St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-08-13
SIR GARNETT WOLSELEY-BADM AN-
NERS


NERS.
A letter from Sir Garnett Wolseley to an
accomplished lady of Mobile, contains the
following passage: 81 have only known two
heroes in my life, and General R. E. Lee is
one of them, SO you can well understand
how value one of his letters. I believe that
whom time has claimed down the angry pas
sions of the North, General Lee will be ac-
cepted in the United States as the greatest
general you ever had, and second as pa
triot only to Washington himself Stone
wall jackson only know slightly; his name
will live forever also in American history,
when that of Mr.. U. S. Grant has been long
forgotten; such at least is my humble opin-
ion of these men, when viewed by an outside
student of military history who has no local
prejudice"
This has been published in the southern
historical society papers and beyond ques-
ton creates great satisfaction among those
by whom it was received The truth OF
good deal of what is asserted by Lord Wolse-
ley will he acknowledged in the north, and
more especially by those who were actually
in the service. Lee and jackson we're great,
men in every essential respect They were.
great as commanders. irreproachable as citi-l
zens and men of culture, philanthropy and
humanity in their private life. Both were
nationalist during the agitation which led TO
the rebellion, and had it not been that they
were born and reared in the belief that their
first duty was to their state, they would have
never been found fighting in favor of dis
union.
While Wolseley may be correct in his esti-
mate of these two men, he destroys all the
value and sincerely of his criticism by allud-
ing to the federal commander as "Mr."
Grant decent observance of the etiquette
of his profession would have required him
when alluding to another military man, to
give him his title. 1t is presumable that If
Sir Garnet were to read in a German news
paper an allusion to him coming from Bis
marck as ''Mr. Wolseley," he would justly
feel offended. and would regard the German
Chancellor as no gentleman. The possibili-
ties are that the people of this country, who
read WolseleY's opinion of Grant, and who
agree with him in his conclusions, will never
theless be forced to conclude that his man
ners are not equal to his military judgment.
Gen Grant occupied for several years
place to which he was not entitled. The
greatest military feat which he performed
was the running of the Vicksburg batteries,
and the investment of that stronghold from
the rear. The running of the batteries was
not an original idea. for it had been done by
Farragut below New Orleans, nearly year
before Grants movement. He made two
useless assaults ON Vicksburg, and then sat
down to starve out the garrison, which'he
could have done without the assaults which
cost SO many thousand men. His general
ship in the Wilderness was nothing but the
brutal impact of great columns against
smaller ones, and which gave him the vic
tory through mere attrltion. BY giving four
lives for one, he in time exhausted the slen-
der forces of the enemy, and secured vic
tory which was the most costly in the history
of civilized wars.
AS president, he gave us the most cor
rupt administration in our history; as bust
ness man, he displayed absolute and humil-
ating incompetency. At the present mo-
ment he is where he came from-complete
obscurity.
Lord Wolseley, in abiding to the federal
commander as ''Mr." Grant, and in his
eulogy of Lee and Jackson evidently speaks
from the standpoint which he occupied DUR
ing the civil war. At that time, not only
Wolseley, but the great majority of his coun-
trymen-including even for time Glad
stone himself-were inclined to ascribe
great generalship to every leader in the
south, and to designate as ''Mr." the Nc
Clelans, Shermans, and Meades of the
north, when "Gen." Lee drove back the
forces of '.Mr." Pope, or Seen" McCul-
Tough defeated and killed 'Mr." Lyon, there
was great rejoicing all over Britain and much
hope was entertained that the pestiferous
Republic would be smashed into smther-
Gems. Even yet Sir Garnet has not forgotten
his old hope
He alludes to the federal commander as
'sMr" Grant, although this in nowise affects
the fact that both Lee and Stonewall Jackson
were surrendered, and in their surrender is
included the dream of discovering this Re.
public.
Possibly some day this renegade Irishman,
Wolseley, may find himself leading some of
his forces hitherwards; if he shall do any
thing of the kind, he may possibly get les
son in politeness, as did the other Hessians
from the same direction a centuryago.