The enquirer southerner., 1874-05-01
Grant and Lee.

"iohI 90 a. NiICi CUiilCtucS lUT the
most part with with our OWN. The
American commander is certainly
not strategist of the first order,
and in the great combinations of
war he but slowly arri"es at sound
conclusions. But his tenacity de
serves the highest praise on the
field h. has often shown true in
sight; and he has this quality of
greatness, that he can perceive his
mistakes and correct them with per-
severance and energy. He seems,
also, to have generally apprehended
the true means Of overcoming the
South somewhat sooner than most
Of his Northern colleagues and if
he unduly lavished the blood of his
men, he always commanded their
respect and esteem. These charac-
terlstics may be plainly seen
throughout the course eff his ardous
campaign. Like Colonel Chesney,
we cannot excuse him for his oper-
ations in the summer of 1864 even
if We believe he yielded to Lincoln
he should not have moved as he did
at first on Richmond, and his mur>
derous and useless waste of his
troops would have been fatal to him
two years before. In fact his STRAIT
egy on this occasion was inferior to
that of the decried Mcclellan; and
Grant also was all but foiled by the
silkful Beauregard at Pittsburg
Landing, and was months discover
ing the weak points of Vicksburg.
On the other hand, his attacks on
Forts Henry and Donelsen show
real decision and force of character,
his movements against both Vicks-
burg and Richmond were ultimately
what they ought to have been, his
conduct at Chattanooga was able,
and he is perhaps entitled to the
chief credit of the conception of
Sherman's march through Georgia.
We have ourselves, like Colonel
Chesney, compared the American
commander to Massena but if he
has not surpassed the French mar
shall in war, he is infinitely above
him in all moral qualities.
This determined soldier is not,
however-and Colonel Chesney
agrees with our judgment-to be
compared with his greatest oppo>
nent, in the highest attainmerts Of
the military art and as Hannibal,
notwithstanding Zama, towers over
the very inferior Scipio, the ignre
of Lee eclipses Grant, though Lee
succumbed to the Northern chief.
Colonel Chesney's essay ON the
brilliant career of the renowned
leader of the Virginian army is too
short to do the theme justice, but
it IS very attractive and full Of in
terest. We have no space to notice
the pleasing description he has Civ
en- US of the private life of Lee, nor
yet to comment on the public vir-
tues of the high-minded citizen
who drew his sword reluctantly in
what he thought the righful cause,
and bore himself like a true patriot
when reproach and disaster gather
ed around him. A few words are
all that we can devote to the militia
ry powers of this great captain and
they are, indeed, superfuous, for
their best monument is the battle
fields of the American war. It may
be said, however, that Lee has a
place in the foremost rank of mod
ern strategists; he possessed in the
very highest degree ability for the
great operations of war; few gener>
ais have ever, in Col. Hamley's s
phrase, "interpreted the theatre "
with equal insight and known as
well how to turn it to account and
no one certainly since the time of
Napoleon has conquered against
such immense odds and has so long
and fercely disputed the prize Of
victory with failing resources. His
combinations, indeed, bear a strik-
ing resemblance in many particu-
lars to those Of the Emperor like
him, he gained astonishing success
by the well-planned use of interior
lines and bold movements against
divided foes; like him, he avoided
the timid system of passive defence
as general rule, and seemed the
assailant though on the defensive ;
like him he posed a fund of resour-
ces in his own genius which effected
wonders ; like him, too, he was swift
and terrible in availing himself to
the mistakes of an enemy. Thus it
has happened that his campaigns
nave mucu III COMluOu Will tAooe
of Napoleon, and fascinate the
reader for the same reasons. They
exhibit the triumph of profound in
telligence, of calculation, and Of
well-employed force over numbers,
slewness, and disunited counsels,
like those of 1896 and 1914, and
his victory on the Chickahominy in
1862 and outmaneuvring of Grant
in 1864 may fifty compare with
Arcola or Rivoll and with the i'm
mortal struggle on the Marne and
Seine. Lee, too, has never beer
surpassed in the art of winning the
passionate love of his troops, and
IS with all generals of a high order
his lieutenants looked up to hin
with perfect confidence, and saw il
his commands a presage of victory
AS an administrator, however, thi'