The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-01-04
LIGHT ON A DARK sUnJECT.
WHY the Federal Army Lost So Many
Wru In the wilderness.

II is now more commonly believed than nc
hnuwledged that the campaign which began
with the advance of the army OF the Potomac
under Gen Grant. May D. 1904 was unsnl=
derlike and unEtateslnanlike. and resulted
enly in the Huuandering Of costly human lives.
Even the ultimate success at ApponattoE has
never reconeilei the country to that awful
series Of battles lost and hopeless fankng
marches through which our army was moved
from the Rapidan TO the James, baffied by q
foe 1t eutnumbered three TO one and leaving
on It's bloody way az many men as Lee com
manded Those who have looked Mt events
with the purpose Of finding their true nean-
ing. and not with the design Of interpreting
them to fit partisan theories long ago per
eeived that Che transfer Of the army Of the
Potomac to the James was a confession on
the part of Con. Grant that the overland cam
pagn was failure, and the vindisstion Of
the soundneas Of Gen. MeClellans original
plans for the capture Of the rebel capital and
The overthrow of the rebellion, When Grant
departed from the course of Mcclellan he met
with disaster: when he put himself In Nc
Clellau's footsteps he met with success. The
superiority of The former as o lighting sol
dier has generally been conceded, but the sl-
periority of the latter in strategy Ia beginning
to be acknowledged, and. as q consequences.
the righteousness of his quarrel with the Ad-
miniatration which recalled him from itch
mond and insisted upon direct advance
from Washington. These are themes which
now have chiefly historical Interest,"
but q abatement made in some "Reminiscences
of the Civil War; contributed by Gen Richard
Taylor. one of the foremost Of the Confederate
commanders. to the current number of the
North American Rerietr. revivcs them as IT by
the incantation of wizard. II puts them also.
we are sorry tn say in n new and most pain
ful light. Everybody knew that either the
| Administration or It's chosen General had
| blunderrd in that unfortunate campaign of
| the Wilderness. but few have supposed that
the responsibility Of either went any further.
| Gen. Taylor now clears the military reputa-
| tion of Grant by an assertion which involves
| the Administration in downright crime, He
| atates that the overland campaign was adopt
ed in the face of Grant'a explicit declaration
| that it would involve the sacrifice OF 100000
more human lives. These are his words,
| After the battle Of Chickamauga, in 1863,
Gen. Grant was promoted to the command OF
the armies Of the United States and called to
Washington. In n conference at the War Oh
| flee between him, President Lincoln and Sec
Virginia was discussed. Grant said the ad-
vance on Richmond should be made by tho
James river. 1t was replied that the govern
ment required the interpretation OF All army
between Lee and Washington, and would not
consent ut that late day to the adoption OF a
plan that would be taken by the public as q
confession Of previous error. Grant observed
he was Indifferent as to routes, but 1t the GOV
ernment preferred its own--so often tried-tc
the one he suggested. it must be "a pre-, ec
men. The men were promised, Grant
accepted tho governmental plan OF campaign
and was supported to the end. The above
came to me well authenticated and have nc
doubt of Its correctness
This ia certainly horrible story. Tho i'm
notation Of 100, 900 men to avoid n confession
OF error on the part of an Administrations
matches anything in the annals Of the mos
despotic governments on earth. To believe
that the long agony which the nation endured
in 1864 was borne to make good the blunders
Of civilians involves SO much that is revolving
that nothing but the reputation OF the soldier
who vouches for the tale could make us enter
tain it. Gen. Taylor expressly and significant
y says that 1t came to him on good authority
No authority for such an accusation can b'
good which Is less than that of one OF the mel
directly. contcrned. President Lincoln wa
dead before Gen. Taylor came North after tn
war; Edwin NJ Stanton was probably capab
of the atrocious calculation charged, but he Il
not likely ever to have had an opportunity O
. communicating it to Gen. Taylor. There re
mains, therefore, but one source from which
ii could have reached Gen. Taylor This con
sideration will make our readers shudder witt
us at the probability of its truth.