The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-03-22
FOUR YEARS WITH GENERAL LEE.

." 'fiE EDITOR OF THE HERALD
| he Ndtton has assumed this country the r5s
sustained by the London Times and dispsssionate
manner OF It's d scussors OF the questions of the day
has given II high reputation Therefore II is with
surprise and regret ITS friends read the upon
Colonel Walter Tsyior's book entitled 'Four Years
With General Lee. which appeared IN the Nation Of
the 2lst rlt; Tor they hnd good reason
feel that the calmGess of the lost
the excitement OF partisan.
Colonel Taylor, ut the request OF General Leo I'M
derook to prepare accurate OF the rela.
tive OF the Army OF Northern Virginia and OF
the Army OF the Potomac during their long continued
struggle He has accom- lished has work with great
fidelity. and were General Lee now living he would
sign II with his hand and give the world assur.
OF the iacts set iorth.
The sources whence Colonel Taylor has drawn his
statements the archives OF. the southern Hstor-
zeal society in Rie hmond aud the archives of tho
United states Archive Bureau 10 Washington. Bo'h
freely open to the Ndt,on's correspondent and IL
he discovered that Colonel Taylor
has fallen into errors in MS figures ne would have
done justice 10 Colonel Taylor and have rendered
to his by correcting ali iuaccnracies
But he has LETT tins proper sphere OF criticism
make unwse structures uncssontial points in q
manner which makes feel that the stubborn facts
aud figures Colonel Taylor has wen collated havo
been found ncontrovertible
One of the issues taken with our author Is on his
statements about engaged In the Battle of
Anetam and well illustrates tho weakness of tho
sort of rebua TO which his reviewer has been forced;
| Tor with ample positive testimony from the highest
sources at his service closes his OF
question: at issue by this sweeping conclusive
evidence, ave simply say don't believe it,"
! Now the most reliable reports and records concur
dec svely in showing that Lee's whole fighting force
at Antctam was less than $4,000 (27. 900 nian-
try. and that Jackson commanding loft wing OF
army with less than 10 oc0 men, utterly defeated
the corps OF Hooker, Mapsncd and sumner, who
severaly attacked him, is rs authentic tied as
any fact IN history. The testimony OF these three
corps commanders thc us lives before tho Committee
on the Conduct oil the War complete tribute to
the prowess oI that lett wing the most enthusiastic
| Con ederate can desire.
Swinon, the careful and calm Of all the hislo-
rams OF the war, who was proud OF the Army OF tho
Potomac ana was It's especial historian. has definitely
fixed the forces oil The two armies about the
figures Colonel ayior gives Us, aud shows that jack
our left fl INK destroyed three corps.
ju't as thcr respoctvc commanders testified before
the Congressional tommiltec that he did.
There ore, until authcutic documents are produced
| which win convc, Swiniou aud Colonel Taylor and
The other Witnesses IN this OF error rest
IL where they DO History VIII record 1t. and tho
| iac that anybody simply don't believe II" is evil
dence OF the same historic value the assertion OF
an intelligent TURK who mie ht say he 'smply don't
| believe the Moncncgrins ever beat tho Turks. In
| both cases tho facts must be very unpalatabie, but
such facts are often Stubborn and incrcd-
| ulity won't overthrow them.
! That "lherc was great difference In the lighting
| fighting between them was that the assailant
pulsed" is very clearly reIu,ed by the record.
