The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-02-24

heyss corps lOlneu MIN AZ Falr1aX tOurt-
house on September 1st. Moreover, Cox
had arrived from the Kanawha Valley with
1000.
1t was then what was left OF some 220, 900
or $50, 900 that General Lees army OF Co.
900 men had forced to take refuge in the
dcfences Of Washington to escape destruc-
ton. What had become OF the balance! IL
may be said that great many had been lost
In the previous campaigns in the Valley
and around Richmond. But General Me
CleIan's official return OF July 10th showed
more than 10000 men for duty, ex-
elusive OF Dix's corps at Fortress
Monroe. Pope acknowledged that he had
$4,000 men at the beginning. and he
had been joined by 5000 and 5000 under
Piatt. Here were at least 10000 after
making allowance for Keys's absent divi-
sion, and not counting CoX's 1000. But
Pope says bis men and horses were much
used up and worn out, and without food.
Well, suppose the poor "rebels" were
living in clover all that time. daughter
and applause.l There is one advantage we
had over Pope very certainly. We had
nothing for him to capture, and we got into
his supply train at Manassas, but even that
did not last very long. On the night OF The
1st Of September at Ok Hill made my din
ner and my supper on two ears OF corn,
which j roasted by the fire while sitting
on the damp ground; and on the next day.
while passing through my brigade, | saw
the rations issued to my men, and they
consisted exclusively OF cold boiled fresh
beef, without salt or bread. helped my
self to small chunk, which i munched TO
still the craving OF hunger. There were
few If any in our army, from the highest
TO the lowest, anv better off than was.
/ will give you one more and the last
quotation from Pope's official report. He
had said i'm his address 10 his troops: 81
have come TO you from the West, where we
have always seen the backs OF our enemies; (;
from an army whose business 1t has been
to seek the adversary and beat him when
found: whose policy has been attack
and not defence" And in a dispatch TO
Kearney at 0 p. NJ. Of the 27th: 'Jack-
son, A. y. Hill, and Ewell are in front OF
us. Hooker has had a severe fight with
them to-day. Mcdowell marches upon
Manassas Junction from Gainesville
tomorrow at daybreak; Reno upon the
same place at the same hour. i want you
here at day-dawn, if possible, and we will
bag the whole crowd" Yet he has the
following doleful reflections in the conclu-
ding part OF his official report: "T0 con-
front with a small army vastly superior
forces; to fight battles without hope OF
victory, but only 20 gain time and TO en-
barrass and delay the forward movement
Of the enemy, is OF all duties the most
hazardous and 4 the most difficult that
cln be imposed upon any general or any
army. While such operations require the
highest courage and endurance on the part
of the troops, they are perhaps unlikely to
be understood or appreciated, and the re-
suits, however successful, have little in
them TO attract popular attention and ap-
plause. At no fine could have hoped to
fight a successful battle with the immensely
superior force of the enemy which con-
frontcd me, and which was able at any time
to outflank me, and beat my small army to
the dust"
80! What a fall was there, my countrymen."
The result OF this campaign was that Vir-
pinia was cleared OF the invading army eX-
cent at Fortress Monroe and its vicinity;
Norfolk, where the enemy's men.oi-war
and gunboats euabled him TO hold his posi-
tion: the Notifications covering Washing
TON on the south. and Northwestern Vir-
Ulnl1, MIltIt lldllOlN NuN ifbN -b'tN0t ihNtNi
The protection OF Federal bayonets, bad
established n bastard State government.
Even the kanawha Valley had been cleared
of fle enemy. as the Withdrawal OF troops
from that quarter for the defence OF wash
ington had enabled Loring TO penetrate
into the Valley and drive the enemy from
1t.
There have been criticisms OF the strategy
cmployed bv General Lee i'm sending Jack
son to the rear of Pope, thus dividing his
army and placing the smaller portion be-
tween two hostile forces OF superior num-
bers. This is said by some to have been in
violation OF the established rules OF war.
Genius is trammclled byno arbitrary rules,
but il is able TO burst the fetters which
bind ordinary iniellecis with vastly inferior
forces and resources. II General Lee had
conformed to the ordinary rules OF war he
would perhaps have taken some defensive
position and waited until the enemy had
| accumulated forces sufficient TO oyerwhelm
him, or retired before the encmyAs superior
numbers, thus giving up the whole coun-
try and gradually losing his army by ex-
haustion and desertion.
But he knew that it was necessary to
make up for the deficiency in other re-
spects by activity, energy, genius. We
are told that the old German generals, oi
the school OF Frederick the Great, thought
the young Napoleon when he made his
campaign in Italy was wild and crazy, be-
cause he would not conform TO the estab-
lished rules OF warfare; but he defeated
them, nevertheless. And so some militar!
critics OF the red-tape order may think
G General Lee committed great blunder or
this occasion, but it was very successful
blunder. A general should be able to un
derstand his opponent, and the instrument
he himself employs. General Lee under
stood Pope, and he knew and thoroughly
appreciated General Jackson. In lettel
to General Porter, written in July, 1870
General Lee, in a very few plain words
expressed volumes. He said: 81 had nC
anxiety for Jackson at Second Manassas.
knew he could hold on till we came, ant
that we should be in position in time"
There WAS no man in all our armies wht
was so bold and daring in his strategy ant
his operations as General Lee, and the dif
fcuIty he labored under was to find agent
to carry out the plans he designed. Gen
erol Jackson was just the man he wanted
Whatever General Lee devised or suggested
Jackson was ready to carry out prompt,
and without question rs to its feasibility
4 The confidence they had in each other wa
mutual, and there was no man in all tn
South, whether in or out OF the army, upol
whom the loss Of General Jackson fell St
heavily as upon General Lee. In thi
campaign against Pope General jackson
displayed greater ability and resource
than upon any other occasion, because tn
circumstances by which he was surrounde
required such display, and he fully just
fed the confidence reposed in him by Gene
raj Lee. And now, my comrades, whel
called upon for a defence or justification o
| IL nn,,.n In which Won were enlisted VO