The sun., 1882-01-29


In noticing Mr.. Ropes's contribution to
the series of monographs on the Campaigns
of our Civil War" now publishing 10y the Scrib-
ncrs, we expressed IA hope that succeeding vol
umos might b. executed with equal skill cir
cumsrcction and judicial impariali,y. We are
happy to- say that the desired conditions arr, in
some respects. fulfilled by the latest addition TO
the scrics entitled Tte .tatie;dn, and FreiTjcis-
Lpg. hy +. W. PNFREY. Regarded. indeed.
merely from a literary point of vi"y,. Gen. Pal
fr.y's is the more VIVID. spirited, and hishly
finished performance. Unlike his prcdecc-s RS
he has not contentcd himself with amassngund
sitting materials for the future historian, and
pronouncinG merely such tentative ami pH-
visional judgments rs seem irrcSiSiWy
called forth by the fncts recitcd. He
is not satisfied with presenting his data in II
concise and clear. but arid and coloriess CON-
pendulum; he has wrought them into Il smooth.
flowing narrative. which il always graphic.
sometin - charged with dramatic intensity
and occasionally iraught with sincere and con-
tagiouS feeling. We are not SO sure that the
judgments he pronounc"s on the merit Of
stratcgicGl and tactical operations. and on the
conduct and abilities IF various commanders
will commend themselves SO forcibly 10 eau
tious readers as did those Of Mr. Ropes. The
latter never overlooked the fact that he had
undertaken to describe a particular campaign.
and II state only such opinions as might lcgit-
mi.tely he based on the data cited. and those
only. There were no obit1' dic.d in hi, book;
he refrained carefully from travelling out
side the record: and whatever light might
have been thrown on p given matter by facts
known to himself. but not presented in the ease
before him. he confined himself 10 suggesting,
those conclusions only which might fairly he
deduced from the premises. Thus he permitted
ftt-a f..
lan's capacity rs commander. so far a that
could be determined 10y his relation to the army
under Pope, whose failure it was Mr.. Ropes's
special province 10 investigate. He did not cX-
anime that commanders achievement nj An
tictam. or assume TO offer an exhaustive and
final Judgment on his whole military career.
As for other Generals who may have been more
or less conspicuous on other fields or at other
epochs of the war. but who had no immediate
connection with Gen. Pope's campaign in Vir-
Gina their names are not so much as men
toned in Mr.. Ropes's pages. The author fthe
present volume pursues different course. but
although the results may be moro interesting
to the general reader who is apt. We suspect.
to be niIued. if not bored 10y the rcsolute
maintenance of IA sober cautious. strictly Ju-
dirial attitude. We doubt whether thoughtful
persons will receive an equally profound i'm
preston Of trustworthincss. Cen Palfrey's
Judgment upon given man is manifestly based
ON all the facts OF his career as the author UNI
drrstands them; but inasmuch "a he adduccs
only that section of the facts pertinen; TO the
campaign under review the reader cannot
scrutinize all the evidence for himself and test
the conclusion drawn from it, In what is said.
for instance If Met iellan il is clear that Cen
Palfroy has in view not merely the battle of An-
tietam. with regard To which alone the reader
pin ify ind Itlt b,,
whole period Of that commanders connection
with thu Army Of the Potomac. Some of his
pages. too. brstle with O5itrf dcth in which
the writer delivers tr catiCla his opinions
touching Generals who have no relation what
,oeyer to The subject of his book. Mt only DO
such Incidental EXPIRE -sinns If holirf unuo.,m-
Iuuiodas they are hy shred II tho rVidru,,.on
which they may tr founded fail torarry mach
weight 10 tn minds of men accustomed g. draw
inicr"no"s for th'lueo!yc-. Eut thoy 'usrnd-ru "a
disposition t. scan rurr wly not to say dis
trstiu.ly, AL conclusions fr"n"l,.d hy ON. who
j. 50 ''ady anl cNcur-l," in the publication
# his opinions. Al We moan. after an.
is that Grn. Pi''iey'- mind do, mot seem
10 have the IuIiel9' habit. and j. to- Tint
extent lrs- qualified Than h-, iuu.d,a.t
predecessor far historical NrituA We are
far from denying. however. hat the vryrr
of lucid vly'.r.uti-. iutcp-tiu. narration sin
counts fer great leul i'm hist ,tal CONF
r"~ilion of whirh. indeed it sGpi!i.d ;lr
9rrh"typ'. andfprCrn. pa!frry's unusual merit
in tiis respect we eve him grateful ,.caLeYi-
od-;m,n nts.
Tho d.la-te Of Con Paf'rey- m,.t'ia / may l,,
illustrated hy extracts f,om li- ,.,t1ut,ut- ou. ..
tht battIr of Antirjilu. Thus we Itgl ui. t.rn.
fUmucc that hr Displayed the sam. Wan; In
his nature which u" laldi-rl,y.. tofIr,a, Fair
oaks and # II i'rE,iH u AT IA. f.stl, H..