The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-05-05
Is GRANT A SOUTHERN UERO9

II must decline 10 furnish anything IN re-
gard to General Grant for publication in the
Mail aud Express. rs my estimate OF MN y
very different from that Of persons whose
opinions you would desire to publish. Ihe
Mail and Express published this note.
| This reply is lust what those who know
! General Early would have expected him TO
write. and it ia what is most gratifying TO the
great bulk Of the Southern people, to hear one
Of their own distinguished fellow-citizens
soy on sucn al occasion. There can be no
| doubt that there has been on occasional out
| break Of late years Of sycophancy IN the
| South regarding General Grant. which has
been byn means agreeable 10 the oyerwnelm-
ing mass OF the Southern people.
A few days back the Atlanta Constitution.
speaking Of the ceremonies in New J ork con-
nected with General Grants birthday. SAID
something TO the effect that it was an occasion
which aroused as deep interest in the South
az in the North This IS very far from true
statement Of the case, and does the people OF
the South q gross injustice. Neither Grant
nor his birthday arouses any sort OF sentiments
Of veneration or respect IN the South, and II
is no less than pure sycophancy to
put out to tho world any representa-
ton to that effect. The people OF the
South are absolutely Indifferent about
Grant and his birthday, except 50 Ear
as they still cherish feelings Of bitter resent
ment for tho cruel suGerings and degrada-
tions which he, most Of all. aided ID forcing
them TO endure during the terrible period OF
reconstruction. They have not forgotten his
treatment of them then, and they never will
Il may be said that in holding them down
under the iron hand of military despots.
while carpet-baggers and scalawags robbed
and insulted them. he was only putting IN
force the DEGREES Of party that would have
forced some other person 10 DO the came
things if he bad not done them. But the peo-
pie of the South will never forget that, with his
enormous influence he never lifted up his voice
on one single occasion in depreciation
of the mad crusade of malignant persecution
launched against them by the Summers, Hoars
and Thad Stevens OF the North. lie was the
instrument. and. as far a. they could tell the
willing instrument for forcing them to en-
dure all that Ben Butler could have devised
against them in the most inspired moments
of his malignity. We remember these things,
and our chhdren's children will do the same.
so Mr.. Mail aud Express. when you wish TO
hear pans shouted to your idol you must 90
to some other land to catch your strains.
The efforts made by the sensationalists Of
the North 10 puff Grant up into the proper
tons of great military leader are too truly
preposterous for much 10 be said of them.
In all military history there is no instance
where q leader has shown himself so utterly
incompetent as Grant proved himself between
May, 1864, and April. 1865. when the resources
at his command and those at the command of
bis adversary are considered. It's only within
comparatively recent time that we have
been able TO procure reliable information con-
corning the numbers commanded by Grant
during that wonderful campaign, but we
know certain things about the matter now
definitely and authenticity.
The government of the United States IS
| having all the records of the War Department,
lished under the superintendency of compe-
tent officers of the regular army including
that Of the Secretary of War. Volume &c.
Series /, Part 3, Of this publication gives. at
page 42G, the number OF men Grant had pres
cnt for duty on the morning Of May 81, 1864
when all the fighting Of the campaign except
Cold Harbor was over They amounted to
129, $40 men. Captain Phster's book. Tho
Statistical Record places his losses between
May lst and May 3lst az 66.171. and this sub
stantaly agrees with the statistics OF Hum
phreys and Swnton. These two sums make
together total of 1871 with which Grant
crossed the Rapidan. We do not. Of course
overlook the fact that Burnside with
his corps was at Warrenton, twenty miles of,
the day Grant crossed the Rapidan, and tnas
perhaps % 600 more of his men were in the
vicinity of Washington city on that day
But Burnside could have been marched up
in one day and the others could have been
brought from Washington on the cars IN one
day SO that he could have had his entire
force present at the Rapidan on the daY he
crossed if he could have seen how he could
use them. The whole body Of 1871 is
therefore Justly chargeable TO him as present
for duty on the day he crossed.
Now what had General Lee to oppose to
this vast host? Discussions Of General Lees
numbers since General Early contributed his
article Cd that subject TO be seen in the South
ern Historical Papers for July. 1876. would be
useless. lie shows TO the point of demonstra-
ton that General Lee had less than 80 oOO
men. and hc received no renforcements until
after May Slst SO that Grant with l95, 7gl
men fought less than 50 600 for one month in
the open field and was never able 10 secure a
single advantage over them. Lees losses in
| the Wilderness and at Spotyslyania must
| have been at least 10000 killed. wounded
| stragglers and prisoners, so that on the morn
Ing of May Slst with $4,000 men he faced
Grant with l29, 620-that is equal numbers
and Grant with an extra 100000 10 do with as
be pleased.
Between May 3lst and June Sd General zee
had added 10 his army Breckinrldge's divis-
ion, Picketts division and brigade Of
Early's diyision-less than 10000 men and
on the 81 Of June Grant fought him again
at Cold Harbor aud received one OF the most
terrible oyerthrows that was ever experienced
by any commander. They fought in this
battle 1900 10 10000.
II the Yankees can make great military
hero out of this material they are welcome to