New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-08-24
NEW PUBLICATIONS..
GENERAL BUELL..


Tho case of General Buell. is strange one. He
had high reputation in the early part of the war
s a scientific and thorough soldier and he did not
n little TO Justify it, mtrustcd with an important
independent command at n very trying period ana
in department where exceptional political din
entities were to be encountered as well as military
problems to be solved. he disappointed the expecta-
tions of the Government, irritated an impatient
people was removed just after "a battle, and was
virtually placed on trial before an extraordinary
military Commission" charged with the inyesti-
cation of his personal and professional conduct
The report of this commission wa, transmitted to
the War Department and there all trace OF 1t was
lost Nine years afterward 1s72l the House of Rep
rcsentatves called for copy of the proceedings
and the curous fact was disclosed that nobody
knew what had become Of the papers. The sten"-
praphcr however. had fortunately preserved hls
notes. aud from these fresh copy OF the v"nmln-
Gus testimony and documents was written out IL
WAS not published by order of the House. but II APP
pears .ns Vol XVI. of the "Onicial Records oi inc
War of the Rebellion = and now. more tlln twenty
wears after the events 20 which It rclatos II II hde
The subcct of review 10y General 3uclls chict OF
staA The "opinlon' of the Military Commission
was not lost with the accompanying record upon
winch il WAS based That opinion. while 1t nc
ouittcl Buell. of some Of the charges against his
management of the campaign, and blamed llallock
for the faulty and futile operations against that-
tanoogi aud McCook for errors IN the battle oil
Icrtyvc expressed the Judgment 90 the Com
mission Generals Lows Wallace. y. j. !. Dana
mud Daniel Tyler. that Buell. ought to nave pre-
vented lIraggs invasion of Kentucky; thhl alter
thc battle of pctryyillo hc ought to have p'Noht'"
,hc e.cnp, Of the rebels from Kcntuclvi and that
nj rcrfyyil'c hc lot hs opporlun ty bv
hang ,mpfopcr.y ignorant o the cour o. the
( IA tg' !
whom na General Ch,N Tia opu.o, W. trans
M tel 10 TIA, sccr Z, {. War; GO trtd etc tn
# t,.acuts al tn Commission " ia peel To
il msci ana Mn &c ia GO nmNslon nc th rep itel
clur4cs against " nor rtoo nmo1d'd any
further proccc lngs, the matt 7 WIS alowel to
drop Ihi, OF cure WI, mort Tying re'u t.
pueIl and his lr ends and tn r.iSaus o. th" I'm
fortunate oiic r have always mlintane that he
wa, unfa r,y treated; that he was the V ctm of
p,lucll amnesty; that he per ccu'el f. per
sonal reasons by Governor Morton; that an clscr
and ill-inforrel pu'l.c in complaining of his de-
LAYS overlooked the obstacles in his road which
only delay could overcome; and that other COM
mandcrs who accomplish much less than he did
with much more ample means, were Judged IN a
far more generous spirit. No doubt there is
truth IN the last of these complaints. If all our
generals had been treated with the rigorous scrutiny
directed against Buell., few regulations would have
survived the war. II was tie misfortune of Bucli
that he commanded in Tennessee and Kentucky
at a moment when the duty Of saving those States to
the Union seemed not less pressing than the whip
ping of the Confederate forces the field, and that
he was charged with the fortunes of strong army
in a time of great popular Impotence, when there
was clamor for something quick and BRILLIANT,
and when neither the Administration nor the conn
try yet realized the magnitude or the conditions OF
the task TO be performed.
This however after all, is only plea for mercc
General Frys real task was TO reply TO the opinion
of the Commission respecting General Buelrs man
agement of the Tennessee and Kentucky campaign
which began with Braggs invasion of Tennessee
through Chattanooga. and ended with the battle of
PeIryville. Kentucky. 1t was the Judgment of the
Commission that Buell. was to blame for falling
back from his advanced position in Middle Tennes
see to Murfreesboro and Nashville, and so leaving
the rebel general free TO cross the Cumberland,
march into Kentucky and threaten Louisville This
verdict was based upon the theory that The in
Nason of kentucky was BTggs principal object.
General Fry essays 10 prove that this was tuuda-
mental mistake; that the known objects Of Bragg
were Nashville, aud Buclis army which stood in
front of Nashville that Buells dispositions were
wisely taken 10 cover this place. which wa. much
more important chen the Union than the protection
OF the SOIL of Kcutucky that Bragg's excursion into
Kentucky was an attentions ht to which Buell. had
compelled him: that Buell. could not have pre-
vented IT without sacrificing greater interests; and
that the man~uyrcs by which the Union COM
mandcr covered Nashville. then followed his ndycr
sary north on parallel roads saved Louisville. and
brought on the battle AT Pcuyylc, deserve hearty
commentator. Tine subject il one upon which
military experts may well diner, and indeed In
order 10 make ont hi, ease General Fry has 10 tray
or,c the Judgment of no less ou authority than
A a. .t.f al .tD
tcumouy va, uu'ayola,lc f. Buell.. General
1homass memory appears, from the recovered
documents. 10 have been at fault. But newspaper
may bc spared the responsibility of Wououucmg an
opinion upon q campaign of which even the objcc-
tive i, IN dispute among those who took part ia IT,
General Ery's comments upon the battle OF Perry
willie brief and hlsty that We presume he con
eidcrs the opinion of the Commission respecting
that affair of no great consequence. The lay reader
will think otherwise. and Will feel that the attempt
20 shift the whole blame for the disapp0mtmcnts of
that day upon the gallant but Oycr-c0nidcnt
McCool has been unsuccessful II j. charged !
against Buell. that hc remained ignorant of the !
crushing assault of the rebel army upon his left |
wing OMcCook',l until so late in the day that the
achievements which hc then ordered 10 the point
Of dancer were uuayahug. and the chance of IOut-
ing Bragg was lost. 10 tins charge there is pfac- |
tioay no reply. either IN General Fry'5 book or IN
General Buclls comments upon the opinion of the |
Military Commission. That McCook ought 60 have |
promptly informed his commander of the attack !
upon his lines is beyond question; bat il seems b
Ms that the Commission was justified in concluding |
that with hs knowledge Of the presence and general
dispositions of the enemy and with signal corps |
in operation, and with the sound Of the cannon
audible at his headquarters Buell. ought TO have
learned what was going at the front, even If his
subordinate did fail to send him word. The consc-
quence Of this Icmlssncss was that night closed |
upon an incomplete battle, and that before Buell. |
in a condition TO renew it the rebels made good