The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-10-22
SOME NEW HOOKS.
The March to the Sea Franklin ana Nash.
willie.

vile.
Gen. JACOB ID. Cox of Ohio has published his
second contribution TO the history Of the civil
war. and his book IL noticed here principally be
cause It's author. in addition to being "A gentle
man and u scholar. was also fortunate enough
To acquire reputation during the rebellion as
one of tho best of our volunteer Generals. 1t
was therefore. to be expected that he would
not only write history truthfully and fairly but
also with such critical independence and ability
as to instruct students OF the military art in
tho right application Of the principles Of wcr to
tno campaigns under consideration. But THIS
he has failed to do. for. in the higher sense. he
has written neither truthful history nor sound
criticism. His work Is superficial. and his
criticisms crude and pedantic but. worse than
all, his judgment seems to have been biassed
Mt tho oustart against Gen. Thomas
and tho Army of the Cumberland. Tho
result Is that he has arraycd himself
covertly. but Enthusiastically. with Badcau
and tho other so-cncd historians who have
cndeavorcd to build up the reputation of their
heroes by bclittiny the services Of Thomas and
his subordinates.
The book before us seems to have been in
~vred by tho desire to exalt the credit of sScho-
field. anu TO make 1t appear that the Army OF
tho Ohio so called performed services during
Hoods invasion of Tennessee proportioned to
the magnitude Of its title whereas all there
was of tho Army Of the Ohio engaged I'm the
campaign against Hood. WAS the Twonty- third
Corps, composed OF two divisions comma pded
respectively by Gen. Cox and Gen. Couch.
In short. Schohcld during the cam
paign against Hood. was simply
corps commander. with no indepcnd-
ent powers except such as fell to his
lot by seniority or as the head of n military
l. t. Al.
other corps commanders in the field, during
the absence Of Gen. Thomas from the front.
This fundamental fact should not be lost sight
OF by the reader for moment. II he would
avoid n distorted view of what actually took
place. The Department and Army of the Ohio
existed only for purposes Of administration
during the march to tho sea and the CAM
pagn Of Franklin and Nashville The troops
belonging to them were either marching with
Sherman or serving in the Department of the
Cumberland, under the actual control OF Gen.
Thomas and constituting a part Of the army
commanded by him. They were gall
liant and worthy soldiers. and did their
whole duty when properly called upon;
but they neither gained honor nor
lost 1t by belonging to an Independent de-
pnrtment Their performances during the
period treated of should be considered merely
as those of u constituent part of a great army.
for which Grant. Sherman and Thomas
in the order named were primarily re-
sponsible. while Scholeld held only
subordinate position. and was answerable to
Thomas. his immediate superior. for the zeal
and ability with which he obeyed orders or met
the emergencies of the campaign when he WAS
LEFT without orders. Considered from this
point Of view It is not difficult to assign to the
Twenty-third Corps and its successive COM
manders their true share OF credit and blame
for the part taken by them in the events de-
scribed by Gen. Cox.
1t cannot be too frequently stated that when
Sherman marched down to the sea he took with
him the elite of the troops serving in his mill
tary division; and the fact that any organiza-
tion was not selected to 90 with him. but was
left behind. is evidence that. If infantry it was
not up to Sherman's standard of efficiency in
organization and discipline. and II cavalry.
that 1t was not properly mounted and equipped.
This statement is just as true of the Twenty
third Corps as of the Fourth Corps, or the caval-
~. The simple truth is the best were taken the
Inferior were left behind and Thomas had to
collect and organize the latter into an efficient
force with which at the same time to resist the
advance Of well-organzed and thoroughly
seasoned army. under one of the Confcderacys
ablest and most aggressive leaders We have
before pointed out in these columns the faulty
and the Gulf coast, and tho fallacy of his march
TO Savannah instead Of through Augusta by the
shortest line to u junction with Grant; and the
great and unnecessary advantage of interior
lines actually left open TO the rebels. We have
also shown how Hoods campaign failed
merely because his army lacked weight and
supplies. and had to deal with the prudent
and thorough Thomas who would not fight till
he had concentrat ted his forces remounted his
nd al, all 10, f,r
victory. We have called attention more than
once to the urgency of the claims put forth by
Sherman in his own behalf and by Badeau in
behalf Of Grant for the credit Of devising the
march to the sea, and to the further fact that
had Thomas been defeated by Hood, the con
tention would probably have been to Ak the
responsibility for that march rather than To di-
vide the honor OF its conception. Cox. without
going fully into details, assigns the credit to
Sherman. and declares that in thus fixing his
purpose he had no assistance" adding that the
purpose vas to strike for the very heart of
the Confcdcracy." to completely turn the
tables upon the cntcrprising Southern Gen
aral. and make his very audacty prove at
once his own ruin and the ruin Of tho cause for
which he fought" We do not doubt that Sher-
man was doing what he thought was for tho
best and he fairly entitled TO hone for
good results but the sentence just quoted
CIRCUITS MN with n degree OF confidence, ana
attributes TO him clcGrnoss of vision. that he
has'nevcr to our knowledge claimed for him
self Tho truth is. this sentence was written
after the facts which justified Shcrman's
march had taken place. and is colorrd BY
knowledge that neither Sherman nor the an
thor possessed nj the time referred to. 1t Illus
tratcs as well IA any sentence We can now
call. the practice too frequently resorted to in
both official reports and historical writings. by
which the unforeseen and unexpected is made
TO appear MS having been intended and duly
provided for. Nothing can he more faIiacious
or misleading than such writing. and nothing
should be more sharply condemned. We have
had enough and to spare OF it. There
is no excuse for an author who writes hurriodly
or does not take time for research. or who fails
u test the statements OF his own narration by
tho official records and the recollection Of the
surviving actors in the great drama. II is Il
trusn, that no one should aspire To write his
tory without tasin. every possible precauton
u write with absolute fidelity to the truth.
Vi...N Al, AZ