The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-10-19

country could lie preserved from absolute
want there was no danger that the enemy
would prevail. And indeed, II seems i'm.
possible that the country can be conquered
| while the army is animated by the enthusl-
| ssm which pcrvadss IL at present. The
soldiers are burning with impotence to
meet the enemy again, and II requires all
the authority OF the commandments 70
restrain their impotence within the bounds
OF military discipline; but in all matters,
defeat as well as victory, General Lee II
safe when counting on the devotion OF his
soldiers.
The genefal.in-chief has just finished his
report Of the campaign In pennsylvania,
which is intended for publication. III IS q
clear and forcibe exposition OF the motives
which inspired bis actions and the conse.
quences which have Resulted III
states that the battle OF Gettysburg
was ali event entirely unforeseen.
His plan was 20 eyade all engagements dur
ing The summer. and 10 mislead the enemy
as much as possible concerning his tactics.
lie wished 20 gain time, and topreserve the
strength Of his army and the blood oil MS
soldiers. The battle OF Gettysburg was
forced upon him Unexpectedly upon the hrst
of July. II was maintained her0ically
until the night OF the Sd. On the 4th he be-
gan that mastery retreat which was ac-
cOmplished amid a thousand diihcuities,
most of which were caused by the sudden
rise of the waters Of the upper Potomac.
Towards the middle Of July the Army OF
Virginia foand itself in position south OF
the Rapidan, with lines extending beyond
Culpeper Courthouse. Towards the end OF
August theX withdrew TO Orange Court
house. where ! visited them. 1T would DC
very difficult TO define exactly the po-
sition OF the army ut this time. An
undulating country, cut by rayines ana
hills. mostly wooded thickly, offers thous-
aud means 10 blind the enemy and TO
mslead his "Reminiscences. one army
corps knows not the position OF the
other. The nearest military nelgh-
bors Of the generals camp do not
know its true position. All is order ana
method in the plans Of the general-in-chief,
and when the hour arrives to put them IN
execution the loyalty of his efficient officers
| will not fail him.
AT GoriOnsyiile | had the pleasure of
meeting, In the person Of the pr0yOstmaf'
shall Of the Army Of Virginia, my friend DR.
| G.. BOYLE. Of Washington. lie controls the
moving Of troops from one army corps 10 an
other. He assured me that In about three
weeks he had supplied the army OF Lee WIN
men enough 10 repair the losses OF the
| Pennsylvania campaign. This TACT explains
1
officers and soldiers TO again measure
s,,ords with the enemy.
XXfv.-THE ARMY or THE TRANs-MIsSIs-
SIPPI.
| The fall of NIcksburg and Port Hudson
although not opening to the Federals cleal
passage between the upper and lower MIS-
sissippi, cut off all means of communica'
ton for the COnfederates between that por,
1 ton Of their army west of the Mississippi
and their governmental centre. This trans
Mississippi army, finding themselves lett "a
| their own resources, set themselves vail
antly to work to fulfil the mission which
| had fallen to them, and prepared to defend
their soil from all invasion.
The State Of Texas, which includes an
area Of square miles equal to that OF France.
is in such a condition of prosperity that 1t
| isa prepared 10 arm and equip large
army. and that for the duration of the war,
should il last ten years. Its immense flOcks
of sheen furnish wool in; abundance; lis
| cattle furnish leather and beef, and its fer
tile valleys all necessary cereals. The
white population of the State, which IN
! 1860 amounted TO 420,65l, has increased by
one hundred and eighty thousand since Tue
| the beginning of hOstilities in 1861 to the
PRESENT time by the immigration OF persons
kansas. The supply of artillery, both field
and siege pieces, depended entirely upon
the War Department situated at Richmond.
| As this has been cut Off. General Magruder,
who is i'm command of the army, has receiver
from the President full power TO act as he
thinks best under the circumstances, and he
has established foundry ut Galveston
which has already furnished siege pieces
enough to defend the city; neither has held
artillery been neglected, so that we find the
army of the trans-MissssipDi upon war
footing quite equal to any OF the other arm
les of the COnfcderacy.
The Texans have a reputation for bravery
which they have richly earned.
/ The engagement which took place be-
tween them and the Federals in Galveston
bay on the 1st OF January OF the present
year gives us a faint idea Of their intre.
pidity. In this engagement they captured
| the Harriet Lane" and would have cap
tured several others If the Federals had
not blown them up 10 keep them from fall
ing into the hands of the C0niederates.
still more recently an engagement oc-
CURED on Sabine river, in which the Con-
lederates captured several vessels and
drove back the Fcderals beyond their lines
of defense.
The day is not far distant when the troops
| "a
will have an opportunity TO prove on other
fields that they deserve to rank among the
foremost in the ranks Of the COnfederacy.
NxV.-THE ARMY OF THE WEST.
The Army of the West, commanded by
General Bragg, has rested comparatively
inactive since the battle of Murfreesb0rO
which took place towards the end OF De
cember, 1862, until quite recently. when, by
| the skilful strategy of the Coniederates
the Federal army, under the command OF
General ROsencranz, was forced 10 issue
from the position they had occupied fOI
some time, and accept the gage OF battle
offered by General Bragg. The latter gen
eral was supported by detachments of the
Army of the Mississippi, under the com.
mand of General Joseph +. Johnston, and
also by portion of the Army OF Northern
| Virginia.
These encounters were followed by the
| battle of Chickamauga, of which we have
recently received the details.
The remnant of the army of Rosencranz,
the command of which has fallen TO General
| Thomas, is shut up in Chattanooga, where
it will be compelled 10 stand siege, while
the division under the command OF Burn
side sent TO the assistance of Thomas will
have TO deal with the Confederate troops
which are in pursuit OF them.
The result of this struggle may put an
end TO Federal dominion on the soil of Ten
nessee, or at any rate cause suspension OF
hostilities until the return of spring.
XXVI.-THE CONFEDERATE ARMY.
One can form no correct opinion Of the
material which composed the Confederate
army by basing his judgment upon an ac-
quaintance with the armies of Europe or
with that of the United states. 1t differed
from that of the United States in that it
possessed no mercenaries. Each soldier
was "A citizen "natye and to the manor
born" son Of the soil. The larger num-
Der possessed fortunes more or less con-
siderable, and were men OF liberal educa-
ton and manners suited better for the
amenities OF social life than the rough sur
roundings of the biyouac. Each believed
that ms was fighting for the liberty of his
country, and had hope for no other reward.
Ii differed from the armies OF Europe in
that between IL and the people ran no line
of demarcation. Each man was citizen
soldier and a soldier-citizen. To-day no
was following the plow, and tomorrow he
was following the drum. There was no tran
sition period. The conscript law, or rather
their method of recruiting, applied TO all
without dstinction-all rushed TO the de-
tense of their native soil, At the opening