The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1875-03-31
WOlseiey on Lee.
HIS VISIT TO CONFEDERATE HEApouAR-
TIERS IN 1862.

Maj or General Sir Garnet j.
Wolseley, X. c. B., G. C. NJ. G., the
victorious commander in the Asian
tee war of 1875, is the newest of
the popular military heroes of Eng
land. He well deserves the admira-
ton of his countrymen, for his cam
paign in the rugged fever haunted
country of the Ashantees, where with
his handful of brave Englishmen he
fought nature and the negroes every
inch of the way to Coomassie, and
overcome both, was as brilliant an
achievement of generalship rs the
military annals Of can boast of since
the memorable campaign against
Napoleon |, which ended at Paris in
1915. Of course it is not intended to
compare the Ashantee war, in mag
nitude and Importance, with the wars
in the Crimia and India, nor even
with that in Abyssinia, but it is the
opinion of military critics that Gen
eral Wolselcy displayed as much abil-
ity in planning his campaign and
handling his troops at Sebastopol, or
Havelock in India, or Napier in
Abyssinia. After returning home
from Africa with his veterans to re-
ceive an ovation at the hands of roy
atty and the British people, and to
rest for q few months on his laurels,
he has again been sent into active
service. The cable announced q few
weeks ago that Sir Garnet had been
ordered to the colony Of Natal in Eas-
tern Africa, to compose the Difficult
ties which have arisen between the
settlers and their Dutch neighbors of
the diamond country. A later dis
patch has announced his departure,
About such man much may be said
that is interesting, but there is an
episode in his life which is particu-
larly so to Americans. He was sta
toned in Canada during our civil war
then plain Colonel Wolseley-and
made an underground visit to Gene
raj Lee just after the battle of Ante
tam. In the United Service Maya
zine there is being published month
ly a biographical sketch of Sir Gar
net Wolseley, written by Lieutenant
Low, late of the Indian navy, who is
the author of the ''Life of Sir George
Pollock" In the last number of the
magazine the biographer reaches the
period in his heroes life when he was
in Canada and made his visit to Lee.
The reader IS enabled to obtain from
this narrative some account Of Wolse-
ley's opinions of the leading soldiers
who fought on both sides in our war,
and the value Of their military oper-
atoms. OF General Robert E. Lee
the reader is informed by Lieutenant
Low-Sir Garnet Wolseley had the
most exalted idea. These are his
words: ''It is Wolseley's deliberate
opinion that in military genius Lee
has had no superior since the great
Napoleon astouished the world by his
marvellous career Of victory; and he,
places Robert Lee even above the
great German Generals who have so
recently avenged the defeats inflicted
On their country by the mighty Cor
sican." 1t was his great admiration
for Lee, as we'll as his desire to study
war under the novel aspects present
ed in the South, that induced Colo
mel Wolsely to undertake the rather
perilous journey to that county,
Leaving his quarters at Montreal
quietly, hepassed through New York
and Baltimore, to the lower counties
Of Maryland, where the northern ter
minus Of the underground passage to
the Confederacy was secretly laid
He had obtained in Canada and Bal
Aimdce coa&aeattal2eltecg, "a Qersaas(
III MarylaAd who we've IN possessiou
Of the necessary facilities to put him
on the right track, He struggled
through the usual dangers which at
that time attended the surreptitious
crossing Of the military lines, dodg- J
iNg Mom MsNse TO Mouse 'NnA NNNvng\
in Out-ofthe- way Places and narrow
ly escaping one evening T .,-i(
CAPTURE OF FEDERAL CAVALRY.
But finally he got across the Poto-
mac in safety, and wendell his way
partially on foot, to Richmond. He
picked up at the river o countryman
of his own bound on the same adven
ture, and during his subsequent stay |
in the confederacy they stuck togeth-
er. This companion Of his subse-
nuant trnroIn nraa tha Hon Frank