The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-12-22

-, ny """' ". ''""7P'i u''oh hhu Suppll's'
having nothing Whatever totransport, It needed
no transportation and the soldiers. who were
literally starved out at Manassas two DAYS after
ward would have been quite rs well of in one
place as another Ammunition they had. but
iood. which was the only really necessary thing
Iust then' lay ahead OF them and nowhere else.
MI bggleston's sober statements "a to the
~npcr Oh ,no troops are wen worth notice. lie
uorics .na' 'ne ooutnerhers as people really
'"oush' themselves mh'ch Ior ten uinrs thelr
own huihpors' hthougn women anu stump
epe"AVrs ueNouON heiu TINS lnllh' WIN these
cNccpuohs 'n' "u'lur never saw any SOUTH
erher VINO expected any nut wrll-iought-for
sucoess' FROM inc hrSt tne men VINO had inc
hEnt,ne 10 no uushy counted the chances ana
""'kneu inc prooaointles on Doth SIDES. Ihey
were ihcIlheu 10 clalh an advantage IN the TACT
una, .no youth OF tho south were more gen
cra'IS accus'omeu 10 held Sports and tho
use OF weapons They considered. too.
.n" ngh'lhg on their own SOIL In
sruesIo essentially defensive they would
nave some advantage as they undoubtedly ala
nav ihey uhought 100 thht IN the emu thoy
"iiE,' ''re 'he enemy out ana they looked ior-
""'u eNerS ye"r 10 reheI lhrough Iorelgn IN
'0i'VH'iVn III oh' OF "ho'her shhpe' Iheso
9O',h W n"'o Deoh 'he ErouhuS ol nope on the
p"I' " tho Juuiclous anu iar seolhg' uut u Is
ha,ural 'h"t inc huthor, remembering the mar
Ne'ous uhahlnily anu ierVor OF the people after
,ue war nau once ueHuh shoulu maintain thH
,''s iiiV."s "ouiu haNe ioushl on hau there
uoen no nop' !" ",'' II Is certain thW the CON
vs. was pi"'I"v'eu SOM eishteeh months hlter
'no '"lrip"'Hn OF looS. When Out little reason 10
eNpoct success was lett'
Two OF tho most attractive chapters In this
book are devoted to personal "reminiscences OF
prominent commanders. Mr.. Eggleston says
mat compliment OF thevery highest sort which
Gen. Scott paid Robert +. Lee very nearly pre-
vented the great Confederate from achieving
reputation. IL may be remembered that tho
Federal mountaineering had publicly con-
graduated himself upon the fact that the Fed
eral organization was well under way before
Lee began that OF the Southern forces. This
opinion coming from the man at tho time sup
posed most competent to form Judgment saved
Lee tho annoyance OF dictation and greatly
strengthened his hand In the specific work he
was then doing. But II nearly worked his ruin
for all that The Administration at Richmond
would not concede that man could be master
OF more than one function. and SO. recognizing
Lees supreme ability as an organizer. assumed
him to be good for very little else When the
two centres OF strategic interest were at Win
chester and Manassas. this General was kept in
West Virginia with handful OF raw troops. and
when there was no longer an excuse for retain
Ing him there. he was disinterred. so to speak.
and reburied in tho swnmps OF the South Caro-
| lima coast. Indeed it was q wound received by
! Gen. Johnston which served TO bring Lee to the
| front but from that time till tho end OF the war
| he was. as is well known. the idol OF army and
people. The faith he inspired was simply mar
vellous and the author afirms there was not an
hour from the day on which he escorted Ne
| Clellan to the Federal gunboats IN to his own
surrender at Appomattox. when he might not
have usurpcd all the powers Of govern o, ent
without exciting murmur. Con. Loo
seems 10 have had n sententious way
Of saying things which made nil his utterances
peculiarly forceful Among other samples in
this volume is his comment upon tho military
talent Of Gen. Meade Some one asked the Con-
federate ch ief what he thought of the new lender
on the other side. and In reply Lee said; Gen.
Meade will commit no blunder in my front and.
II commit one. he will make haste TO take ad.
vantage OF it,"
or stonewAll Jackson, who stood next
| 10 Lee in the esteem and conndonco
OF the Southern armies, Mr.. Eggleston speaks
with much discrimination He thinks that
| General has sometimes been mistakenly COM
mended. although not upon the whole beyond
his deserts. Jackson had no personal magnet
ism whatever. and had never been able 70 win
the affection OF the cadets at Lexington-scarce-
ly even their respect Before he assumed a
command there seems to have been no dissent
among the graduates Of the Virginia Military
Institute from the opinion that Gen. Giheni
and Gen. Smith were the great men OF the
academy. and that Jackson whom they nick
named " Tomfool Jackson" could never be
ANYTHING more than martinez Colonel,
haH soldier and half preacher. His almost
invarlable success explains his Subsequent
popularity, and accounts for his being credited
with some qualities which he did not possess
For example. he Is often spoken OF as the great
Mareher OF the Confederate armies. and it is
commonly said that he had an especial genius
Tor being ALWAYS on time. And yet Cen Leo
we are told said In the presence OF promi-
nent officer from whose lips Mr. Eggles;on
heard the story that Jackson was by no means
80 rapid marcher as Longstreet. and that he
had an unlucky habit OF nerer being on time
inc author does not dispute. however that
jackson was. next to Lee. the greatest military
genius developed by the war on the Southern
SIDE
In the writer's Judgment. the most roman
Tic and interesting figure in tho Confeder-