Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-03-23
Tour Years with General Lee.

10 the editor Of the NeeO Y0it Herutd:
The Nation has assumed in this country the
role sustained ty the ]IoGdon Times, and the
di4ra~sionatu tnloner Of lis discussions OF the
qlcsious .! tic ,i.y ha4 given it high repu'
tstou. Therefore it is wi;h surprise and regret
its friends read The criticisms upon Col. Walter
| Taglors book entitled -Four Years with Gen.
Lee" which appeared 10 the Nation of the
| Dist nit Tor they find in their tone good rcs.
son to feel that The calmnass Of the critic has
| been lost in the excitement of partisan.
Col. Taylor, at the request of Geu. Leo, un-
dertoOk 10 prepare an accurate statement OF
the relative forces of the Army of Northern
Virginia mi of the Army of the Potomac
during their long continued struggle. lie has
accomplished his work with great fidelity, and
We're Ger. Lee now living lie would sign it with
his Own hand and give the world assurance OF
| the facts set forth.
The sous ces whence Col. Taylor has drawn
his statements are the archives of the South
Gro Historical Society 10 Richmond and the
archives Of the United States Archive Bureau
in Washington. Both arc freely open to the
Natioo's correspondent and if he had diScov-
cred on investigation that Col. Taylor has fallen
into elrcrJ in lis figures he would have done
justice to Col. Taylor aud have rendered SER
vice 10 history by correcting sill such ioaccu
racles. But be has left this proper sphere Of
criticism to make u1Wl5c structures 90 une5scn-
tia pcn!s u manner which makes US feel
that the stubborn facts and figures Col. Taylor
las 50 we'll c)ated have been found incontro.
vcrIlblr.
Olc of the issues taken with our author is on
his statements about the forces engaged 10 tho
Battle uf Anietam, and it well illustrates the
weakness Of the sort Of rcbutta to which his
reviewer HIS been forced; Tor with ample posi-
tive testimony from the highest sources at his
service he closes his discussion Of the question
OF ISSUE by this sweeping aud conclusive evil
dcnce, 1--WE simply say We don't believe it. D."
Now Tho most reliable reports aud records
concur dcci:ivcly in showing that Lees whole
fighting force at Aotictam was lesa than s., 0G0
mcn (27, 900 iofansry) and that Jackson, CON-
nanding the left wing Of our army, with less
than 5000 meu. utterly dictated the corps OF
Hooker, Mansfield and Sumner, who severally
STACKED hin, is as we'll authenticated as any
flct 10 history. The testimony Of these three
corps commanders themselves before the Com
mittec CO the Conduct Of tho War i. as com
plcte tribute 10 the proves Of that left wing
as the most, enthusiastic Confederate can Dc.
| sire.
Swinton tho most careful and calm of all the
historians Of the war, who was proud Of the
Army Of the Potomac, and was its especial his
torau, has definitely fixed the forces Of the two
armi.s at about the samo figures Colonel Tav.
Tor gives ua, aud shows that Jackson on our letl
f Ink destroyed more than three corps just as
their respective commanders testified before
the Congressional Committee that he did.
| Therefore, until authentic documents arc
produced which will convict Swinton and Col.
| Taylor and the other witnesses 10 this case OF
error We must rest it where they DO History
will 50 record it, and the fact that anybody
"5npIy don't b2licvo it" is evidence OF tho
same historic value as the assertion of 40 lutol
ligent Turk who might say he "simply don't
believe" tho hlontenegrins ever boat the Turks.
In both Gases the i'lct5 must be very uopaat
able, but such facts arc often very stubborn,
and mcTe Incredibly won't overthrow them.
That "thcrc was GO great difference in the
fighting of the two armies" that the general
result Of the fighting between them was that
|! the asslant Was rtpu!scd" is very clearly re.
| iued ny the record.
At the frs: Manassas the Confejeratcs under
Johnston numbered 27,000 electives. They
were attacked by the Federal army numbering
over fifty thousand, aud did not merely repulse
that army, but routed it, destroyed it for the
time being. On that same field two years later
Lee, with &C. 900 men. fell upon Popos army
of Oh. 900 1--WE state the lowest probable figures
given CT it) The army Of the Potomac was
utterly beaten AID forced back unon the capital
of the nation.
At the first Cold IIarbor, 10 June, 1862, the
armies confronted each other. The Confedc
rates attacked and drove the Federas beaten
from the field. Two years after, at Cold 1ar-
Dor, tho army Of Northern Virginia was at
tackled by that under Grant. Lees whole force
did not exceed fl, 00G men. The army Of the
Potomac numbered about 100 900 men. Grant
attacked Lee and though there were no infan-
try dcfences besides the show of Dirt the men
threw up with their bayonets and oanteens, as the
reviewer describes at Gettysburg, tho Army OF
the Potomac was not merely ropulsed-lt was
! beaten it's list Of killed aud wounded was 600
men, The Army of Northern Virginia lost less
than 200. Their own historian tells US that
80 decided was this defeat that the Army oftho
Potomac could not be- brought again to the at.
tack, but was moved of by its flank to prevent
the Army Of Virginia from striking 1t, and SO
absolute was it's defeat and decentralization that
| Mr.. Lincoln called his Cabinet together to oon
slider whether the time had not come when the
independence of the Confcderacy should be ac
kooHledged and the war ended! Thus in these
four battles the Army Of tho Potomac was de-
fcated every time, whether attacking or at
!. tackled. Ia three Of them it outnumbcrcd the
Army Of Northern Virginia as two to one, and
the fact is quite remarkable 10 the history of
war that in these two pairs of Confederate vic
tories the armies exchanged positions. each
holding the front 10 the second battle which
had been held by its antagonist 10 the first.
I invite careful Investigation of the reports
and history of these great COmblt5 and ask
whether they do not establish tho vast fighting
superiority Of the Army of Northern Virginia
over the Army fthc Potomac?
| The effort to reopen the question of the treat
meDt Of prisoners seems to BIO very injudi.
cious and unfortunate 10 the reviewer, but
gives US opportunity TO again rcfutc it. Mr..
Stanton official reports show that from first to
last 22O, 900 federal prisoners wero captured by
US, while 100000 Conledcratcs were captured
by the Union armies; that of the 220 900 fedc-
RI in orr honds % ONO died of th rr i'm nrison-