Al the first Manassas the Coniederates under
| Johnston numbered ~ 600 electives. They
tackled by tue federal army numbering over hhy
routed II, destroyed II tor the being. On that
same field TWO years later Lee with 1000 men, fell
| upon Pope's army of 80, 900 1--WE state the lowest
probable figures gwen OF ~ The army the Potomac
utterly beaten ana lorccd back upon tho capital Of
the nation
Al the first Cold Harbor, in June 1862. the armies
confronted each other. The ConIederates attacked
years after, at Cold Harbor, tho army OF Northern
Virginia was attacked BY that under Grant.
men The army Of the Potomac numbered
about 100 900 men. Grant attacked Lee, and though
there were no Infantry deences besides the show
OF dmt The men threw up with their bayonets and
canteens a the reviewer describes, at Gettysburg,
was oeatoU its list oil killed and wounded $4,000
men. Toe Army OF Northern Virginia lost less than
1000 lheir own historian tells US that decided
this defeat that tho Army OF the Potomac could
brought again 10 the attack, but moved OF by its
1Ank 10 prevent the Army OF Virginia from striking
IT, so absolute It's defeat aud demora zation
that Mr Lincoln called his Cabinet together NJ
slider vine her the time had not como when the indie.
pendcnce OF the Concderacy should be acknowledged
aud tue war ended thus IN these tour Bat
every time, whether attacking or attacked.
la three OF them IL ousnumbered the army of Northern
Virgiuia TWO To and tue TACT Is
Ia the history OF war that in these pairs Con-
iederate victories the armies exchanged positions.
holding the front In the second battle which had
been hold by iis antagonist IN tho hrst invite
careful INVESTIGATION of the reports and history Of
tabl'sh The vast hshtns superiority OF inc army of
Northern Virginia over the Army OF tho Potomac?
The effort to reopen the question OF the treatment OF
prisoners seems 10 be very ibJudicious and untor-
tunate in the reviewer, but gives opportunity to
again rciute It. Mr.. stnnton's Official reports
that from hrst to last 30 900 federal prisoners
were captured ty US, whhe 100000 Conleder-
of the 100000 federals in hands 20, 900
died oil Their inn risonmcnt anu sunerlugs.
While of the 100000 Confederate prisoners %, 900
died IN the federal prisons. When reflect that
these 40 900 ded linus all young able bodied
men; that they all perished from their incarceration
during the space oil Two years, we focl that mon
srOus cr mo WAS being perpetrated deliberately dur
ing ell Shat tims--a crime unparalleled In all the
nuls oil Ssvxcd uatons, aui crane or which the au
thoS must pc held 10 fearful account before the oar
oil history and oi God.
Tho very essence oil this great wckcdness lay Ia
tho stoppage OF the exchanges OF prisoners. Whoever
caused tht crus measure was Responsible Tor all the
suffering thai followed IL No Intelligent man VINO
will investigate tho iac,s and reflect upon the evidence
believe for one moment That General Lee did
all bis infnence " MANI ain the cacbange OF prs
oners Or thst he aSy responsible for Their
treatment after nc captured them than the edito. of
Ii the Naton's correspondent has any evidence to
adduce 10 snow General Lees responsibility Tor the
treatment OF the lejcral prisoners let him present IT,
but he us from according historic value
to mere bciiei on tins point any more than DO
TO his belief that Stonewa Jackson at Antietam did
epulse defeat disorder the three corps OF
Hooker, Mansfield ana sumner. Swinton says ''ali
the light Was taken out OF them"
In view OF the foregoing comments we are justified
In saying that the mputton OF parlisanship does not
come " ia ucn lorce as II criticism OF Colonel la Tor
by his reviewer We iceI that Colonel Taylor may
be excused Il lac be 'partisan" on this question |;
for Is not IN reason that any southern soldier OF
the Army OF Nortuern Virginia who Tor four years
moved IN the very oil great loader, VINO
shared his JOY III The moments OF his erandost vcto-
ana VINO was by his SIC TILL their lag was furled
forever, ever hear OF HIM think oi him Or
speak OF nun or writc OF him without emotion
But there - no emotion ia Colonel Iayor's ngurcR
They very drv, very Stubborn iacts which,
uupaIatabic though they may be, must stand ana DC
accepted conclusive until their testimony Is over
DABNEY H. MARY.
MODEL POLICE COMMISSIONERS.