The National tribune., 1890-07-03
UNDERSIGNED EULoGY.

once week, puDllsneu In new YORK, mas
made strong bid for Southern circulation
by getting out " Gen. Lee number" Two
pages are devoted to a fine portrait of the
rebel leader, "reminiscences are given of him
by Mrs. Roger A. Pryor and others, and the
editorial and part of another page are oc-
cupied with q eulogy of the rebel chieftain,
in which he is awarded place in history
with those great Captains-with Hannibal,
Charles XII of Sweden, and Napoleon
Bonaparte-who, although unsuccessful in
the end, have gained more glory than their
conquerors."
This is gush and nonsense. IT is wicked
to feed the rising generation on such false
hood Lee never approached the Captains
named in achievements. History will pro-
nounce that he was not the equal of either
Grant or Sheridan in leading men, in plan
ming campaigns, and carrying out great
movements to complete success. Had he
been he would not have suffered such over
whelming defeat as he did at their hands
while he was commanding approximately
equal numbers, with great advantages of
position and interior lines. Would Hanni-
bal, Charles XII, or Bona7arte, if in COM
mand of $4,000 veteran troops behind the
works of Petersburg, have suffered an op-
ponent with $4,000 men to drive them out,
chase them across the country, and finally
surround and capture them? The student
of their history would scorn the idea Lee
gained his reputation-as many inferior
commanders have gained theirs, rs Indian
chiefs and banditti Captains have done-by
standing on the defensive in difficult
country. This as We have said before, is a
low walk of generalship. A commander of
very moderate abilities can make much
reputation while standing on the strictly
defensive, where n much ADLER General will
lose reputation on the offensive The highest
test of q General comes when he attempts
TO carry ont an aggressive campaign against
brave and determined enemy defending
his own ground. Lee always met with dis
aster when he attempted the offensive, such
as our Generals had to do constantly. Rose
Grams outmanuvered him with the greatest
ease in West Virginia, and drove him out Of
the State in disgrace. His campaign into
Maryland and Pennsylvania were gigantic
blunders in conception and execution, and
men who are filed with the idea of his great
ness are constantly amazed ut his mis-
management from first TO last.
Speaking of the Peninsular Campaign, the
article says:
How much the sword Of one great General weighs
when fung into the scale Of war. may be computed
from the fact that the Washington Government
which only 30 days before had doomed its forces
adequate for all emergencies. now issued. In a
fever OF anxiety. call for 10000 men.
It was not merely the accession Of Lee 70
the command OF the rebel army in front Of
Richmond and the result of the eombats on
the Peninsula and the Bull Run line that
determined this call for 900 men. We had
tried to hold line 1000 miles long, extend
ing from Fort Monroe through Virginia
Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri and the Ter
ritories, with 100000 men. We found this
force absurdly inadequate. The rebels had
thrown against ii all the young men they
could conscript in population OF 10000
| 000 and were driving it back everywhere
/ in Virginia, Kentucky and Missouri, and we
had to have at least BOG, 900 more men &c
resist them. Even then we really did mol
have any more in the field than they bsough,
against us.
The subsequent invasion OF Maryland wa,
checked at Antietam, but IL n only fair 10 remcni
| Der that ia that battle the Union forces largely
outnumbeTcd the Confederates, and proved unabl,
TO prevent Lee from retiring uBmolested tbi
! Potomac
In that campaign Mcclellan entirely ont
manuyered Lee, and had him at his mercy.
McClellan's tactics had been as good as hi
strategy, Lees army would never have re
crossed the Potomac except AS prisoners o
war. Nothing in the history of any war il
more unaecountable than McCleIlan's allow
ing Lee 10 escape from him at Antetam.
Two months later. nj fredericksburg Lee Ia
iloied onthe greatly reinforced Union army unde
| Burnside. defeat which nothing but the advent O
night hindcred from becoming massacre.
The battle of fredericksburg was no credi
TO Lees generaIship. He simply put hi
army in an enormously strong position
which any Sergeant could have done
and Burnside favored him by maxim
an unsupported attack upon the poin
where an attack could not have an
hopes of success. There is no generalsh
where your enemy deliberately butts hi
head against stone wall. Nor did nigh
"prevent an appalling massacre" If Lee
men had come out from behind their ston
walls and works TO attack the Army {
the Potomac, the battle of Fredericksbur
would have had much more glorious enc
ing.
The three days. battle at Chancellorsvile Una
2 aud T. 1853 of the most brilliant yicio
les gained either side during the civil war D
reason Of the disparity Of forces the vctors sid