The National tribune., 1891-06-11
Read Better than Pension on page 2.
sHERMAN'S INACTION.
A Criticism OF Gen. WiIry's Article on the Battle
OF Missionary Ridge.

A Criticism OF Gen. Wilry's Article on the Battle
OF Missionary Ridge.
EpTroR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: ! find an ar
tice in your paper Of April rs. By Gen. Wiley,
of Wooster o.. entitled "Sherinan's lDaction,"
to which wish 10 enter protest. ltmattcrs not
what cause for spite Gen. Wiley may have had
against sherman. nor even what his real mo-
tives may be. IL will certainly seem TO all
right-feel veterans that he has chosen
very inopportune time 20 lanch out his venom
Gus shaft Gould he not have waited until
the daisies had blOomed At least once over the
old heTOs gTaveP
IL is true he falls hack on the "lOng-suffer-
! ing f" war records for his excuse; but II he
would only quote from them with the least
pTetcnsc OF fairness, there would be much less
reason 10 complain. What were Sherman and
| the Fifteenth Corps coming 10 Chattanooga for
/ Ia such bot haste? Had not ROsecran9 just
whipped Bragg az Chckamauga, and taken from
him the objective of the campaign so az
/ least We have been told by the ehroniclers OF
the Army Of the Cumberland for several years
past is IL not true, and this same army was
so nearly starved out that the Secretary Of
War WAS afraid Rosecrans would either retreat
/ or surrender, and therefore relieved him2
Sherman and Hooker were sent TO raise the
siege, and they did il.
IL is hardly worth while 70 investigate
whether Sherman could have gotten there
/
himself proves that the delay was really an
/ advantage 10 MS in the subsequent battle. We
can only infer what Sherman was expected %
accomplish at Tunnel Hill. Wiley says he was
90 deliver great and crushing blow" and
blames Sherman that Bragg's army escaped
/ III Wiley is correct the two divisions Of the
4 Army Of the CumbGTland who so CALAMITY
charged the Ridge from Orchard Knob, were
deserving Of censure instead OF praise for de-
1 feRting the purposes OF Gen. Grant Does Gen.
4 Wiley think SO?
IL the object OF the movement had primarily
been 10 capture Brarg's army, why was not tho
strategy Of the Chick amauga campaign follow
edg Even the merest military tyro will recog-
nize that you couldn't clpiure that army as long
Is the gaps on it's left flank were left open, and
| that Hooker, not Sherman, was the man 20
draw the mouth Of the net" i take it that
Grants design was simply 10 drive Bragg from
his position as speedily as possible, aud OF
course, with a much loss TO the enemy Rs pos
sible. aud hurry Sherman in turn 70 the relief
Of Burnside.
Gen. Wiley proves by tie very orders he
quotes with 80 much ostcntation, that Thomas,
| Hooker, and Sherman were 10 move at the
same moment. He finds fault with Sherman
for not moving fast euongh. bat has no word Of
censure for Thomas who did not move at all,
or NJ least not for nine hours after he had been
ordered 10 start. lie complains OF ShermAns
extra caution In regard TO his left flank, when
/ he well knows that from that direct ion serious
danger was most likely 20 come. On that side
were Clcburne and Buckner. and even Long
street (whose return was not an impossibility)
Possibly il Gen. Wiley himself had been
equally careful on several occasions the NOR
tality list Of the 4lst Ohio might not have been
80 frightfully large
Ny understanding has always been that
Sherman's movement lslso Hooker's) was in
tended 10 draw of the Confederate reserves, so
that Thomas could break the center, and in this
light IL was a complete success. Sherman
could not know exactly what force opposed
10 him, bat be did know the possibilities Of mis-
position and used doc caution accordingly. IL
seems strange that any question should be
raised as 10 Sherman's fighting abilities. His
record as a brigade, division, and corps com
mSnder needs no defense aud that he was able
; 10 curb the natural impetuosty Of his dispO-
sitiOn aud substitute strategy for reckless
, bravery should not be to his detriment.
But the richest joke OF all Gen. Wiley's long
; article is found i'm almost its concluding sen
fences He gravely informs ms that had Hooker
or ROsccrans been in Shcrman's place either OF
them would have swept the Ridge like
cyclone" ROsecrans had 10 be almost
: kicked out of his trenches at TullahOma by
! such orders As were sent him from Washington
] Aug. 4 aud Q, 1863 aud was proyerbially the
0 slOwest poke" in the whole army, aud
Q Hooker was never known to bring a battle
| % conclusion, and who practically, by hi,
impotent management OF his fine army al
: Charlottesville lost all the advantages Of his
I previous brilliant strategy, retiring from IA,
j face OF the enemy with army not half Of
i whom had fired gun.
= Truly, Gen. Wiley affords Us a most extra
a ordinary proof Of what his own judgment il
= worth. IL IL not matter Of fact that after Oh,
4 storming OF Lookout Mountain the only way
a 10 capture Bragg and his army would have beer
10 reinforce Hooker strongly, and throw BIZ
forces cato the railroad at Dalton or Resaca
But if Grants object was simply TO relieve
Chattanooga from siege as quickly as possible
aud then press on 10 the rescue Of Burnside
did he not take the speedicst way to effect IL
ID lie drew of the reserves 10y threatening flank
ing movements, and then broke the weakened
u center by dsshng charge. And that is jus
n what Grant did do at Chattanooga aud wha
= Sherman attempted 20 do at Kcnesaw.
- As 10 the comparative merits Of the vari0u
! armica, have nothing 10 say. Thoy Tough
= equally well when equally well commanded
= But do think whatever may be Gen. Wiley
a opinion, the administration OF the Army of Tia
- Cumberland under Sherman aud Of the Arm
!. Of the Potomac under Grant, will compare favor
~ ably with the same armies under RosecTan
- aud Hooker And now, l want to ask the CON
- rades IL il is not time 10 call halt On sue
articles, written either 10 secure nOtoriety O
=, for the purpose Of getting even " for some un
- explained grieyRncel If IL cannot be brOugh
- about otherwise, should we not unanimOusl
- quote 10 any Subsequent offender the very M
- propriRte reply Of Ben Butler 10 an attack
- similar calber, 'Shoo Hyl"-C. s. SAEGEASl
u Caldwell o.