Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1880-02-20
WHEELING, W. VA, FRIDAY MORNING. FEBRUARY 20 1880
THE TURNING POINT OF
THE WAR.
Gen. Kilpatriok's Opinion Of the
Battle OF Gettysburg.

WsshingIsn Post
Gen. Fitzpatrick exhibited to q full
audience at the Congregational church
last night series OF battle pictures, well
worth attention. Dramatic in group.
ing, brilliant in coloring, warm IN tone,
they pass in review like picturesque
panorama. SEEKING upon tho salient
points of the contest, they told the story
Of the war with the suggestiveness lar
more effective than mere brilliancy OF
color or artistic skill in grouping, how
ever perfect From the uprising In the
North after the fall OF Sumter 10 Joe
JOhnson's surrender, they carried the
mind swiftly through the days Of storm
and tempest that seem now like an nn-
pleasant dream, instead ol the terrible
reality whose consequence still shake
the land 10 the center. The motives
which led To the contest, and the con.
victions which animated the contes-
tants were not portrayed. Enough that
the victory Was won without impunging
the virtues Of the yanquishcd. Through
toll aud turmoil and bloody travail u ma
ton was born, aud in It's steadily grow
ing homogoneity there might be occa.
sion ~ think kindly oi the heterOgen-
city Of opinion and OF interest which
produced II. The speakers purpose was
10 recall the battle scenes that had
stamped All indoliblu impression upon
his own memory, and were still vivid IN
the minds OF half HIS audience. THIS
he did well, gracefully and cloqucntly.
Touching briefly but suggostiycly the
first two years oi the war, claiming that
those days Of much promise and little
accomplishment were the result Ol mex
pcriencc on the part oi the military
leaders hc fingered long upon the cam
paign ol which Gettysburg WAS the cnl.
minatiug point. Rapidly but effectively
sketChing tho commanders Oi tho army
oi the Potomac, hc passed them before
the gaze in striking portraits. McCirl-
Ian, handicapped from the start 10y Nh
extrayagant estimate by the people oi
his genus, was nevertheless the man
for thc'placc. Falling lar short Of the
Napoleon to whom hC was likencd, hc
yet was the organizer oi victory III Gre
ating the army that, often defeated and
often baillled, never was conquered, but
triumphcd IN the end, Burnside, eau
tiOus, accurate and cool: the ono defeat
ut Frcdcrickshurg 10 he set against u
record not as brilliant but as valuable -
almost any in the Nations historic rec
ords. Hooker, daring, adventurous,
impetcous, whose brilliancy was matho'
maiical IN its accuracy, the partial re-
verse at Chanccllursyillo is dimmcd III
the luslrc reflected from the clouds
above Lookout Mountain. Pope Was
dismissed with the adjective "incili.
cicnt,' and Mealc was passed over IN
silence that might have been meant for
n Snrcr. The services ui Hooker IN per
iccting the Army ui the Potomac after
Charlottesville, the superb condition
To which hc raised It, The dash aud dis.
ciplinc which ho ipiuHel into II, we've
dWclt ON ut length, aud evidently 10
Hooker the speaker gave the credit, in.
directly. 81 winning Gettysburg To
Gen. Alfred Pleasantun, by whose ear
nest advice and urging GcttySburg
,a,.uy, ,..S '.ri-",s s.-.'itefs'f' '''s
credit oi the victory.
Gen. Kilpatrick's sketch Of the
battle Of Gettysburg was as brilliant as
the hcroism II 80 graphically painted.
Describing the lines aud the conflicts oi
the first two days, hiH picture Oi the
day was A masterpiece ol
rhetoric. Gettysburg was the turning
point Of tho war. From Its shattered
and terrible record the Conlcderaios
could never after recover. Gallant as
they struggled afterwards, Il WAS the
struggle with fate that admitted oi but
one result. When Pickett's Nirgnlans,
like gray boom capped, sweeping up
from the base of the hill to the somlcir-
Gle Of flame that guarded its brow, wcro
swept back, then forever were swept
back the hopes oi the south. Fun JUS
ticr was done the indomiiablc cour-
ago Of these men, the Hover
of ieo's army, the pride Of the
South, who marched up To
the blazing mouths of 800 cannon ~
steadily and as gaily ~ men walk mp To
the dance or to the feast. The picture
oi Armstead, sword in hand, leaping
over the guns and calling upon South
crn gentlemen to follow, which call VAS
answered as promptly and NJ gallantly
as il he had called them to take Their
partners IN dance, was painted ia Nv
ing colors, and the speaker thought no
country need despair when such heroic
souls as Armstcaa and the men Who
rendered his gallant courage oi no avail
were born upon its soil. From nctlys-
burg 10 tho West, from sherman $
march 20 the sea 10 Grants campaign
southwark from the Rapidan, the
speaker briefly and gracefully turned,
and finally concluded an admirable lee
turc by rcciling "ShoTidans Ride and
ttDl..t E.,.r.t,ia neatL "