Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1884-01-06
ANNIHlLATION OF ARMIES.
Catastrophe That Has Never Vet
Befallen.

Archibald Forbes in Fortnightiy Resiec:
Than humiliation" there is no more
favorite word with the critics Of maneuv-
ers and sham-fights. In a notice of a
mimic battle near Portsmouth in the Lon
don Times of the day write these lines
occurs this observation: "The guns of the
fleet would have annihilated Col. Thomp-
sons advance on the left along the sea-
shore" In truth it is RS hard thing to
"annihilate" a body of troops as it is to
kill a scandal. In a literal sense there is
scarcely a record OF such q catastrophe;
if used in figurative sense to signify
loss So great as to put the force suffering
it hOrs du combat, there is amazing testi-
niony to the quantity of "annihilation"
good troops have accepted without any
such hapless result. Here are four in
stances taken almost at random: The Con-
federates, out of 6S,000 men, engaged at
Gettysburg. lost $1,000, but Gen.
Meade held his hand from inter-
fering with their orderly retreat. OF that
battle the climax was the assault OF
Pickett's division, "the flower of Nir-
ginia," against Webb's front on the left Of
Cemetery Hill. Before the heroic Armi-
tage called for the "co!d steer' and carried
Gibbons battery with rush, the division
had met with a variety OF experiences
during its mile and half advance over
the smooth ground up to the crest. When
it first came into sight it had been piled
with solid shot; then half way across it
had been vigorously shelled, and the
double canisters had been reserved for its
nearer approach. An enflading fire tore
through the ranks; the musketry blazed
forth against it with deadly effect" This
opposite side, who adds, but it came on
magnificently. Yes, it came on to cold
steel and clubbed muskets. and after des-
perate struggle il went back foiled, to
the accomplishments which had marked
its advance. But, heavy as were its
losses, it was not "annihilated."
Pickett's division survived to be once
again a thorn in the Federal side before
the final day of fate came to it at Appo-
mattox Courthouse. At Ma-s-la-Tour AL
vensleben's two infantry divisions, num-
bering certainly not over $4,000 men tfor
they had already lost heavily at the
Spicheren Berg, sacrificed within few Of
1000 during the long summer hours while
they stood unsupported athwart the course
of the French army retreating from Metz.
But so far were they from being annihi-
lated that forty-eight hours later they
made their presence acutely felt on the
afternoon OF Gravelotte. In the July at
tack on Plevna of the 2S,000 men with
whom Krudener Schahovskoy went in,
they took out under 2l 900.
One regiment OF the latter's command
lost 725 killed and 200 wounded-about
seventy-five per cent. of its whole number
vet the Russian retirement was not dis
orderly; and next day the troops were in
resolute cohesion awaiting what might
befall them. In the September attack on
Plevna, OF 1900 Russo-Roumanian in
fantry engaged, the losses reached lS,G00.
Skobeleff commanded $4,000 men, and at
the end of his two days desperate fighting,
not 10000 of these were left standing. But
there was no humiliation, either literally
or conventionaily, if one may use the
term. The survivors who had fought on
the llth and 18th of September were
ready at the word 10 go in again on the
18th; and how they marched across the
Balkans later is one of the marvels oi
modern military history.