Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1879-05-15

"in handling troops was great, and in
retreat the precision and ooolness of his
movements would have done credit to
Moreau; but it never seemed to OCCUR to
him to assume the Offensive during the
many turning movements involving time
and Distance" In the judgment of our
author, Leo was even more overweighted 10
Virginia than Johnston in Georgia, and, on
the whole, tho latter cannot be said to have
proved fortunate commander. Leaving
out OF view Bentonville and the closing
scenes 10 North Carolina, which are pro-
nounced rather the spasmodio efforts of
despair than regular military movements.
General Jobnston's ''offensive," we arc told,
must be limited to Seven Pines or Fair
Oaks. Hero two corps of McClelIan's army
out OF from their supports, ought to have
been crushed; and although Johnston fell
severely wounded in the aotiou, General
Taylor intinates that this accident docs aot
excuse the substantial failure Of the engage.
ment. 1t is noteworthy that our author,
notwithstanding his eympathy with Mr..
Davis, does not hesitate to call the removal
OF Johnston from q command in front Of
Atlanta an egregious blundcr If the
latter intended to fight there, he was epti-
tied to execute his plan; while if, it is
shrewdly added, he had abandoned Atlanta
without struggle, his deposition would
have net the unqualified approval of the
army and people.
General Taylor took part in the soven
days fighting around Richmond, and his
dlscriminative judgment on the Confederate
operations is extremely striking. He
praises the strategy of Lee, BY which jack.
sons forces from the valley were suddenly
thrust between Mcdowell and MoClellan's
right, but he has not word of eulogy for
the tactics on the field. Indeed, he asserts
with confidence that the Southern com.
manders knew no more about the topog--
raphy of the country than they did about
central Africa, and that oil their movements,
f'om Cold Hsrbor to Malvern Hill, were
only series of huge blunders. Mcclellan,
we are told, was as superior to them in
knowledge of their own land, as were the
Germans to the French in 1870, and he
owed the success of his retreat to it.
eve had much praying" says General
Taylor, Eat various headquarters, aud large
reliance on special providences, but none
wero vouohsafed to supplement our igno.
rance, 80 we biundered on like people
trying to read without knowledge of their
letters"
LEE AND sTONEwALL JACKSON.
After this campaign the writer never met
General Lee agoiD, aud therefor takes oooa--
sion at this point to make some general
remarks on the atter's place in Southern
history. Ho considers Lees defensive
campaign in 1864 on a level with shat of
Napoleon in 1918, although he thinks the
weak point of the comparison lies in an
absence of sharp returns to the offensive.
In his judgment, the Confederate comman-
dcrs genius for aggressive warfare had
suffered by too long service os
on engineer In both the Ante
tam aud Gettysburg campaigns he allowed
left without Intelligence of the enemys
movements until the lattor was upon him.
ln both, too, his army was widely scattered,
and had to be brought into action piece
meal. 1t is affirmed that his own report
OF Gettysburg confesses his mistakes, and
the writer can derive no additional light
upon that action from the rambling accounts
since published 1t is plain that General
Taylor holds Lee mistaken 10 his reluctance
to assume vigorous initiative at certain
crises of tho war and imputes his habtual
attitude in this regard to his protracted train:
ing 10 the enginser oorps. It should bo said,
however, that the criticisms are offered with
uneffcoted diffidenoe, and that he docs
ample justice to the pure and lofty charac-
ter and the indisputablo services of his
oommander-in-chief. We may note here
that although Stonewall Jackson ia credited
with the very qualities which are indicated
as lacking to SOME degree 10 Lee, yet thcre
IS a certain reticenoe in the authors re-
marks concerning the former General.
"What limit" says the writer, ito set his
ability know not for he was ever superior
to occason;" but no adds that under ordi-
nary circumstances t Yves difficult to esti-
mate him because of his pecuaritics, and
to one movement in particular along Ere
mont's line in the valley campaign, General
Taylor does not hesitate to apply the cpl.
thet "rash aud foolish" 1t must not be
supposed that these orcumspeot yot candid
opinions betray any apimus or jealousy or
spite. On the contrary, they reveal sin
oere desire to discern the truth, and sturdy
resolve to utter it.
ALBERT SIDNEY JOHNSON.
General Taylor conours with most com.
petent students of the contest, that the
issue Of the battle of Shiloh was profound
almost irreparable misfortune to tho Con-
federate cause. Ho does not doubt that
ono short hour more of life to Sidney John.
son would have completed Grants destruc-
tion. In the authors judgment he brought