The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1883-06-03

The twelfth and concluding number OF the
serios Of monographs describing tho Cam
paigns of the Civil! War rccounts the opera
tions OF the Army of the Potomac and the
Army OF the James from the assumption Of the
command 10y Gen. Grant to the surrender of
Leo's army at Appomattox. The capital i'm
portance of tho campaign hero depicted is not
more manifest than the peculiar competence
OF the person chosen to depict it: for the
author OF this volume. Gen. ANDREW \. HUM
puREYs was chief OF stafY in the Army Of the
Potomac during the greater part Of the
movements portrayed. and only left that
position at late stage of the con-
test to assume command Of the Second Corps.
Thus we have in this instance almost an ideal
combination of tho conditions requisite for
the composition OF authoritative military his
tory. The opportunities enjoyed by II Chief of
Staff for ascertaining the purpose. conduct. and
results OF II campaign are unoqualcd. except
Of course. by those Of u Commander-in- Chief:
and we may feel sure that such exceptional ad-
vantages will be turned to account when as in
this case, the Chief of staff happens to be an
officer believed by all mon qualified to express
an opinion on the subject. and to have ono OF the
most highly trained best, furnished and pow
criul intellects that were oyertcd on the North
ern side during the late war.
Ii is indeed. imptucticabo to compare this
remarkable piece OF analysis and criticism
with any Of its companion volumes. Unlike
most of them. il is not written for the general
reader The author, seemingly. has never re-
.ardcd the task on which he entered from II
literary point OF view lie has no more had tho
general reader in his mind than the members
Of Won Motke's STAFF looked forward to a popu-
lar audience when they recorded the operations
OF the war Of 1870. In another notable partic-
ular this book differs materially from tho pre-
cednS contributions to the same series They
aimed to collect tho raw materials. rather than
to frame the enduring structure OF history:
they are "enou'es Do,1 SerrU. provisional est-
mates. which the future historian may quail
ify. or oven reverse. On the other hand
the military student is unlikely to ad-
init that. for the purpose OF exact inforna-
ton and technical instruction. the record
Of the Virginia campaign in "a and 60 now
that it has once been traced by Gen. Hum
phreys. vii! ever noed to be rewritten. No doubt
this patient and sober outline Of tho plans
devised AMI the work done may servo here
after as the solid groundwork Of many popu-
lar exposition in which the merits o! the actors
Will be set forth with an e'Oluence that is their
due, but from which the professional annalist,
who was himself II we.hty factor in the events
which no describes. has modestly gbstaiued.
In short. Gen. Humphreys has here written
soldiers book that will long be treasured by
the student OF tho art of war among the manuals
m which campaigns o; superlative interest and
magnitude are related with admirable accuracy.
and temporarily but frult.ully. discussed in a
strictly scientific spirit.
Even where Gen. Humphreys finds iu ncccs-
sary to correc. errors in preceding versions Of
the facts no has undertaken to set forth. he
doe, II in tho most succnt and judicial way
being careful to forego any structures upon the
writer's whose blundsrs he is forced to redress
lIo leaves, for instance, the reader to apply the
suitable epitLe, to the reckless and incessant
distortion Of facts which renders tho o-callcd
Military Iile of Gen. Grant" by Cen. Badenu
quite valuc.ess to those who desire to dis