The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1874-05-07
LEE AND GRANT.
The Hannibal and Scipio OF Modern
Military History.


the first order, and in the great com
binations of war he but slowly arrives
at sound conclusions. But his ter
acity deserves the highest praise; on
the field he has often shown true In
sight; and he has this quality of great
ness, that he can perceive his mistakes
and correct them with perseverance
and energy. He seems also, to have
generally apprehended the true means
of overcoming the South somewhat
sooner than most of his Northern col
leagues; andif he mduly lavished the
blood Of his men, he always commanded
their respect and esteem. These char
acteristics may be plainly seen through
out the course of his arduous cam
paign. Like Col. Chesney, we can
not excuse him for his operations in
the summer of 1864; even if we be-
lieve he yielded to Lincoln, he should
not have moved as he did at first on
Richmond, and his murderous and
useless waste Of his troops would have
been fatal to him two years before.
In fact his strategy on this occasion
was inferior to that Of the decried
/ Mcclellan, and Grant also was all but
foiled by the skillful Beauregard at
Pittsburg Landing, and was months
discovering the weak points Of Vicks-.
burg. On the other hand, his attacks
on Fort Henry and DonelSon show
real decision and force of character,
his movements against both Nicksburg
and Richmond were ultimately what
! they ought to nave been, his conductat
/ Chattanooga was able, and he Is per-
haps entitled to the chief credit Of the
conception of Sherman's march
through Georgia. We have ourselves,
like Col. Chesney, compared the
American commander to MaS3ena;
but if he has not surpassed the French
marshal in war, he is infinitely above
him in all moral qualities.
This determined soldier is not, how
ever-and Col. Chesney agrees with
our judgment-to be compared with
his greatest opponent, in the highest
attainments Of the military ait, and,
as Hannibal, Notwithstanding Ilmi,
towers over the very inferior Scipio,
the figure Of Lee eclipSes Grant,
though Lee succumbed to the North
ern chief. Col. Chesney's essay on the
brilliant career Of the renowned lead
cr of the Nirginian army * too short
to do the theme justice, but ii is Very
attractive and full Of interest. We .
have no space to notice the pleasing
description he has given US Of the phi
waite life Of Lee, nor yet TO comment
on the public virtues Of the high-mind- I.
cd citizen who drew his sword rciuct-
antly in what he thought the rightful
cause, and bore himself ike 4 true
patriot when reproach and disaster
gathered around him. A few words
are all we can devote to the military
powers of this great captain; and they
are, indeed, superAuous, for their best
monument is the battlefields OF the
American war. 1t may be said, how
ever, that Lee has place in the fore
most rank Of modern stgategists; he
possessed in the very highest degree
ability for the great operations Of war.
Few generals have ever, in CD. Ham
ley's phrase, interpreted the thc;.tcr'
with equal insight, and known rs
well how to turn it to account; andno
one certainly since the time Of Napol-
con has conquered against such al in-
mcnse odds and has 50 long and fercclr
disputed the prize Of. victory with failing
resources. His combinations. indeed,
bear a striking resemblance in many
particulars to those Of the Emperor;
like him he gained astonishing success
by the weil-planncd use Of inferior
lines and bold movements against d.
vidcd foes; like him lie avoided the
timid system Of passive defense as a
general rule. and seemed the assail-
ant though on the defensive; Ike
him he possessed a fund Of resourc-
es in his own genius which effected
wonders; like him, too. he WAS swift
and terrible in awaiting himself Of the
mistakes ofan enemy. Thus it has
happened that his campaigns have
much in common with those Of Ma
polcon, and flscinate Thereafter fort
same reasons. They exhibit the tri-
umph Of profound intelligence, of
calculation and Of wei!-cmployed force
over numbers, slowncss and disunited
counSels, like those Of 1896 and 1914, ,
and his victory on the Chirkahominy
in 1862 and outmanmuvring Of Grant (
in 1863 may fifty compare with Arco-'
la or Riyoii and with the immortal
struggle on Marine and Seine. Lee,
too, has never been surpassed in the
art Of winning the passionate love Of
his troops, and, as with all generals ct
high order, his lieutenantS looked up
20 him with perfect confidence, anG
saw in his commands 4 prcSage Of VIC
tory. As an administrator, however,
the great commander, Col. Chcsncy
tells us, was not successful; he too
easily overlooked faults and was some
what careless Of such important mat
-ers as the commissariat and similar de-
and resembling NapOleonin
this also, he trusted too much to the
Effects Of strategy, and was not sufH- 3
,iently alive to the value Of discipline !,
nd good military system. He ap-
pears also never to have bowed Mr..
Davis and his councillors to his will;
md though he was certainly aware
hat the rulers Of the South made I
,apital mistakes invading the North,
n maintaining an useless force in the
West, and in continuing the hopeless
lefense Of Richmond, he never con- {
rived to change their purpose. Yet
he grave that covers Robert Lee
nides the dust of one of the great mem
# our age, and the time has even
low come when the victorious North
an think of him as of one OF her fore
most citizens. London Tines