The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-06-15

Bosros, June II, 1878.
TO THE EprroR OF rns HxxAIo:-
Tho various Contributors called forth by General
Tayior's article IN the NorM Ass>rca. Rsrse~ 40
iation 10 the plan OF the wilderness s.mpaiga aud
General Grants operations alter he assa@ss oam.
mand in person OF the Army Of the fstctnso.
have now been widely circulated and esm
msntsd upon that any may ieel gsssscea
In adding anything 10 The iaess ex.
pressing opiniea tho questions Involved.
do not shink that any veteran VINO ~as there can
ever forget that night or rather moraing march.
when the grand old Army OF The Potomac. ssghly
thousand strong less. broke camp Al midaight
May 3. 1854, around Cuipeppsr Court hsasa.
All felt that IL was the begioalng Of nee
and decisive campaiga. The march wAs frat 70 ths
Rapidan, which crossed on ponsoons AZ the
est and best known lords which led BY roads 10
Orange Conrs House IL was impossible Tor The Com.
mandsrin-Chisf have . definite plan OF mcvemsnss
His business was 10 destroy the great army OF the
Southern Confederscy, not merely TO take Ricnmond
and he had 10 light whea ana wherever he should
happen 10 meet this army. He couia not seee, ,he
spot This occurred early In tho morning OF May ..
wnen the Fifth corps encountered me snsmy tne
turnpike which leads IRON Frsdcrcksourg 10 Orange
Court House, and where ono OF the hfst eysBts VAS
the capture OF section taow called platoon o. New
York battery tho ITSELF Tue baltic oontlnued
with varying fortunes untii the afternoon OF Mag a
wnen tns Sixtn corps, On tho rgnt OF ths line asa
10 The right oil THIS turnpike Was badly beaten and
Obliged W TALL back some confusion. 4 remember
ali TINS WELL Tor the battery Of winch was ileulea
ant-ths Filth Aassacn useIts--was position lns
day OF May 8 Immediately IN front OF Tue Lacey
House, General hcade's heauquarters nfst ana tsea
sno:s o. Gsus,a ,h sa,nsas Inc so@maaasr ., We
6tn. On the afternoon Of this day the battery xas
ordered 10 the front the left Of the turnpike and
sion, ana suddenly were whisked across
the road and brought in battery" IN the right.
believe we did NO firing. All night there a
Of mon marching through ana over Us, as We lay
then IN 0vouac trying 70 seep. In word the sixth
shs Orange and Alexandra Railroad 10 ngtou
lest. Aud u was Just mere that Tho mastery gen.
erasnip Of Grant came In He was ready 10 meet ,Ls
enemy ana fight MIN anywhere, but no was not ready
TO 20 back over The Rapiasn, Ms had no often been
tho case before. He knew tuat an absolute
wilderness was impossieia De ielt that a retreat
over the river at this time would be most aemoraz-
Ing N It's effect both upon tho army aud ths country.
ana he saw there was NO cause Tor such retreat
His power was that Of making the best oil the situation
AS was, and adapting his army 70 H. And SO he
and ~ the railroad. he would at once establish Il
the left and By the great rvers The army came
man. and am convincsd that the three days At tue
Wilderness and the tive following ones NJ spottsyivs
MIA proved 20 al 'ha. :ns time Tor refreshing wa;
appeared - II Dy magic IN the wake OF the
svsr-advancing army; and the wounded were
taken TO Washington By steamers which
were ready to meet them on the various
rivers, from the Rappahonnock TO the James. In
fact, the mpagn which opened AZ the Wilderness
was not nnishsd until tho white Dag appeared along
the lines ~ Appomattox Court House. IL lasted a
few days over eleven months, and was a continued
battle IL mad 10 be terribly destructive, and log
zeal principles, the attacking force had TO be the
greater loser OF the two But Tho object WAS gained
the army OF Northern Virginia was anninaLsd, both
Richmond and Petersburg isl, the Conisdsracy was
broken up, and the VICTORIOUS and magnau mot
leader OF tho Union forces proved that he could han
predecessors had been able TO do Ii 10 easy crIi
else now, and say that this or that plan would
. flank movement there would have accom-.
plished better results but 40 not think At the time
with the rattle OF tho muskstry the Of The
cannon around you, with enemy that always
seemed to be In front OF you and ready wherever you
might move-undsr these conditions, say-l do not
shtnk any other person could have doue the work
more brilliantly and consistently than he who showed
himself to be the great captain of the war General
U. 3. Grant He can rest his airy earned lsursls
without fear Of criticism from those who fought on
either side. NATHAN APPLETON.