Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1875-08-31
spirlt Of yeffersoll.
CharlestOWn, JeGsrson Comfy. West Va.
TUESDAY MORNING. AUGUST 81. 1915.
GEN. Won MoLTKB ON AMERICAN
GENERALS.

a newspaper correspondent has stated re-
Gently that General Won Moltke thinks there
was no great soldier developed during the
war between the American States, on either
side.
Since the death of General Lee, Won
Moltke is probably the highest military aus
thority who can be quoted. But if he gave
utterance to these comments as they arc i'm
puted to him, we must deny his accuracy
about facts, if we admit his conclusions His
tory will not justify the statement that no
great general was developed during our late
war on either side.
struggle against the Northern States It will
sources was compensated by the energy Of our
people and the skill in war of our generals
Neither Gen. Won Moltkcn nor any other Eu-
ropean since Napoleon has ever fought such
a battle as the battle of Chancellorsyille; and
it is simply ignorance ard prejudice which
can deny to Lee his claim to occupy the fore
most rank of generals. Since Marlborough
Europe has not produced Lees equal always
excepting the great master of the art of war,
Napoleon.
Our war was too Tar removed from the scru>
tiny of General Won Moltke Most of the
accounts of it reached him only through the
Northern channels; and, therefore, he did
not know as much about it as some of us who
have not his capacities for military criticism.
General Won Moltke may not know that in
the two battles of Manassas and the two bat>
ties of Cold Harbor, the most remarkable
illustration was given of the superiority of
Southers soldiers and Southern generals.
About two years of battles intervened be-
tween these pairs of Southern victories In
the "First Manassas" our army under Joe
Johnston numbered 27,000 men. The Fed.
eral army, under Mcdowell, numbered 5000
men. In the Second Manassas" Lees army
numbered little over 40, 900 men. The Fed
eral army, under Pope, numbered over 100,-
600 men; and POpe's army faced as johns
ston's had faced in Che first battle
In the first Cold Harbor Lees army num-
bered about 10000 men. III was the largest
Confederate army ever assembled) McClel-
lan's army numbered over 100000 men.
In the second Cold Hsrbor, Lees army
numbered about As, 900 men and Grants
army numbered about l20 900 men, and in the
second Cold Hsrhor as in the second Manassas
the positions of the armies were reversed, and
Grants armv faced as Lees had done two
years before.
In these four decisive battles the Confed,
crate armies defeated the Federal armies
Can the history of the Prussian war furnish
the equal of these four Confederate victories?
and we're not Johnston and Lee generals?
In the beginning of our war Johnston was
confronting Patterson's army, which was four
fold its strength. Beaureg"rd at Manassas
was steadily holding his position in front of
Mcdowell, who had three. fold his force.
When Johnston perceived that Patterson
was moving around to join Mcdowell he rap
idly Joined his forces to Beauregard's and in-
iicted the route of the 6rst Manassas on Nc
Dowell ). was not Johnston general then?
When Stonewall Jackson, in the space of
FIVE days, defeated the three armies of Banks,
Fremont aud Shields, each army outnumber-
ing his own, and marched one hundred and
six miles the while, sometimes in retreat, was
he not general?
We must search the Italian campaign of
1876 for genera!ship like that wAs.-
When Van Dorm, then commander of the
Army of the Mississippi. had been pushed
back to Greneda by Grants army, which
greatly outnumbered his. turned the command
over to the next general in rank, took all the
cavalry (about 2, 900 horsemau) and led them
in person to- Holly Springs sixty miles in rear
of Grants army, and burst with the daylight
upon the garrison, capturing the whole force
of the invading army and defeating Grants
campaign, was not Van Dorm general?
When Dick Taylor with IL 900 men de-
feated the army of Banks ut Mansfield,
marched next day % miles to Pleasant Hill,
where Banks, reinforced by an army corps,
had taken position, attacked Banks at p.
NJ, and routed his army before dark, was not
General Taylor general then
When BeAuregard captured Fort Sumter
in 81 hours, held it against the Federal armies
and fleets during bombsrdment of four years,
until every brick and stone in it had been
broken up by the enemy's missiles, and under
this incessant fire reconstructed the fortress
and made it absolutely impregnable, did he
not give al illustration of the engineers pow
er uuequaIled by Tottleben?
The Southern people eViuced extraordinary
capacity for war. We had many able gen.
erals aud the best troops of modern times
Gen. Won Moltke never saw such an army As
the Army of Northern Virginia, and no in
fantry in Europe, since Charles XII, could
have withstood the Confederate infantry
There were great able generals on the other
side, too. and good troops, but leave their
vindication to those who know more about
them than I, and who are abler to set forth
their claims TO generalship.
So much for the facts of the statement i1n~
puted, erroneousIy We believe, to Gen. Won
Moltke. The conclusions be is said to have
drawn seem reasonable aud are worthy of our
earnest attention. The military school at
West Point, as now organized, is inadequate
to the requirements of great country like
this. Tbereupon let us make it what it ought
to be, and the way of reformation is plain.
Let us begin it here in Virginia From
this time forth let NO cadetship to the State
Military Academy be conferred except upon
the best and cleverest boy of his district.
Aad when cadets are called for from Vir-
ginis to goto West Point. or to Annapolis let
the nnnta of this State ha fllad hr 4hn