New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-07-10
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
THE coMTE DE PARIs's HISTORY OF THE
REBELLION.

.,sropv or THE CIVIL WAR IN AMERICA. by
me cnuTr DE PARIS Volume ILL Philadelphia FOR
ter a Coates r. p. go.
The thud volume OF the American edition OF tne
comte do Paris's history Of the Rebellion contains
the 9Th and sixth volumes of the french oui'ion'
This part Of the Counts great work also covers :
most important and exciting period Of the war; IL
.,r.us with the appointment Of Hooker to the COM
maud of The Army of tho Potomac. 1t carries the
reader through the disastrous battle OF Cnahcei.
orsv to the siege and capture of Ycksbura anu
thence tn the great battle of Gettysourg' conc'uu
iuv with tho winter campaign OF 1888 anu VINO
movement 10 the Rapidan. The Intervals po'"oen
the moro important operations ana eng"een'A''
were crowded with lesser enterprises anu GU
counters and the two stout volumes wnicn arc n0'o
producsd as one constitute record Oh ihu'"ai
daughters and aggressions worthy 10 hoiu 'n'ii
own beside the most truculent pages OF Napier
Tho Comte de Paris has fully sustained IN 'ni'
volume the very high reputation earnoo W '"o
earlier part Of his work. Nothing could 10 ~ onoo
more frank and judicial than his eommen'ais'
wi lie his narrative is characterized by tersene's'
lut,dity and scrupulous accuracy. Though ne Is
m. st careful regarding the details OF every action
ds crbed II IL seldom that he falls into even minor
ar vrs and hiss criticism of the policy OF the vari
ors com handlers Is as dispassionate as the scien-
ti6c judgments of Jomini and Chesney, ana evon
moro impartial than those of the historian OIL 'no
Peuipsular War. 1t is indeed fortunate GIL
cumstance that foreigner 90 peculiarly h1'ee .oi
thu undertaking should have resolved upon H. TOT
even the lapse of time since the clvse OF ts war
scarcely sufficient to eliminate from the discussions
of the native participants every trace OF
emotion The Comte de Paris has the peculiar aa-
vantage of having been u dispassionate eye-"n-
mass of much which he relates, and his opportuni-
nh main
puted points have been unsurpassed. But neither
opportunities nor military training nor personal
prcseuee would have enabled an author unendowed
with rare literary talent to compose 30 graphic,
trustworthy and clear history as this Inc dill
entities of the work are manifold and great
number of both large aud small operations, pro-
ceeding simultaneously in many widely separated
regions aud including the movements OF naval as
we'll as military forces. have to be described; and
in 80 orderly way. and in so just sequence that
tho significance, relative aud Incidental OF eacn
action may be grasped and understood Inns inc
Connie de Paris has fully accomplished. and he has
not sacrificed any literary excellence In perform
irg his task
At the beginning Of 1868 the Army of the Poto-
mac was demoraized Hooker began by restoring
its morale and discipline. He reorganized 1t upon
a new and improved System, and made OF 1t a Tor
midabIe fighting machine. Al first he was dis
trusted but by the time he had carried out his DIS
cipinary measures the soldiers believed In him. anu
his lioutenants lwere prepared to conhde In khim.
Then followed the great conception which aoortcd
at Charlottesville. Hooker made a dual bluuder
here He undcrestimated his formidable antag-
onst aud he employed ruse (which reacted disas-
trously upon himself TIE brilliant audacity OF
Stonowall jackson converted his primary error
into a disaster, and then the accident which
rha al nfh hat fle
from recovering his lost ground, evcn had he pos
sessed the genius to do 30. When Lee and jackson
fought together it always behooved their enemy
to look we'll to his plans but Hooker thought he
could throw dust in the eyes of these willy veterans
and ne WAS punished for his bad Judgment. The
Comte de Paris Is disposed to believe that the
wound Hooker sustained at Charlottesville so
affected his mind 10 to practically leave the army
without a commander, and that probably the
General was too dazed even to realize his own IN
fitness for command. while no one about him dared
TO tell him the truth. But 1t is certain that he Was
in the possession of all his faculties when he sent
Stoneman away with the cavalry, and whom he
made such a disposition of Sedgwicbs corps as en-
abled Lee to beat the two armies In detail. The
history of Stouemans raid is of itself interesting
reading the more especially when reflect that
the military renown of the Governor of California
rests principally upon that movement. Ills SUBJ
segment surrender, however was perhaps what
might have been expected from commander who
thought that In penetrating an enemys country
the wsest course to scatter his force after the
fashion of the fragments Of All exploding bomb
shell.
It was in this year, however, that tho Federal
commanders first succeeded in organizing cavalry
raids after the Confederate model, though some Of
these raids and partcularlythat of Streght. proved
anything but successful. Forests pursuit of
Streight indeed, is of the most curious and OK
citing episodes of this period of the war for as the
Coute do Paris says, 1t was q regular hunt, in
wiiien numerically inferior force literally ran
down much larger body, forcing 1t to surrender
at last by reducing 1t to condition OF exhaustion.
The campaign the Mississippi was full of diff
cuties, but these in the end developed the genius
of the Federal generals. The inability of forts to
close the passage Of or harbor against res
olute feet was shown again at vicksburg Grand
Gulf and Port Hudson. The case OF Charleston
was different for there it was necessary to reduce
the Notifications ct the entrance of the harbor be-
fore the ships could enter safely and the Federal
army did not yet possess the force to accomplish
this Among the bayous of the Mississippi Porter
and mis- subordinates attempted many daring ex- |
psrments while Grant vainly strove TO turn Vcks |
burg It was not until he resolved to disregard |
the traditions of the military schools and cut loose
from his base altogether that he found the key 20
this problem, and even then he might not have |
achieved success haa not Pemberton's infatuatioD
aided him. The illness and consequent absence of |
General Joe Johnston at the critical uncture led to
the battle OF Champions HILL In which Pemberton |
was crushed, and the result Of which was to force |
MN into Vcksburg and to nasten the capitulation
of that place. Johnston saw clearly that after |
vicksburg had been turned it was Of no strategic |
importance, end lie ordered Pemberton to abandon |
it and join him. Pemberton was self-willed. how
ever and Grant gave bis adversaries no time to re-
pair blunders. The Comte de Paris devotes hum
drod nages TO an account Of the political situation