The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-05-30
RICHMOND, VA, FRIDAY, MAY 80, 1896

| cesslty OF richmond 10 the lie OF the south
ern cause,
, Washington talked OF reireatihs IN tn
: last resort TO tie mountains of West An
: gusta, aud there maintaining an iindyifii
resistance 20 The British invaders. II is pos
: siplc that such a guerilla warfare nigh
nave succeeded q hundred years ago agains
an enemy coming across the Atlantic be
IOrc the Use Of steam on sea and river anl
: railway. and before even turnpikes c0u
, nectcd the coast with the mountains. IL |,
possible. But the probability is that as il
other contests, the end Of organized regular
warfare would have been the virtual end o
the struggle. How much more must thi'
have been the case in OF. recent war. whef
military ornaments had alre idy become
complies and ariiiicialy
Modem armies with their elaborate sinai
arms, artillery and amiiiunition caiin0t bt
maintained without great mechanical ap!
planes. They cannot even be fed without
great lines Of railways. And how can rail-
WAYS be operated in a country closelt
b.Ockahed Wth0u, these same manuiacin
ring rescurcesy All this was true from
1861 10 1863. At no time during that pc
Rod did there exist south Of Richmond fOun-
dries and rOling-miIs capable in years
work Of supplying the Confederate armies
and railways for three months. In the first
part of the war the nucleus Of such
establishments could not be found
elsewhere in the South. In the latter part.
beginnings had been made, but the new
production of cannon and railway material
never became adequate TO the demands Of q
campaign. If the requisite machinery
could have been imprOyised, the product
could not have been hastily increased. be-
cause Of the absolute lack of skilled work
men. The loss OF the skilled artisans Of
! Richmond would have been as fatal in orr
| poverty as the loss Of lis mills and work
shops.
The defence Of Richmond, then, was tine
superhuman task 10 which Lee now found
| himself committed by the policy Of the Con-
! federate government, and by the pressure Of
Of conditions, independent Of his will OF con-
| troll
How precious for Us Nirgnians is this init
mate association Of his immortal labOrs
with this city Of our ailections--for more
than a century the centre OF our state life,
for four years Of heroic struggle the inyiOs
late citadel Of people in arms !
The familiar objects about us are memo
rails Of him-the streets which his feet have
trOdden, the church whero he wOrshipped,
| the modest dwelling which sheltered those
nearest his heart, the heights overlooking
! river and land which make mp the military
topography he had so deeply studied. and
the graves Of that silent army by which our
city is still begirt. loJ can hardly prOl0ng
your evening walk without coming upon
fields once like any others, but now touched
with that mysterious meaning which
speaks from every spot where, for home
and kindred. men have fought and died.
Thus, at the critical mODent, when a
triling advance Of McClellan's forces
would have begun a siege Of Richmond, Lee
took command Of the army marshalled for
its defence. His first step was to override
opinions tending To a retirement Of our line.
His next was 10 iOrtify that line and sum-
mon TO his aid for a great aggressive effort
all the forces that could be spared in Virgil
MIA. Georgia and the CarOlinas. In his COM
prchensive plan for the great day Of bat
he now at hand was embraced that small
but heroic band with when Jackson had
Just defeated three armies, filled the Federal
capital with alarm and diverted from Nc
ClCllan McDOwelfs powerful reinforcement.
The secrecy in which Lee knew how 20
wrap this movement was itself a presage OF
generalship' He not only concealed Jack
sons rapid march 50 that Shields and Nc
DOwell should not follow on his heels, but,
by an actual movement by rail Of Writings
division to Charlottesville, ne made McClel-
Ian believe that he was sending strong
detachment 10 the valley. Then. with an
army still inferior 10 lis adversary by AT
least One-fOurth, he burst upon McClellan's
right wing.
By Lees wise and bold combinations the
weaker amy showed at the point of attack
dOnble the strength Of the stronger. The
Federal general saw his communications
snatched from his control. his right wing,
after an obstinate and bloody conflict.
broken and put to flight. his whole army
turning lis back upon the goal 81 the cam
aud tMhfipr = IlrNf
issues Of lite and deaih-not for Richmond
but for safety and refuge place under tue
Guns Of the fleet
need not recall the yalor, the sacrifices.
the chcqucred fortunes, or the visible tro
phies of those seven DAYS Of heroic struggle.
Whatever criticism may be passed upon the
details OF the several actions, the broad fact
remains that. as their direct result that
moral ascrndancy. which Is the real genius
Of victory. for-O0k the Federal and passed
over to the Confederate camp. And Lee
rose up, in the minds Of friend and foe, 10
the full II iture Of great and daring leader.
An act of yg0r quickly showed how cor
rcctly he estimated the staggering effect Of
the mighty blow he had dealt lie hurried
jackson TO GordOnsyille to meet Popc's
Threatening force. and soon he dispatched
\. =. Hills division on the same service.
.JacksOns fierce attack on Banks 40 Cedar
Mountain, at once caused new alarm for
Washington. 4 rapid weakening ~ Nc
Clellan's force was the result.
Reading this with that inuitive percep
ton of what is passing behind the enemy :
lines, which hencei0rth marks him a. NJ
10 command, Lee recognizes that the ini-
tiatiye is now in his hands, and presently
moves with nearly his whole army to the
line Of the Rapidan. His design is by
CELEBRITY and YigOr 10 cOunterDdlance the
enormous prcpOnderance Of his enemies.
lie means 10 fall upon Pope before McClel-
lan's army can Join him. You know the
splendid bOldness Of Jacks0n's immortal
march TO Pope's rear. which Lee approved
and ordered.
You know how. after prodigies of rapid
movement. obstinate fighting and intrepid
guidance, the Army Of Northern Virginia
stood once more united on the plains OF
Manassas, and there baiiied and crushed an
adversary its superior by one half in num-
bers. Again the Federal Army turned IFS
back upon the goal Of the campaign. Again
the Federal Army bent its march-nOt to lis
commanders, but 10 Lees impcriOus Will.
The invasion Of Maryland. the capture of
Harper's Ferry attested il: and Lees vie
tOrious sweep was only checked by one of
those unlucky accidents inseparable from
war. His order for the combined move
ments of his troops fell INTO Mcclellan
hands when the ink upon twas scarcely dry.
This precipitated the great battle OF
Sharpsburg.
ON that sanguinary field 10000 Conieder-
ates finally repulscd every attack of an
army Of 81 900 Federal soldiers. On the day
following the battle. they grimly stood IN
their lOng thin lines inviting the assault,
which, as history viii record, was not de-
liycred.
If ever commander was tried by over
whelming and continuous peril, and rose SUI
perior 10 il. and triumphed by sheer moral
power over force and fortune, Lee on those
two fateful DAYS gave that supreme proof OF
n greatness Of soul, rs much above depress-
ion under reYerses az. elation in success:
In such moments the army feel The lolty
Genius % their leader. They acknowledge
his roval right 10 command. They recOg-
nze their proud privilege 70 follow and
obey. 10 such leaders only is il given 10
form heroic soldiers. Such were the ragged
lfstaryed men in gray, who stood with
Ice al sharpsburg.
II is the vision of some such moment,
perhaps. that our sculptor, Mercie, has
caught with the eye Of genius and fixed IN
imperishablo bronze. The general has rid
den up, II seems to me, i'm some pause 81
battle 20 The swelling crest Of the front line.
and, while the eyes Of his soldiers are fas-
D. in. A.