New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-05-09
NEW PUBLICATIONS.


An HistSiI" ,nnSonnati; Robert Clark a Co. 1852
rho rn-nosc Of this able and elaborate historical
review cannot he better stated thah III 'no ~"
norvous lines which serve as preface I" the worn
9 of heroic histories of Generals OF the great C'i
xyor written TO show that tie Nation was saved Nv
n phenomenal military genius, there are '"o"s".
Enough of cgoizing military biographies ot%lVaD
self-exatinr ard deroEating from oiheeiS W s
service. who are kept silent by army ,a
or are silent in the grave. Enough oi ,"'',,'' .or
written fol political campaign lives. with inc SUI.
,otivc rhodomoutade OF such party n''i"'",N
rponeb of hero-worshppIng myth when Si'E"'S Wv
bo,oic army II is time 20 lift the hlN.o'S "
oreot war ont of the degradation OF Se"'s"
,ion. of mental body service; of tiiV-S', ' t,,o
nccess,tv. of the fungus of popular H'N ~, ~ 7, q;
rlope Of independcnce and true GNU .-.o
t;,ro for real history to be written 20 u' =,
,ho patriotic volunteers the best So'o'o'9 "a 'l'.
vorll who without the leading oi N''"
49,, and notwithstanding the great military
t'"'"'' e,,ch multiplied their hardships and
,Ianobtcr and prolonged the war; fought II '''ouEn
,,h ipdomitablo resolution. to tie dearly eaiheu
S,;,,,,nh Of the Nation In this aim IS tins review
written ~. pood
yh,le doing full Justice 10 the achievements % o'i
,itivcn.soldicrv he visits the severest coh"en'"a
80, ,,o, our penerals IN high command, WIN no
discrimination from the point oi view " 'cIoh o'
,orty In ms very first PAGE he attacks TIE super
fnous caution with which General il"lircN n"''
n,s on,.roocbcs upon Corlnth, which, he SAYS, was
like McClcllans approach toward klchihohu' ii'
.ljrs IN ualleck's shoulders the famous Mspatcn
,,hich causcd so much ridiculc to Pope announcing
4be visionary capture Of thousands IN Mississippi
lie divides with perfect inpartiality, between la"
Ieck and Grant the blame FOL months oil WaSUeu
,ir,c and yacilatnc plans Tor an interior campaign
in the autumn of 1852. And when at length inc
canpaien which endedsin the surrender OF flcNS
bnra is begun Mr. Reed follows II with the n"S'
relentless vigilance and industry, oNein""''"S
eyrTy dispatch and report with a microscopic "'"i
thc results of which viii surprise the most car
reader and will sorely hcwiider the most ue'ri-
,ol hcro ,,orsb,pper In tlr 60 ':ao of ihiS study
there Is room for great variety al ue''i"'"'' ~
winch Mr. Reed las availed himself. There is
..rong and serious chapter devoted to tie suuc'"RN
oe the soldiers in the Hiss. .sppi cauipal-ni 'he
f,irre Of the absurd scheme for changing me neu
Of fine river forms the subject Of chap'er U'l'-"'
frl IN its quiet and iIOnica humor; Whiie V'o 'U-
called Port Hudson plan Of General UI""'' WIZ"
was condemned by all his sahoIdmateS ana al,er
,,ara abandoned. is treated by Mr. Reed with
grave sarcasm Of which the following paragraphs
will give some idea: ,.,-
There WAS some excuse for those 1ci'' ''s ~" Vent
iaon o. ~ m ."s'abiishcd principles Of rh Try
scrici, Grant had not u that timc devcopea ms
t ,iit'ry genius Ills affair az Belmont was called
a hluudcriug eaug httr without az lnl4u"l' ca
rrgency foI the Fort Henry march Suggested 10y ON
.r-I + smith who had rccouuoitcr,d The place; vas
very crclitibc 10 his ontciIfiS Nul ne "a ~ nn1
font while Grants delay 20 invest u WIN uIN ms. 80, Wv
men allowed the cneluys 1000 infantry 10 r'Ilv>t u"
Fort Donelson DlaI, ir t,rplye miles Al Fort
D0ne-on lie waited for Tho navy TO batter Gown inc o
and that falling. he reported to laech ms puto7' 20
