The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1874-02-10
GRANT AND LEE,
The Military Skill 2i ebetvO Gem
erass Contrast ef--A New story
of ee's Surrender.


which, perhaps in themselves as inter.
esting in military sense as those in
any war the world has seen, have not
received the. careful attention which
they merit, owing to the distraction OF
the more recent continental campaigns
As Colonel Chesnev truly remalks:-
"Tnere is disposition to regard the
American generals and troops which
they led as altogether inferior to regular |
sol iiers This prcju lice was born ont
of the blunders and went of Conference
exhibited b. undisciplined volunteers at
the outset-fau'ts amply sttoned for b,
the Unborn courage displayed on both
sides throughout the rest Of the strug-
gle; while If a mans clhim t. be re-
garded as a veteran are to he rfieasufed
by the am unt of actual fighting he has
gone through. the most seasoned sol
.liers of Europe are but consclipts com
pared with the survivors of that con-
fIct "
The essays on Gems Grant and Lee
are most valuable and exhaustive
studies His strictules Oh Grants reck
less sacrifice Of his troops in attempt
ing the impossible by fighting the bat
tie of Cold Harhor, after he should
have learned 10y the experience of the
long and buichering battles of the Viii
derness ami Spetsyivania, thai the-"con
tiniiaus hammering" in which he haG
somewhat boastiu'ly trusted, might
break the instrument while its work was
yet unfinished are bntn severe and wei
founded H. calls the hattie OF Cold
Harhor she darkest spo, on the career
OF q ant as q commanded
1T requires" he continues, "niole ex
Cuse than has anv where been offered for
the sacrifice 1t may be that Grant
usually imperl bahl- temper was ruff
fed by the confined readiness with
which his adversary met him; or tha1
he believed the confederates already so
worn down by their unsupplied losses
as 10 be unable to man their works or
that he ju ged that bis new command
had not been sufficiently put tp the
proof by the stern doings of The month
just past; or that all these causes acted
together Possibly he was influenced
more than all by the uneasy conscious
ness that he had brought the criticism
Of the whole world upon his strategy
hy his famous dispatch, 4 propose to
| Fl ght it out on this iue, if it takes me
all SUMMER Cor had not this line al
| ready been abandoned, and no result
won r Colonel Chesney accurately
appurtions between Grant aud Sheridan
the merit Of the final effort which forced
Lee to surrender, of which merit Amer
leans are becoming inure and more
prone to assign an undue share to the
sahnr,iinate commander
His sketch of General Lee cannot be
condensed Like Napoleon,hs troops
soon learnt to believe him equal to ev-
cry emergency which war could bring
. Like Hannibal he could speak lightly
and calmly at the gravest moments, be-
ing then himself least grave. Like
Raglan, he preserved sweetness OF
temper that 70 person or circumstance
eould ruffle. Like Caesar, he mixed
with the crowd of soldiery freely, and
never feared that his position would be
forgotten. Like Butcher. his one rec.
ognized fault was that which the sol
diery readily forgives, readiness to
expose his life beyond the proper lin
It's permitted by modern war to the
commandment. chief WHAT wonder, ther
, if he commanded an army in which
each man would have died for him; al
!, army from which his parting wruns
, tears more bitter than any the fall of thei
cause could extort; an army which fl
lowed him, after three years OF gloriou
) vicissitudes, into private life, withou
one thought of further resis anc,
G against the fate to which their uduret
; chief yielded withou: muimur?' Blu
with all this warm eulpgy he impartial,
: points out the faults and tailings of L.,
Z -hcw he made no attempt to check in
> discipline; never used bis authority II
: purge his command of inefficient off
e GERS failed to enforce on the govern
ment the vital necessity of bringing tb,
q furnishing supplies more directly unde
his own control, so that his army starv
ed in Richmond while large supple
e were available had proper energy heel
= used 10y the war department; and lastly
how he so marched his cavalry off thei
e legs, that in their last campaign lhei
e confelerates were left almost deslitut
OF that most necessary arm But thes
shortcomings. although the militia,
critic must notice them, are but the in
evitable specks ON the bright survice c
an illustrious mi itary character; OF
Lees personal character there linger
no breath of IA nislI.
!, Inexpres>ibly pathetic in is sim plici
ty Is Col Chesney's brief account of TIL
hitter ending of his long struggle an,
: matchless strategy. Gordon had sen
i hack word that the way Of escape WI
completely barred, hnd now there con
= fronted him bur he1inevitab'e capilula
: II n 'tFor moment those who look
Ell on him saw him almost overcome
= and the first words of complaint eve
y heard from his lips durino the war
', broke sharply forth, 4 had rather die
thousand deaths! ! Musing sadly for
few seconds, as his mems iavorite cr,
broke on his ear, There's Uncle Ro
! bert! in deep, sad tones he said I,
:. those near him How soon could
end all this and he at the rest! I'll
but To ride down the line, and give til,
= = word, aud all would be over Thel
:, presently recovering his natural voice
:. he answered one who urged that tn,
y surrender might be misunderstood
;; That is not the question. The ques
!, tion is whether it is right And if it i
:, right take the responsibility Then
u after br eff silence, he added. with
sigh. st is our duty to live What will
become of the wives and children of tn
south if we are not here to protec
> them? So saying, he sent in his fa
:, = OF truce without further hesitation t
{ Grant. The coming action was stage,
;" : on the instant, and the Struggle of th
, confederacy was virtually over"
= EFT The mineral resources of Virgin