The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1889-02-02
A Grcetin: to Gen. Beauregard.

We have been granted the privilege
uf pursuing the following letter ad-
dressed to the most famous of IIouisi.
ana's sons, living or dead, by an emf
lneIt officer aud high authority on
strategy OF that nation from which
Gen BeaureSard himself takes his ori-
gin. 1t is our belief that this very com.
piimentary communication to Gen.
Beauresard from Gen. Pierron, profes.
sor OF strategy in the French "Superior
School of War;" will be read with in
terest ny every Southern man:
"SAINT OMER (FRANcE), !
Jan. 6, 1859.
Genera!-Do me the honor to accept
an essay published by me under the
title of ..How the Military Genius of
Napoleon was Developed
When visiting the battletields of the
United States in 1867, could not but
admire the operations SO ably directed
by you at Bull Run, Charleston, Bsr-
muda Hundreds (Dsury's Bluff
AS q lecturer on strategy in our ''Sa-
perior School OF War;" l found in Col.
Alfred Roman's fine work the means
of dem nonstrating how splendid and i'm
portant was your thought OF ofconcentra-
ting forces at the battle of Shiloh, and
which we'll nigh destroyed Gen. Grant.
Your plans for the active defense of
Charleston, DOW models in sea coast de-
tenses, and yours of 1864 for the mass
ing OF forces to crush Butler, then
Grant, but unaccOuntably rejected by
President Davis.
The officers of our s'Superior School
of War; are fully impressed with your
maxim "rhe art OF war is the art Of
opposing masses to factions"
l have translated for the use OF those
officers the most important passages Of
OF Col. Alfred Romans book; and should
the testimony of a General from a dis
tant land be of interest to you, then
accept the assurs nee that we feel Pc
culia, pride in the knowledge that p.
G. Il. Bsauregard bears French name
aud is the worthy scion OF one Of the
noblest families of old France.
1 remain, General, your obcdiont
servant,
GEN .PIEHRoN, al St.Omer, France"
1t will bs source of satisfaction to
Louisiana 10 obtain another proof that
the most prominent soldier whom their
State furnished TO the great struggle of
Il quarter OF a century ago is even more
thoroughly appreciated and more high
iy admired among European critics
and students of war than in his own
country.
Gen. Beauregard's pre-eminence as a
military engineer has, of couse, been
always beyond dispute. Gen. Pierron,
however, has in his brief remarks
shown a just appreciation of our Louis
lana Generals skill! in the handling OF
troops on the battlefield aud in the
preleminary strategic work of transpor,
and concentrations.
Nobody who is at all familiar with
| European sOciety-and especially with
European military cilcles-can have
| failed to he impressed by The high es.
! timation which those observers from Il
distance, who, according to the fami-
! liar saying, are apt to sea mos of the
game, and who must necessarily bs
impartial in their judgment, have
formed of those operations in our civ'
war which were conducted by Gen
Beauregard. There are few name
upon either side in that contest which
are so well known in Europe. W.
spoke of Gen. 'Beauregard just now a
the most famous OF Louisana'5 sons
living or dead and we spoke of bin
J thus, because we well know that hi
name is familiar tu thousands of we
/, educated persons throughout tn
= world, who would lind il impossibI
to name any other man ever born
I Louisiana. -1iH.es- Deo4uet'ot.