New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-05-17
THE COMTE DE PARIS.
HISTORY OF THE CIVIL WAR.

p,epf with Author Volume W. eVo' FP AVN, SS-'
Philadelphia Porter d Coates
The fourth volume Of tho American edition OF
the Comtc de Paris's History OF the OWL war
contains the seventh and part Of the eighth vol
umes Of the French edition The American edter
states in PREDATORY note that this last instament
of the work embraces all that was contained III
the manuscript which the distinguished author car
lied with him when he was banished from france.
Previous to the PRONUNCIATION OF the decree Oh pan
shment a speedy completion OF the work was hoped
for, but political responsibilities and an enforced
absence from the collection OF DOCKS ana manu-
scripts at Chateau a. En- relating to the OWL war
of ls6l-'65 have not justified this hope"
The present volume opens with tho advance to
Tullaboma in the Eastern Tennessee campaign Of
1868: proceeds with the account Of the engage
ments at Cumberland Gap, Daviss Cross-Road the
hattie of Chickamauga. The second book treats of
the siege Of Chattanooga, the situation Of the Army
Of the Ohio at Knoxville, with Longstreet's futile
campaign and closes with TIE battles Of Lookout
Mountain and Missionary Ridge In the third book
the Fort Sanders episode is described, with the maj
retreat of Longstreet and Forests expedition.
The history then turns to Charleston and follows
the progress OF the blockade and bombardment to
the evacuation OF Fort Wagner and the failure sf
the first naval attempts to capture Fort sumter
The third charter of this book is concerned with
deals with the Red River expedition, Fort Pillow,
Mansfield, and Alexandria in the carly part Of
1854. the volume ending with the Florida expcdi-
ton and the defeat of Seymour at Olpstee.
The account Of the East Tennessee campaign de-
yelops strong sceptcism as to the capacity oil
Rosecrans and Bragg both. The Comtc de Paris
is military historian who steadfastly strives TO
hold the scales of justice even 1t is very seldom
that his conclusions indicate the least prejudice,
and in regard of Representatives, he is model
critic But he does not at all hold with such crit
les as General Cist, who have seen no fault with
Rosecrans's dispositions even at Daviss CROSSROADS
and Chiclramauga, and who have almost seemed TO
regard his subsequent investment at Chattanooga
as part of q mastery strategy. In one detail the
Comte de Paris however, appears TO have been less
careful than is his won't. In describing the move
ment of General Wood on the second day of
Chckamauga which left the fatal gap in the
line of the Union right the Comte says that
Rosecrans dispatched to Wood an order, ex-
pressed in brief and peremptory terms, to close
promptly upon Reynolds Now there is an i'm
portant omission in this statement. The order
which was written, was follows The Cen
eral commanding directs that you close up on
REYNOLDS as fast as possible, and support him."
The itacised words show that whatever the order
NAV have been as Rosccrans delivered it, it had
been twisted by the ade-de-camp who wrete II
down for as handed to Wood it certainly seemed
TO REQUIRE his withdrawal from the line of battle,
but az the same time 1t exhibited confusion of
terms or thought or both, which should have
warned Wood OF the danger Of trying to interpret
IL literally He knew that it was based on error,
since there was no gap between his corps and
that of Reynolds, and moreover, as the latter had
hardly vet been seriously engaged, he could not
REQUIRE support. But it was his Interpretation
of the order to support Reynolds which led WOOD
to leave the line, and created opportunity Tor tne
disaster which followed and this fact is not shown
by the Comte de Paris according TO whose state
ment the movement Of Wood seems unlnteilglple'
When corps commander receives an order which
is plainly selfcontradictory he is thrown upon his
own Judgment and responsibility, That was where
Wood erred But Rosecrans shares the accounta-
Il bty with him. and in other details OF the battle
has more than enough responsibilities which he
can share with none.
The Comte de Paris strongly condemns his con-
duct in leaving the field and abandoning Thomas
IN his heroic defence Of the lett. General Clst
has done his best to soften this episode by alleging
that McCooll and Garfield admired and approved
the commanders headlong Eight TO Chattanooga,
but even he is obliged to admit that his CHEZ
lost his head amid the confusion of the rout
pouring through McFarlands Gap. That admls-
sion. however is fatal. A commander-ln-chief
who loses his head while great battle Is as yet
undecided cannot be trusted with mighty enter
nrises There is no case on record in which Grant
lost his head, for ten minutes, and there were
times when the prospect must have seemed quite
as dark to him as it was on the afternoon OF the
goth September at Chickamauga. But the French
historian. while severely censuring Rosecrans for
his course both before, during and after CmcKa-
manga is none the less of opinion that the final
responsibility for the disaster rests with Halleck
who, by suspending the operations of the other
armies enabled the Confederates to reinforce
Bragg and to concentrate a force superior IN all
arms to that under Rosecrans. Fortunately Tor
the Union cause Bragg himself was not an eminent
commander nor was he well served by all his
Iieutenants Folks slothfulness on the second
day of Chickamauga was of great advantage to
the Federals, while Bragg's own blunder would
quite possibly have enabled Thomas to WIN VIC
tory on the verge of defeat but for the presence
and dash Of Longstrcet.
The events succeeding Chickamauga; the shut
ting-up Of the Army Of the Cumberland in
Chattanooga; Resecrans's depression and heslta-
ton Halecks tardy effort to reinforce MN !;
Brsggs feeble investment and imperfect occupa-
ton of Lookout Mountain: Grants energetic ad-
vent and the instant preparation Of offensive
measures; the prompt opening Vi Oo"ih""i'"
via Browns Ferry: the arrival OF Sherman WIN
the Fifteenth Corps: the storm1ng OF Lookout
Mountain and the magnificent capture OF Mission
arv Ridge: are described with the careful minute
ness which characterizes the whole of this his
tory. The Comic de Paris does not forget to en-
phasze the splendid rebuke given to Grants
doubts of its spirit by the Army of the Cumber-
land in its spontaneous conversion of what was
meant for q demonstration merely into victorl-
Gus attack At Missionary Ridge the Union SOL
ders literally took the operation into their hands,
and no one was more surprised than Grant him
self when he saw the line charging with irresistible
impetuosity up the steep slopes of the Ridge ms
time Bragg was carried away in the rout, as Rose