The National tribune., 1892-02-25

l1G j
reports he will soon become convinced as 10 the
relative merits Of the fighting done at tho two
battles
Gettysburg was undoubtedly fought accord
ingtothe rules Of war Chickamauga was fought
almost each man for himself though not
quite bushwhacking. Especially is this true Of
the portion of the fed that saved the Union
army, and where nearly half Of the Confeder-
ate loss in killed aud wounded WAS sustained,
in five hours time, though the battle ragged for
two days.
The writer recently propOunded TO Gen.
lOngStruet certain questions regarding tho two
battles, their effect upon the two sides, the
cause for, aud hopes as 10 the result OF, various
orders given and movements made at Chicka-
manga. Gen. LonEstreet ought certainly TO be
MS good a witness as can be found on the Con-
fedcrate side. lie occupied no inconspicuous
position at Gettysburg, while at thickamauga,
had he succeeded ia his grand right-wheel (and
at the time he conceived ID there was no obsta-
Gle in the way Of its easy success), he would
have occupied position in the estimation Of
the world as a General, far superior 10 that OF
Gen. Lee.
As regards the condition OF the Confederate
army after Gettysburg, or the condition Of the
cause, the General writes thus; Z" ] could not
have insisted uD0n going 90 Chickamauga il the
cause had been previously lost and i atn sure
that Gen. Ice could not have consented to my
GOING This indicates beyond any question
what the feeling of safety for Lees army, de-
pleied by one-third of its very best men, must
have been. They had no fears whatever Of
the army which the comTade thinks had so
roughly handled Gen. Lee.
ON the other hand, after Chickamauga,
although the Union army had fallen back from
the field into Chattanooga, where IL had river
without bridges in its rear, and no means Of es-
Gaping, the Confederate forces did not venture
10 attack, but they said thcn and ever after that
another such victory would he the complete
death Of the Congcderacy, although they strug-
gled on aud fought manlully for year and a
hall afterwards and many times were so near
success that hut a straw would have turned it
ia their favor, and tho Coufcdewcy would have
been accomplished.
The backbone Of the Conlcderacy was very
little strained at Gettysburg, but IL required
the holding of the field there 10 leave any back
bone on our side A defeat there would have
been too horrible TO think OF.
While the writer occupied a position where
he could see The continued attempts made by
LOnEstreets men 10 accomplish the wheel at
Chickamauga il did not appear TO him as q
battle, nothing whatever 10 compare with what
be had read OF having occurred in the East on
many fields and h was a great surprise 10 him,
when ia late years he has discovered that the
blood shed at Chicllamaugs so far exceeded
that Of what had claimed 10 be the bloodiest
battle Of the war, viz, Gettysburg. lh5 writer
has always cOntended that be never saw any
war. lie was in great many what might be
called "cOmbats' perhaps, but lac never saw
the field a sea OF blood never saw the dead
and wounded piled four or five feet deep over
the field, never saw streams running red with
blood. never heard the shricks aud groans Of
the wounded and dying except perhaps, four
or five single individuals; in fact never saw or
heard anything 10 compare with what be has
read about and been told Of having occurred on
the Eastern battleGelds
ln the West there was no science. The fight
ing was mostly Of the skill displayed 10y two
pumpkins al istiCufs. They simply shot at
each other, or pulled each others hair when
they got close enough. They accomplished the
work, and that is all there is 20 il. ia the
East there was science. Men fought and bled,
and died, in a scientific manner They even
threw stones az each other scientifically, and
suppose when they used canister in lO-pOund-
ers 80 1920 yards distance, that also was sci
euce. But as 10 that the writer knows not, as
he never studied the science OF war, but he
feels safe 10 saying that had the same amount
of ammunition been used az Chickamauga in
proportion, that there was at Gettysburg the
same amount OF noise made there by the big
guns, there would have been very few left on
either side 20 locate where the different troops
fought, as they are now attempting 10 do, but
Will never accomplish. One must conclude,
from the immense amount OF firing that Is
claimed 10 have been done az Gettysburg. that
much of il was as Gen. sherman styled H.
Shooting at the moon, or firing at the tree
tops"
Let the commde back up his assertions By
proofs aud your humble servant will accord
those who fought 40 Gettysburg All that sucl
proofs viii warrtut.-G. +. DOLTON, Is SOgtl
Main street, ST. Louis, Mo.