Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1889-08-30
THE LATE CIVIL WAR.
GNEERAL WOLSELEI'S CRITI-
CISNS-NILITARY GENIUS
or JACKSON.

GAEEHIL " OLNLI m - 'hf -
CISMS-NILITARY GENIUS
or JACKSON.
HOW he MYs TIFIED HIS OPPO-
NENTs-THE BRILLIANT CAM
PAIGNs OF THE VALLEY-OPIN-
IONS OF LEE.
Viscount WOlseley, the distin.
guished English general, contrib
utes to the August number of the
North Americdn Rcriec another OF
his series of articles on the Amer
lean civil war, IN which he pays a
high tribute to the military genius
of Stonewall Jackson, and writes
in an interesting way Of General
Lee and Mcclellan.
There are some, he saws, who
think that war Is a game Of pnre
chance, in which great leaders
form their plans on some unintel-
ligable inspiration which guides
them as to the right course to be
pursued, that, they draw nothing
from the experience of earlier wars,
and that none can tell why one
man succeeds and another fails
Let those who think thus call to
mind the words ! have quoted from
StOnewall Jackson, drawn absO-
lutely and merely from his knowl-
edge of war as learned from the
great leaders Of former days.
Then let them observe how IN prac-
tice, both Lee on the larger and
Jackson on the minor scale applied
them, and to how great an extent
the trlumphs of their armies were
due to the skllful application of
those principles. Moreover, since,
as Burns tells us, the best laid
schemes 80 mice and men gang
aft agley,' let them note how,
when the men faileI, the principles
asserted their Importance.
JACKSON IN THE VALLEY.
In the first place, consider the
respective forces in the Shenan-
doah Valley and neighboring de.
partments. Jackson had an avail
able force at first, IN the beginning
of March 1861, of about 5000 men,
strengthened at the beginning Of
May by Ewell = division which rails
ed his army to perhaps 900 men.
According to the careful estimate
Of the editors mote page 2sG), there
were opposed to him in the Valley
44,0i0 men. In addition, there
were IN the neighboring depart
ments, available for the march on
Richmond, a number Of troops that
brought up their forces to 5000
men. Asa great strategic ques-
tion, the object desired by the EN-.
ployment of JacksOn's little
army in the Shenandoah Valley
was to keep occupied and retain
there as large number Of the
Federal forces as posi- bic, so that
the main Confederate army eugag-
ed in the decisive issue against
Mcclellan should have every posi-
Dle chance. In fact, it was Jack
sons role to prevent any rein force
ments from being sent to McClel.
Ian, and above all things, to create
an alarm at Washington for the
safety of that capital.
MYSTIFYING THE ENEMY.
In his first action at KernstOwn,
when he was acting purely on the
defensive, JacksOn's object was
to simply "mystify the enemy a.
TO his actual numbers. This. he
accomplished, time after time, by
the choice of strong pOsitlons 5,
where without committing hi nscif
to decisive action, be was still
able to deal with considerable por-
tiOns of the enemy's forces. In
these operations, therefore, he
qualified his general principle, "to
remain quiescent in presence Of
superior force" by giving battle
whenever attacked by fractions Of
the Union forces. He succeeded
in his large purpose, for the alarm
he created at Washin gton was suf-
flcent to stop any further troops
being withdrawn from the Valley
and Banks corps, then on its
march TO the Potomac was stopped
and turned back towards Wlnches-
ter. This action a, Kernstown
took place on March Is, 1862, and
it was on his arrival at Fort Mon
roe, on April %, that General
Mcclellan received "a telegram
Withdrawing 10000 men from his
command. IL is therefore reason.
able to conclude that this weaken.
ing of the Army of the Potomac
was consequent upon JacksOn's
demonstration towards Winchester
with a tlny army, whose ylgor
caused its strength TO be, as usual
so greatly exaggerated. thus he
had already begun "mystiiying
and misleading his enemy.
BRILLIANT STRATEGIC MOVES.
1t is, however, his next moves
which afford the most brilliant IL
lustration OF his military principles.
His sudden disappearance and sup
posed flight from Port Republic,
allowing despair to settle on the
minds of all bis friends in the Valley
had tho result he Intended-that
is, their genuine beliefs and ankle
too of onoo -aachad tha qupmV -.