Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-07-29
GRANT ON HIS GENERALS

some Criticisms Upo,, the Part They Bore
in the Late Unpleasantness--Bn Buffers
"Bottltng"--.An Estimate of Lee as a
General--The Disappoi1atments Of the
JVar--T;.e Mistake in Not Whipping ice
Johnston.
The correspondent of the New Yerk Herald,
low travelling with Gen. Grant in Europe, has
1t various times obtained from him opinions OF
The prominent men who took part in the war
ind some of the more noted incidents of that
conflict, which he has complied into a connected
criticism of those persons and Incidents. HIS
views of Sherman, Sheridan, Meade, McPher-
son. Stonewal Jackson and jeff. Davis have
oeen repeatedly given. and although told at
5ractively they present nothing new, and are
therefore omitted. There are some points OF
interest, however, that have never before been
published. We append them as worthy OF
perusal. Ia F
THE WILDERNESS CAMPAIGN.
''By the way" said the general, there is
one point about the campaign in the wilder
ness worth remembering. My critics say that
threw away 100000 men in that campaign.
This has been repeated SO often that it will
soon be history. Now my total loses We're.
about $1,000, all told. Badeau's book will
have the figures, but that is about the Inquire;
and those losses do not mean killed, but the
number of effective men taken from my army
by DEATH wounds capture and desertion. That
cost me $4,000 men, but do not for
get what it cost Lee. Remember that Lee had
to fight as much as did. He had the advant-
age of being on the defensive, which is always
an advantage, and had to attack and attack.
but every blow l struck weakened him. and
L e.. al ,a1yx RI =
was far different army from that which men
aced Washington and invaded MARYLAND and
Pennsylvania. 1t was no longer an invading
army. The wilderness campaign was necessary
to the destruction of the Southern Confed-
eracy. a ~
BUTLER AND HIS CAMPAIGN ON THE JAMES.
II have always regretted the censure that
unwittingly came upon Butler in that cana-
paign, and my report was the cause. l said
that the general was bottled up, and used the
phrase without intending to annoy the general
or give his enemies weapon. l like Butler,
and have always found him not only as all the
world knows man of great ability, but pat
riotic man, and a man of courag, honor and
sincere convictions. Butler lacked the techni-
cal experience of military education, and it
is very possible to be a man of high parts and
not be o great general. Butler as a general was
man. If had given him two corps command
ers like Adelbert Ames, or Schoteld, or Mac-
Kenzie, or dozen could mention, he would
have made a fine campaign on the James and
he:ped materially in my plans. have always
been sorry did not do go. Butler Is man it
is a fashion to abuse, but he is man who has
done the country great service and who is
worthy of its gratitude.
LEE AS A COMMANDER.
r l. ,rrb ,+b
Of the army" said the General, that is to say,
1 never had as much anxiety when he was IN
my front as when Joe Johnston was in front.
Lee was a good man. a fair commander, who
had everything in his favor. He was man
who needed sunshine. He was supported by
the unanimous voice of the South; he was sup
ported by large party in the North; he had
the support and sympathy of the outside
world. All this is of an immense value to q
general. Lee had this in a remarkable degree
Everything he did was right. He was treated
like a demi-god Our generals had a hostile
press, lukewarm friends and public opinion
outside. The cry was in the air that the Nortt
only won by brute force; that the generalshlf
and valor were with the South. This has gone
into history, with 80 many other illusions that
are historical. Lee was Of a slow, conservative
cautious nature without imagination or hui
NOR. always the same. with grave dignity.
never could see In his achievements what justl-
fes his reputation. The illusion that nothing
but heavy odds beat him will not stand the ul
innate light of history. l know it is not true
1.-THE South and North were more nearl,
matched than you suppose. The whole popu
Iation were in the war. The 100000 of ne
groes were the same as soldiers because the,
did the work in the fields which white mel
would have to do. I believe the South had q
many men under arms as the North. What de
| feated the Southern arms was Northern courag
! and skill, and this, too. with detractlon al
around. You cannot imagine how dlshearten
| ing it was at the time. not only to officers bu
| men. i1lg 5tL2t $500
| THE BATTLE OF SHILOH.
| "Take the battle of Shiloh, for instance.
continued the General, 8 the correspondent
and papers at the time all said that Shiloh we
surprlse-that our men were killed over thel
| coffee, and SO on. There no surprise abou
it, except" said the General, with smile
perhaps to the newspaper correspondent:
| We had been skirmishing for two days befoI
| we were attacked. At night, before Buell.
army came up was so we'll satisfied with th
| result and SO certain that would beat Beaurt
| gard, even without Buelrs aid that went /
| person to each division commander and ordel
| ed an advance along the line at four In tn
morning. Shiloh was one Of the most impol
i
4 our Western soldiers met the enemy in pitcf
ed battle. From that day they never feared t
| fight the enemy and never went into actlo
without feeling sure they would win. Shiio
broke the prestige of the Southern Confederac
so far as our Western army was concerned
| Sherman was the hero of Shiloh. He real
4 commanded two divisions-his own and nj
Clernand' s-and proved himself to be COZ
lsunnate soldier. Nothing could be liner tina
his work at Shiloh. and yet Shiloh was belittlt
Iby our Northern people so that many poop
: looked at it as defeat. The same may
j lsaid Of Fort Donelson. People think that Do
elson was captured by throwing men into it tt
to one, or some such Odds. The truth Is OF
army, a new army, invested fortified place al
, compelled a surrender Ola force much larg
than our own. a large number of the rebe
escaped under Floyd and Pillow; but as it W
took more prisoners than had men und
nv command for the first two days of my L
: vestment. After the investment we wer, rel
: forced, so that at the surrender there were II
900 Union troops, about 1000 of which We
sent back to guard the road to where the stea,
] ers lay with our supplies. There were ", U
e effective men in rDonelson at the beginning
| the siege OF course there was a risk in attac
ing Donelson as did, but, said the gener
e smiling, ST knew the men who commanded
' [ knew some of them in Mexico. Knowled
3 of that kind goes far toward determining
e movement like this ~ gy-gs5z -
4 THE g D1sAppoINrMENTs' OF THE WAR.
ssThere were few men" said the Gener
when the war broke out, to whom we who b
f been in the army looked for success and hi
$ rank-among them Rosecrans Buckner. N
: Clellan. Stone, Mcdowell. Buell.. felt ST
4 that each of these men would gain the hight
l commands. Rosecrans was great disappoil
ment to US alto me especially. Stones CT
e was always mystery and think great wro
a was committed.
d ri knew Stone at school. | always regard
t him as very good, a very able and a perfec
r Hoyal man, but man who has had three or fo
f severe and surprising reverses of fortul
y latter the arrest of Stone and his treatment,
o military career in our war was destroyed.
e believe if Stone had had a chance
Il would have made his mark in the W
+ Mcdowell was also the victim of what