Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-12-14

diers submit with cneertuiioSs " P''e
tons and hardships which would sppes.
10 ba almost incredible: and ths wild
cheers OF our brave men (Which were
az different from the studied huzzahs OF
tho yankees) when their lines sent back
oppor,ug hosts Of Federal troops. stag
xer.ng, Keeling, and flying, nave often
thrilled every fibre OF my heart. L have
seen with my own eyes ragged. oaretoot-
ed, and hungry Confederate SOLDIERS per-
form deeds which IL performed IN Gays
az wore by mailed warriors In glittering
q rr,or. would have inspired the harp OF
ths minstrel and the pen OF the poet
Through the vista OF vanished years
soer 10 see them now. There they so
along the road and over the neids win
almost shoe,exs feet. their slcucn nats'
their gray Jackets, and their battls-fags
ali tattered and torn, but their steps
proud and elastic and their high, expect.
ant faces all eager for the Tray hsrN.
There rings out Ger the rafting musketry
and the laundering cannon their lofty
cheer--yonder they are-we see them
.hroueh the smoke drifts now as they
stand defiant and dauntless amidst dead
dvinn. and falling comrades, weather
beaten and bronzed, sweat-begrimed,
and nowder-stained, half-starved. haif-
clothed-wIthout reward, without COM
plaint, asking for nothing but oruers-
fearing nothing but defeat, hoping no,
thing but victory. believe tnein enu''eu
20 eternal glory and everlasting me
| COMPARED TO ENGLISH COM
MANDERS.
have counted Early amongst the
| great soldiers of history. ana as our
Mother Country ranks amongst the sreS'
| military nations, ] would ASK you "ho
| are her great soldiers who might be put
| before him? Who, in her centuries or
| battles, would you name as great COM
| nanders In the sense OF those who nave
| led great forces, and found the delight
| of battle with their peersy Marlboroush'
! yes: wellington, yes. VINO neNtE IrS-
| ing to discover the next you begin TO
| realize how scant Is British history IN
| the names of great commanders L De-
| Ueye Virginia alone in the late war pro-
| duced more men for whom that tue
| could be claimed than Great Britain IN
| all her history. Heroes in abundance ana
| accomplished officers she has produced;
| but her wars have been for the most
| part against inferIors-against Hindoos'
| and Persians, Afgans. Zulus. Chinese.
| Egyptians, Arabs, and Matabeles. The
| greatest army OF her own that she ever
| mustered was the 5000 of wellington
| at Waterloo. Her forces have generally
| co-operated with allies: or been swelled
| by hirelings and dependents under her
| well-trained officers; her position has not
| been such as to develop campaigns such
as we had In the late war, or TO afford
| opportunities for such leaders as Lee
| Joseph T.. Johnston, Eweil \. Z. Hill,
| Jackson, Stuart, and Early. The fact is
that since the battle Of Sedgmoor. fought
| August .. 1865; between the Duke OF
| Monmouth, some 5000 strong. and the
| forces of King James H.. under John
| Churchill. afterwards the Duke OF MARI
| borough, In which Monmouth lost a thou
sand and Churchill some 800 slain. mo
conflict deserving the name Of battle
has been fought on English ground"
SECRET OF ENGLAND'S DEMON
STRATION.
| While Il IL true that during this do
nestle peace OF over 20 years, the
British have carried the English flag
victorious from the Seine 10 the Indus.
from Calcutta to Quebec, from Madrid 20
Cairo" II has been more by the skill
OF diplomacy and strategy, and especially
more by sea power than by the move
ments of great forces. II We except
the American campaigns and Wellington 3
| operations against Napoleon, all the Eng
| lish fighting done in two centuries would
scarce amount TO that OF General Lee IN
the single county OF SpotsylVanIa. and
would not amount 70 the fighting done
by Early. "a sea she'll" says Emerson,
should be the crest of England not
only because IL represents power built
on the waves. but also because OF the
| hard finish OF the men," She Is mis-
tress OF the seas; she is the dictator Of
finance and commerce-there IS the key
Of her ascendancy. Who. then, would
| you say next?
Would You say Give, the military
statesman who conquered Hindoostan
He, who at the battle OF Plassey. on the
23d OF June, 1861, IN EVerett's fine words
t, laid the foundations OF a subject En-
pire 70 Great Britain at the gates Of thu
morning. When IL IL remembered that
, he dispersed the army OF the Indian Ma
. bob. estimated at sixty or seventy thou
sand, with . thousand European soldiers
and two thousand Indian Sepoy troops
and that his training was that Of a gov
eminent clerk. his genius and accom-
pllshments are plain indeed. But when
|, Wa reflect that his loss was twenty-five
killed and about fifty wounded. and that
, his superior artillery broke the masses
of the effeminate foe, We see how
ridiculous IL is 70 compare such exploits
TO tho Sreat movements Of the COnfe,ie-
rate war, and how ridiculous II would
, be TO rank their heroes as military com
manders with the leaders of such armies
as those OF Lee, Grant, Early. or Sheri
dan. What matters It 20 the wolves how
many the sheep be? And how can a
romp OF the wolves among the cattle
be compared u the combats OF lions
Would you say Havelock? Christian gen.
tleman, gallant officer. true hero. | adj
NIT, but only n little Give, a brigudier-
general who fought the same manner
Of men and overIaid them with superiority
OF every kind. Would you say Charles
George Gordon. Chinese Gordon, as they
, call him, who wac only captain OF en-
glneers in the Crimean war. and who
, while we were fighting In the Confederacy
was helping the Emperor OF China e
suppress the Tapping rebellion, and whC
; was finally killed in the Soudan by z
handful of Arabs? Brave man he was
indeed: but Re never commanded ever
! an English brigade. To Compare his skir
/ mishes with the seml-barbarians 10 such
, actions as we had In war, or him 10 any
: great Confederate leader would be 10 be
, little-aye. TO abandon all ideas OF mill
/ tary criticism.
, Who would say Lord Raglan, who com
manded in the Crtmea? lie died OF dlseas,
| after incomplete experiences. and canno
furnish subject OF comparison.
) LATE ENGLISH MILITARY MAG
MATES
Let us glance at some late English mill
!, | tary magnates, General James Thoma
Brudenal, Earl OF Cardigan, who ted tn
i Light Brigade In the famous and fata
charge Of the 600 on the Russian guns a
q Balaklava, while all the world won
dered," was never In a fight before o
), after the Crimean war. but he was mad
lieutenant-general, Knight Commander o
the Bath, Commander Of the Legion o
G Honor. and lionized generally.
= General Sir James Yorke Scarlet. VIII
II commanded the heavies' and succeeds
g Lucan, had similar record, and became
q too, acknowledgement and Knight Com
d mander OF the Bath.
: General George Charles Bingham. Ear
e OF Lucan, who commanded the cavalr
division, consisting OF these two brigades
@ beyond some amateur soldering with IN
3 Russians in ISIS. never smelt powder be
? fore On after the Crimean war but h
IS became knight Commander OF the Bath
Northumberland, and field marshal.
What do these cavalrymen know OF wa
e compared TO Forrest. Stuart, Hampton
: | Wheeler the cavalry