Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1874-02-28
GRANT AND LEE.

A New Stery OF the Surrender OF Lee.
From London Review of Lieut.. Col. Ches-
ney's Essays in the Military BiographiesS'
Four of these essays relate to the
great war in America, the events of
which perhaps themselves as interest
ingin military sense asthose in any war
the world has seen, have not received
the careful attention which they merit,
owing to the distraction ofthe more re-
cent continental campaigns. As Col.
Chesney truly remarks: There is a
disposition to regard the American
Generals and troops which they led as
altogether inferior to regular soldiers.
This prejudice was born out of the
blunder and want of conference exhib-
tied by undisciplined volunteers at the
outset-faults amply atoned for by the
stubborn courge displayed on both
sides throughout the rest of the strug-
gle; while if mans claims to be re-
garded as veteran are to be measured
by the amount of actual fighting he
has gone through, the seasoned soldiers
of Europe are but as conscripts COM
pared with the survivors of that con-
flict."
The essays on Generals Grant and
Lee are most valuable and exhaustive
studies. His structures on Grants
reckless sacrifice of his troops in at
tempting the impossible by fighting the
battle of Cold Harbor, after he should
have learned by the experience of the
long and butchering battles of the
Wilderness and Spotsyivania, that the
continuous hammering" in which he
had somewhat boastfully trusted might
break the instrument while its work
was yet unfinished, are both severe
and well-founded. He calls the bat
tie of Cold Harbor the darkest spot
on the career of Grant as a command
or X
1t requires" he continues, more ex-
cuse than has anywhere been offered
for the sacrifice. 1t may be that Grants
usually imperturbable temper was
ruffled by the continued readiness with
which his adversary met him; or that
he believed the Confederates already
so worn down by their unsupplied los
ses as to be unable to man their works;
or that he judged that his new COM
mand 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 whole
world upon his strategy by his famous
dispatch, | propose to fight it out on
this line If it takes all summer, for
had not this line been already aband-
oned, and no result won2" Col. Ches-
uey accurately appOrtions between
Grantand Sheridan the merit of the
final effort which forced Lee to surren-
der, of which merit Americans are be-
coming 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 gravcst mo-
ments, being then himself least grave.
Like Raglan, he preserved sweetness
of temper that no person or circum-
stances could ruffle Like Caesar, he
mixed with the crowd of soldiery free
~, and never feared that his position
would be forgotten. Like Butcher,
his one recognized fault was that
which the soldier readily fOrgives,
readiness to expose his life beyond the
proper limits permitted by modern war
to the commander-in chief. What
wonder, then, if he commanded an
army in which each man would have
died for him; an army from which
his parting wrung tears more bitter
than any the fall of their cause could ex-
tort; an army which followed him. after
three years of glorious vicissitudes,
into private life, without one thought of
further resistance against the fate TO
which their adored chief yielded with
out a murmur?" But with all this
warm elogy he impartially points out
the faults and failings of Lee-how he
made no attempt to check indiscipline
never used his authority to purge his
command of inefficient officers; failed
to enforce on the governmental vital
necessity of bringing the furnishing of
supplies more directly under his own
control, so that his army starved in
Richmond while large supplies were
available had proper energy been used
by the War Department; and, lastly,
how he so marched his cavalry off their
legs, that in their last campaign the
Confederates were left almost. desti-
tute of that most necessary arm. But
these shortcomings, although the mill
tary critic must notice them, are but
the inevitable specks on the bright sur
face of an illustrious military charac-
ter; on Lees personal character there
fingers no breath of tarnish.
Inexpressibly pathetic in its sim
plicity is Col. Chesnev's brief account
of the bitter ending of his long strug-
gle and matchless strategy, Gordon
had sent back the word that the way
of escape was completely barred and
now there confronted him but the in
evitable capitulation. For a moment
those who looked on him saw him al
most overcome and the first words of
complaint ever heard from his lips,
during the war, broke sharply forth, L
had rather die thousand deaths :
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
It's but to ride down the line, and give
the word, and all would be over. Then
presently recovering his natural voice,
he answered one who urged that the
surrender might be misunderstood:
: That is not the question. The ques-
ton is whether it is right. And if
it is right [ take the responsibility
Then after a brief silence, he added,
with sigh, 1t is our duty to live;
What will become of the wives and
b;TJran of the South If we are not