Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1892-04-02
SOME QUEER THINGS IN WAR.
Mistakes and Worse which Occurred and
the Consequences.

No participant in the first battle Of
RulI Run was able to tell how the
memorable panic started. 1t should
never have been. Although the Fed.
eraI troops were outnumhered when
the Confederate reinforcements came
rom the valley, they could have fallen
hack in good ort-r and formed a new
line IN the rear.
Burnside should never have attack .
ed at Fredericksburg. Every soldier
Of prominence in America and Europe
has so declared. There weren't an
even hundred private soldiers in his
command who believed an attack
would be successful
Gen. Hooker went down into the VIII
derness to take Lee in rear Before he
was ready Stonewall jackson was al
most in his rear. Word was sent to
Hooker early in the day that Jackson
was passing along his flank. He pre-
fered to believe that the willy Con-
federate was in full flight toward Rich
mond. Had he not put his own opinion
against facts as stated by prisoners
captured he might have bagged Jack
son and Lee then and there.
All military students believe that
Lee made a mistake in ordering the
memorable charge at Gettysburg in
stead of "A flank movement, while
Beaureguard rested an hour too soon
to complete the disaster at Shiloh.
When one knows how thin Lees
right was at Autietam, some of the
batteries having no support whatever,
be can reason that, had Burnside
charged at the hour ordered by Nc
cellan, the result of that battle would
have been far different.
Thousands lay in camp at Shiloh for
days without protecting their front in
the slightest. A great army marched
over the country to the attack. but
there was not even cavalryman out
to see and hear and bring in the news.
The biugrapners have furnished plausi-
bic excuse, and the historians have
sought To cover up mistakes, but one
negdu' To have fought in the ranks to
TeNiZe that it was a war i'm which
many queer strange things came to
the surface, confines writer in the
n !. sorid. They used to be called
0uuders, but that term is too harsh
for these piping days of peace. There
are Old histories which tell of Gen.
Butter being bottled up" at Bermuda
Hundred. The new ones refer to his
queer position there as an error of
Judgment.
Que OF the stupendously queer things
OF The war was Banks great move on
Texas, and one of the queerest things
about IL was the fight at Sabin Pass.
the Federal force comprised four gun
boats and about 1000 infantry. 1t
vii, hardly be credited but it is "a fact
surrounded 10y hundred proofs that
there were less than fifty Confederates
IN the fort. They did not expect
victory but were determined not TO
aaye without fight. Seventeen min
utes after the first gun was fired the
Coniederates had possession of two of
the gunboats and the other two, to-
geLher with the transports carrying
1000 men, were in full retrea down
the river.
1t was the quickest, queerest victory
OF the war. IN the fort not man was
scratched, while the Federals lost over
two hundred in killed and prisoners
ana two craft armed with fifteen ritled
guns, Each one of the defenders was
subsequently, presented with IA medal
by the Confederate President, and was
alterward known as Davis Guard"