the court, where he
was questioned, but he manifested no
regret whatever at his crime He was
removed in custody.
President Lincoln as a StrategIst.
This affair concluded, the President
seemed disposed to prolong the inter
view. Our conversation took military
direction, and embraced the various move
ments being made or known to be in
contemplation. Mr.. Lincoln seemed
pleased to discuss the war in fact the
informal nature of our conversation was
relief to his mind, OverwOrked and
faded as he was by all the cares, official
and political, to which he was daily sub
iected. Presently he startled us by de-
claring that he saw no hope of success
for any of the campaigns now being
opened.
Having gone thus far, and seeing our
surprise and perpleXity, he seemed ami
mated by desire to justify his state
ment. Going to the wall and again TAX
pressed into service on the previous Oc-
casion, he proceeded to inform us, which
we did not positively know before, that
there were now three important move
ments being attempted by our forces to-
ward points against which our efforts
| had previously proved unsuccessful. One
! of these, he said, was against Richmond,
! on the same general plan substantially
! OF tod Inv 10 iy1Gt
| Charleston, from the sea, by the com
! bined land and naval forces; and one
| against Vicksburg, byway of Yazoo pass
streams by which the Mississippi is
! fianked, and through some of which it
was hoped to transfer General Grants
/ forces to point from which a success
/ tul assault might be made on that great
! stronghold, which had thus far detied our
most determined attacks.
"And | cannot see how either of these
| plans can succeed" said he; and forth
with throwing aside all reserve, and
| speaking with as much apparent frank
ness as though COnyerSing with his con-
/ fidential advisers, he freely criticised the
| conduct of the campaigns in question,
going into all the details of military
argument, and logically demonstrated in
advance that Grant would again be folcd
in his strategy against Nicksburg, that
/ Hooker would fail to reach Richmond,
and that Du POnt and Hunter would be
compelled to retire batfled from before
/ Charleston. | do not now remember the
reasons he gave for his judgment in re-
/ gard to the two movements last named,
but | recollect well his clear description
/ of the narrow and winding water-COurses
through which Grant was endeavOring
to conduct his gunhoats, generally i'm
passabe for large craft, either through
too high or too low water, and capable
of fatal obstruction in the forests which
they penetrate, by an enemy intimately
acquainted with every feature of the
country, and who had proved himself
only too we'll informed of all our move
ments, and equally active and successful
in opposing our progress into his own
country.
1t was known that Mr.. Lincoln enter
tanned military opinions quite independ-
ent of, and often at variance with, those
of his advisers, and | had before had a
striking proof Of the correctness Of his
Judgment. | confess, however, that
was as much astOnished as disheartcn-
ed by this unreserved condemnation OF
the conduct of the war on the part of the
Government of which he was the head !;
and scarcely knew whether l was most
astOnshed by his remarkable frankness
or annoyed at his convincing argument.
| said:
If you feel so confident of disaster in
all these movements, Mr.. President, why
do YOU permit them to be made p
because | cannot prevent it, he re-
piled. 49,.
But you are Commander-in-Chief,"
l rejoined.
My dear sir" he replied, II am as
powerless as any private citizen to
shape the military plans of the Govern
ment. l have my generals and my War
Department. and my subordinates are
supposed to be more capable than | am
to decide what movements shall or shall
not be undertaken. / have once or twice
attempted to act on my own convictions,
and found that it was impracticable to
do so. see campaigns undertaken III
which | have no faith, and have no pow
er to prevent them; and | tell you that
sometimes, when reflect on the manage
ment of our forces, | am tempted to
despair; my heart goes clear down into
my boots !"
practically closed the discussion. Rising
from his chair he moved uneasily about
the room, as though to shake off some
feeling that oppressed him. Suddenly
he seemed to realize that he had been
speaking too freely.
''Of course, gentlemen" said he, ''we
are talking in confidence, and as friends.
None of this must get into print, or be
repeated"
We took our leave soon after, but /
was long haunted with the recollection
of what | had heard My admiration
for the man and his high moral and in
tellectual qualities was increased, and
my confidence in our military chieftians,
never very high previously, was proper
tionatelv diminished. AS before, the
events justified his prediction. Our at
lacking forces were beaten off from
Charleston the Army of the Potomac
was hurled back upon the north al
Charlottesville; and Grant and Porter
were completely baffied in their ill-judgeC
experiment in the hostile swamps of the
Mississippi, which they attempted tC
penetrate through streams too narrow
to turn a gunboat in, and surrounded
by restless foe ever ready to exhaust
all the means of impediment and de
struction. And though Mr.. Lincoln'
opinions may have owed their correctness
to accident, yet l could not resist a feel
: ing that he had strength of brain ant
soundness of judgement which measur
ably supplied the want of military train
inc, and which fitted him better tC plar
campaigns than any of the professiona
soldiers to whose views he felt himself
compelled to yield. "Ihree Inter0jelo
aojth President LjncO5o," By r. N
Waachel1, IN July GALAXY.
E A REVOLT IN A HAREM.-It is men
5 toned in the European journals tina
!, the short sojourn of the Shah of Persii
e in Moscow was marked by strikin!
change in his arrangements, for his Mag
0 esty while in that city came to the de