The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1874-03-05
GRANT AND LEE.
A New Story of the surrender OF Lee ut
AppomattoH.

-Four or these essays Tclute to 'he
great war in America, the events OF
which, perhaps in themselves as intor-
esting in military sense us those IN
any war the world has seen, have not
received the careful attentionwhich they
merit, owing to The distraction of the
more recent continental campaigns. As
Oll. Chesney truly remarks :" There IS
IL disposition to regard the American
generals and troops which they led as
altogether inferior to regular sol
diers. This prejudice was born out OF
the blunders and want OF conference
exhibited by undisciplined volunteers
at the outset amply atoned for
by the stubborn courage displayed on
both sides throughout the rest of the
struggle; while if mans claims to be
regarded as a veteran are to be meas
ured by the amount Of actual lighting
he has gone through, the most seasoned
soldiers of Europe are but as conscripts
compared with the survivors OF that
conflict"
The.essays on Generals Grant and Lee
are most valuable and exhaustive studies.
His structures on Grants reckless sacri-
fee of his troops in attempting the i'm
possible hv fighting the battle OF Gold
Harbor, after he should have learned
bv the experience OF the long and
bntchering battles of the Wilderness
and Spotsylvania, that the continuous
hammering in which he had some
what boastfully trusted might break the
instrument Will its work was yet un-
flushed, are b, th severe and well.
founded. He calls the battle of Cold
Harbor "the darkest spot on the career
of Grant as commander.
1t REQUIRES, he continues, "more eX-
cuse than has anywhere been offered
for the sacrifice. II may be that Grants
usually imperturbab wasruified
by the continued readiness with which
hisadversary met him; or thathe believed
the Confederates already so worn down
by their unsupplied losses as to be I'M
able to man their works; or that he
Judged that his new command had not
been sufficiently put to 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 consciousness that he
had brought the criticism of the world
upon his strategy by his famous dis
patch, Il propose to fight it out on this
line if it, takes all summer; for had
not this line been already abandoned,
and no result wou?" Col. Chesney ac
curately apportions between Grant and
Sheridan Eha merit of the final effort
which forced Lee to surrender, OF which
merit Americans are becoming more
and more prone to assign an undue
share to the subordinate commander.
His sketch of Gen. Lee cannot be
condensed. Like Napoleon, his troops
soon learnt to believe him equal to
every emergency which war could bring
Like Hannibal, he could speak lightly
and calmly at the gravest moments. be-
ing then himself least grave. like Rag
Ian, he preserved Il sweetness OF temper
that no person or circumstance could
ruflie. Like Caesar, he mixed with the
crowd of S Iiiery freely, and never
feared that his position would be for
gotten. Like Blucher, his one recog-
nizcd fault was that which the soldier
readily forgiycs, readiness to expose
his life beyond tho proper limits per-
mitted by modern war to the comman'
der in.chief. What wonder, then, if he
commanded an army III which each MAJ
would have died for him; an army from
which his parting wrung tears more bit
ter than any the fall Of their cause could
extort; an army which followed him,
after three years Of glorious vicssitudes,
into private life, without one thought
of further resistance against the late
to which their adored chief yielded
without u murmur ?" But with oil this
warm eulogy he impartially points out
the faults and failings of Leo--how he
made no attempt to check indifclpllne ;
never used his authority to purge his
command of inefficient officers; failed
to enforce on the government the vital
necessity OF bringing the furnishing OF
supplies more directly under his own
control, 80 that his army starved III
Richmond while large supplies were
available had proper energy been used
by the war department and, lastly,
how be so marched his cavalry off their
legs, that in their last campaign the
confederates we're left almost destitute
OF that most necessary arm. But these
shortcomings, although the military
critic must notice them, are bnt the in
evitable specks on the bright surface OF
an illustrious military character on
Lees personal character there fingers
no breath of tarnish.
Inexpressibly pathetic in its simple,
ity is Col. Chesncy's brief account OF
the bitter ending of his long struggle
and matchless strategy. Gordon had
sent back tho word that the way OF
escape was completely barred; and now
there confronted him but the inevitable
capitulation. For moment those
who looked on him saw him almost
overcome and the iirst words of com
plant ever heard from his lips, during
the war. broke sharply forth, l had
rather die Thousand deaths 7 Musing
sadly for few seconds, as his mems
favorite cry broke on his ear, 'There's
Uncle Robert /! in deep, sad tones he
said to those near him, How soon
could | end all this and be at rest '1'is
but to ride down the line and all would
be over Then pre- emily recovering
his natural voice, he answered one Who
urged that the surrender might be mis-
understood THAT is not the question.
The question is whether it is right.
And il it is right / take the response
bility.' Then after brief silence, he
added, with sigh, 1T is out duty to
live. What will become OF the wives
and children of the south if we are not
here to protect them 2 So saying, he
sent in his flag of truce without further
hesitation to Grant. The coming action
was stayed on the instant, and the
struggle OF the confederacy was virtu'
ally over"
ITALIAN BEGGARs A writer from