The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1888-11-15


never mind, grandma, 1 reckon you will
find foot.log there.
There are hills and valleys and high
mountains and deep rayines, but geogra.
ply says these are not to be considered
as marring its perfect symmetry, for they
are no more than the small indentations
upon the surface of an orange. Peace of
mind and peace at home are bigger
things than the election of a President.
BILL ARP.
LEE AND STONEWALL JACKSON.
An English Soldiers Estimate of their
soldierly Qualities.
Lord Wo1seley, in the Fortnight Reute,o.
The Confederate commander-in chief,
Gen. J. e. Johnston, WAS so badly wound
ed at the battle of Fair Oaks that be was
obliged to resign his command of the
Southern armies. Two days after Gen.
Robert Lee vas appointed to command
the Army Of Northern Virginia, upon
whose fighting power the whole Southern
Confederacy then depended. Gen. Nc.
Clellan's army of over ninety.two thous.
and men was on the Chickahominy Riv.
er within few miles of Richmond, the
seat of the Confederate Government. Gen.
McDowell's corps of about forty thousand
men, retained at Fredericksburg by
President Lincoln for the protection OF
Washington against all the principles of
military science, was at last ordered to
Join McClellan's army. To prevent this
junction, by again alarming Mr.: Lincoln
and his civilian military advises for the
safety of the Union Capital, was Lees
first object. This he could only do by
the action of the force beyond the Blue
Mountains, under the command ofthat
most brilliant of leaders and tacticians,
Gen. Stonewall Jackson. That hard.
fighting, clear headed soldier of the
Puritan stamp was then in the Shenan'
doah valley, near the village of Port
Republic. Lees army around Richmond
was much inferior in strength to that OF
the army of the Potomac, directly under
Mcclellan, without counting McDowell's
corps as part of it. The Confederate
commander had thus the difficult task
before him of making Mr.. Lincoln be-
lieye that Stonewall Jackson was about
to move on Washington, while at the
same time he drew that general with all
possible rapidity and secrecy to join him
near Richmond. 1t was designed that
while making a flourish Of trumpets in
the Shenandoah valley and threatening q
movement toward Washington, along the
Orange and Alexandria Railroad, the
Confederate army, covered by screen o;
cavalry on its lett flank, should maize q
most rapid march behind it, and fall upon
McClellan's right flank and rear, near
Mechanicsvile, on the Chichahominy
River.
The splendid execution ofthis bold and
we'll. planned movement does undying
credit to Stonewall Jackson. His division
was invincible because the leader, while
thoroughly understanding the science Of
his profession, was further endowed with
the power of carrying out the most diff
cult plans, the most far reaching strategi'
cal conceptions of his great commander
Stonewall Jackson's troops were uncon.
querable because they had unbourded
confidence in their God fearing leader,
who in his turn trusted them most fully,
and believed they could accomplish any
thing. Never was there in any army, or
portion of an army, more complete
union of spirit and of mutual confidence
than existed between Stonewall Jackson
and all under his command. AS | looked
into bis curiously blue eyes, and watched
the movements of his calm, frank and
charming face as the sentences came
slowly out of tbe firmly set and determin.
ed mouth, I felt and understood the
influence he exercised over his soldiers.
I shall not attempt in this short article
to describe how this splendidly conceived
project was as splendidly executed. How
McClellan's right was rolled up, and how
the Southern troops cut his line OF com.
munication and supply with the White
House on the PamuDky River; how the
army of the Potomac, driven from position
| to position, had to retreat, and after great
losses in men, guns, material OF all sorts,
and, above ali things. in reputation had
to seek refuge at Harrison's Landing, on
the Lower James River-these things are
known to all men. Richmond, the Con
federate Capital, was saved, and the
Northern army, recalled from its vicinity
had soon to fight on the Upper Potomac
for the safety of Washington.
Lees strategy in this year, when be
fought in defence of the Southern Capital
| and threatened and finally struck at thai
of the United States, marks him as one ol
| the greatest captains of this or of any
other age. No man has ever fought an
uphill and a losing game with greater
frmness, or ever displayed a higher
order of true military genius than he die
when in command of the Confederate
army.
The knowledge of his profession dis.
played by Gen. Mcclellan was considera'
BILE, and his strategic conceptions were
admirable; but he lacked one attribute
of general, without which no man car
ever succeed in war-he was never able
to estimate with any accuracy the mum
bers opposed to him. Before be embark
ed on this disastrous campaign be beliey'
ed the Con nfederate army at Centreville
10000 stroDg,) which then threatened
Washington, was about equal to bis owr
of 10000 men. 1t was the same with
him all through his military career. He
thoroughly enjoyed, and even in reverse
never lost, the confidence of his soldiers
The civilian strategists at Washington
dismissed him from his command after
this disastrous campaign in the Peninsu
la, to the results of which their ignorance
and folly had largely contributed. But
when, some months afterward, everything
looked very black indeed Mt Washington
and the Northern armies had been driven
back there heller skelter, it was to him
they had to turn to save them. No other
general in the Northern army could,
think, have got it together in the short
time he did to fight at Antietam in de-
fence of Washington. That battle alone
saved the Northern Capital; if lost, Lee
could have dated his dispatch from thence
to announce the triumph ofthe Southern
arms. Lee, then, possessed priceless
qualities which were lacking to McClel.
Ian. 1t was the presence in him of that
intuitiye genius for war which McClel.
Ian lacked which again and again gave
him victory, even when he was altogether
outmached in numbers.