South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1892-09-09

hom on the Alma disposed to con-
temn them for their instant discom-
Azure"
Military science assumes that no
inasscd troops can possibly stand
when exposed to fire IN front and
aaak. Mis5ourians, Arkansians,
and Creoles completely enveloped
in sheet OF infantry fire, torn
through aud through By cannon.
saot, not merely stood fast but ad-
yanccd and prevailed"
s'ihe magnificent heroism of the
attack throws luster on the defence
and nothing but the misrepresen-
tations and vaunts of Rosecranz
could have cast ridicuie on his VIC
tory"
The same writer in contrasting
the Northern and Southern SOL
dieTs uses this language:
"The contrast between the east
'ern and western campaigns the
invarlable failure and disasterwhich
attended the federal armies in Vir-
ginia the success checkered with
defeat and disgrace of the western
armies are not to be explained by
any difference in the skill of the
several Gcnerals, or the quality Of
the Confederate troops. Grant
when first confronted by Lee Jared
little better than Burnside, Hook
er, or Mcclellan.
Tho Virginians were unqnes-
tionably the flower Of the Southern
people, perhaps of the English race,
but the Virginians excepted, the
western and eastern armies of the
confederacy were recruited from
similar material and subject to fair
ly equal discipline"
"The signal contrast in the for
tune Of war must apparently be as
cribed to o radical difference in the
material Of the Northern armies"
The Germans who were perhaps
the corps d. elite of. the west, were
better military material than the
Irish immigrants whose martial
spirit hurried them in dispropor-
tionate numbers to recruit the cas-
tern armies ;; but the Irish were
among the best troops that McClel-
Ian and his successors commanded.
The truth seems to be that the man
hood of the HARVEST consisted large
ly OF picked adventures or their
Immediate descendants daring,
energetic, and though in q. less de-
gree than the Southerners accuss
toned to the use of fire arms and
rough hardy life"
"The favorite education of the
southern gentry was that Of State
Military schools. The planters and
their sons and a largo proportion
of the white population ef'the South
were commonly splendid riders and
admirable shots, deli ghting in hunt
ing expeditions, during which they
"csmped out" for days together
among their extensive forests, the
best possible preparation for war:
Tncident after incident told, by
hostile witnesses testities to.the su.
preme and unrivaled daring of that
matchless southern infantry on
which the North itself bestowed, the
epithet Of "incomparable.''
"Againsand again they: displayed
an utter fearlessness, sheer indif-
ference to death, and charged like
the Highlanders at Culloden
through fire that failed to daunt
till it had destroyed them"
1t was the boast Of the Southern
people at the beginning of the var
that one Southern soldier was worth
two Northern soldiers, and the re.
cord shows that they more than
made that boast good !; and this is
the opinion of the English histo.
rian from whom we have quoted 80
extensively already for IN speak
ing of the battle of Shsrpsburg he
says ::
According to the best Confede-
rate accounts the odds were such as
few Europeon Generals would will
lingly confront, or be justified In
confronting, oil ordinary ground,
The position of the Confederates
was advantageous in that they held
a line of low hills with o small
stream in front. but not such as to
materially affect the chances or to
control tine issuo.
Lees total force when Jackson
joined him did not exceed forty
thousaud.. Mcclellan sets down
his own numbers, at over eighty
severn thousand! The FEEDER ais
we're 1yo to two. General Lee then
the best possible jndge Of the com.
paratIve qualities OF the two armies,
thought that against such odds he
hadi more than an equal chance Of
victory. He fought for an unmo-
lbstedi retreat, with the. captured
1rmsandi forage and he won it. lie
fought probably for a. chance oil
Vibrating Maryland aud laying
Pennsylvania. under contribution
andlhglost it ;; but the general be-
llefthBe lie fought with such hope
shows at that the total defeat oil
bio federal army was reasonable
lie fought with a broad, deep, snC
rapid! river passablb only al twt
poiu,siui his reaf. Retreat in fac
81 a,victorious' enemy would have
Boenli'ahlY dangerous and difficult