New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-05-07

verv questionable whether earthwOrks manned by
much line Of sklrmshers. pIephren u s anu
ccssfuIv assaulted save as the result OF sur
prise Sedgwc1's captures OF the RappahanhocA
redoubts and Of Maryes iieigas nave ihueeu coser
Consideration il is apparent that, although in the
former ease the Confcderatcs had been looking LOT
an attack, they had given up all expectation Oh
being called on to meet it that day, when, just at
sunset Russell fell suddenly upon them ana mn
ished the affair handsomely before they had time
70 recover Marye's Heights, again, may be de-
| scrbcd as q moral surprise, for no Confederate
officer or man that had witnessed the bloody re-
pulse of Burnsides great army on the very SANE
pected 10 be called SO soon to meet the swift
and triumphant onset Of a single corps OF thal
army. Moreover. Sedgwick's tactical arrangements
The truth is. the insignificant appearance OF
line of simple breastwOrks has almost always
caused those general and statf officers especially
that viewed them through their feld-qlasses, WIN
the diminishing power of long perspective, to ior-
set that an assault upon al enemy behind cntiench-
ments is not so much battle as oatt"e wn cn,
To be shot or if he stops 70 shoot II is IN PLAIN
sight of an almost inv sible foe European exam
rles as usual misapple1 misunderstood, have
contributed largely 10 the consistency OF this fatal
illusion. and Ciudad Rodrigo and IndaJos have
served but rs incantatons TO confuse many mind
10 which these sounding syllab1es were no more
than names: ignorant therefore. of the stern
necessities that drove Wellington 70 these victories.
frgetfu of their fearful cost and above all ignor-
ing or fOr2ettIHV IIc AXIOM on WhlcH IrS'. Wv
whole art and science Of military engineering
that .he highest and stoutest of stone walls must
Weld at last TO the smallest trench through when
man nav creep unseen. Vast indeed. Is the az
ference between an assault upon walled town. 0e-
livcred as last resort after crownng the giacIS
and opening wide the breach. and any conccivan"
movement. though hearing the same name. maze
as the first resort against earthworks OF the very
kind whereby walled towns are taken approached
over ground unknown and perhaps ohstructHd;
Even So in the storm of Rodrigo the defenders
struck down more than third OF their own num-
bprs: Badaios taken by happy chance aftcr
the main assault had miserably failed: at Do'h
places the losses of the assaants were in proper
ton less and in numbers but little greater. than
at Port Hudson vet in the contemplation OF the
awful slaughter Of Badajos, even TIE iron lrmnesS
of Wellington broke down in q passion OF tears
The six chapters devoted TO military operations
In the Shenandoah, and the battles of the Ope-
quon Fishers Hill and Cedar Creek arc among the
moot luminous in the book. While no essen
italy new details Of these bewderng battle
scenes are presented the account given of them
in these pages has never been excclled for clear
ncss and precision The maps and plans with
which the book is illustrated are excellent and
serve to render the complex details Of military
manocuvrcs ineligible The appendix supple
ments the volume with rosters, lists of losses III
battle, and the official register Of the "Fororn
Hope at Port Hudson. Nothing is lacking to
make this volume a permanent and authoritative
record of the military achievements OF the Nine
tecnth Army Corps As such it is valuable
addition TO the history Of the American civil con