Iutr.,,ch anticipating protr0ccd SIEGE, for ne s'uc
~ fear Tie result ~ attempt 10 carry me place ny
S S,U,c absent f5r six hours willie f
nous battle RACED. And taer the fort was taken
stormnr column Of those new troops for wIIc1 no,
Emilh but Grant was promoted Al tne suTr,huS C ="
Moderate rover was broken before him. lie Yen his com
viva time up tho Cumberland for week on Govern
ment chartered steamer, during winch iaHech como Ect
nothing from him Hallcck reported Inn To Na-hiHg-
ION and was authorized arrest him. iis e1pdn9tion
was that Grant had returned to his " Ga has ne IN
Gncel Haeck to plead for him. but Haul ok SUSPENDED
him from command While thus in Disgrace Grant was
promoted 10 be Acknowledgement Iiaiiecs rGs,"ion mn,
command just smith had ordered Shih9H 10 'nt nv
position al Pittsburc Landing Grant l"si Ing army q,
isnurg Iapd4s Hae,k nad Ike Kept had n fed in
his part Of the concerted movements vita Eose.
command in that department. a. Badeau says M'9 IlS
Of lnsa and that 81 f2rs T o s S5 w campaign
aud had now occupied great army aud navy i0r lhte
months IN abortivc schemes in the swamIs ana D!oH
lie lad been kept up thus far by the support of some
very influential politicians THIS WAS me properly "nCH
disiingiishei Grant and sherman from those they
"a led poliicai H." a vel as from the regular
ocers OF the army Therefore II could not be expected
tlat thcsc Subordinate Generals would receive plan
which naugnt ell military sdence- hadt i
proudly clans-wi,h that complete submls son 10 mn
lar, judgment which his commands carried ai'ef his
military genus had developed
The general tone of Mr. Reeds volume, of all
book which aim cOnscicntously at describing tie
mistakes the savagery. the waste and cruelty OF
war is tragic aud saddening; but it IS lghtened
and made amusing from time 10 time by the thor
ouchly enjoyable way in which the author CON
templates the naive hcTO-worship and the innocent
afterthouchts Of General Adam Badeau. On page
Ga he gives in full a ThapsOdcal passage OF Badeau
showing how Grant changed his plan en- route to
meet the new dispositions of the enemy, ana then
gives this quiet and crushing comment; Iredomi-
nance of the memory Aunts the creative faculty,
and would make war history dull. What reader
can desire that Adam Badeau, revised by Grant
should he limited by plodding memory, when by
emancipation from its letters he can narrate on
page $50 this change of plan and this elaborate new
strategy. formed on the sth at Rocky Springs, be-
cause Pembcrton had selected, fortified and was
concentrated at EdwardsIs Station, and then can
state in a foot-note on page 2il TINS 'Pemberton
did not arrive in person at Edwardss till the l4th.
lut his troops were there the day before"
Here is another bit of delicate criticism:
Bsdesu relates that Grant practising stratosem
shifting him from the right to the 1T and iniornngm
that the eneny's main army was at EdwardsS station
aud that that was the objective Ho SAYS Of he Jackson
yan: MCCernand was not informed OF thls Intention
a. all McClernand was sure always to cl'im the
ruugt impOrtaut position command. hut lie was
really nearer the great bulk OF TIE rebel army he had no
complain, supposns himself TO be IN the al
vance"
The Commanding General who carries along very
complex strategy deceive the enemy To his move
uents and has at the time To practise deep strata
gem deceive The commander Of his principal corps az
&c movements and plans, shows double genius Tor
war and, Bedeau observes Of the bayou operations,
" demonstrates the fertility aud variety Of devices
Developed during this anomalous campaign"
In this spiIit of sharp and independent inquiry,