The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1894-01-15

BLOCKING THE ROADS TO RICHMOND.
self classed as little better than a failure.
His second offensive at Manassas againsta
novice in command was brilliant success
His third in Maryland against former
opponent was 80 disastrous to the south
that one of his generals declared that lat
Antietam was sprung the keystone OF the
arch upon which the Confederate cause
rested
Lees next battle was the defensive one at
Fredericksburg and again he was opposed
by u novice and came off victor His
fourth offensive at Charlottesville was
success, but it also was won against
novice His fifth offensive in Pennsylvania
resulted in breaking the backbone" OF
the Confederacy, and his opponent there
was novice who had been but three
weeks mt the head of the victorious army
The boldness displayed by Lee when he
divided his army at Charlottesville to at
| tack vastly superior enemies and again
! in assaulting the Union position at Gettys-
! burg reached the height of military audac-
! ity. Napoleon never staked more on sin
| gle hazard in battle than did Lee on those
occasions. In the campaign of strategy
along the Rappahannock which followed
after Gettysburg, Lee once outgeneraled
Meade and was once outgeneraled by him.
When Lee encountered Grant in the
spring of 1864, he had met failure oftener
than he had scored success in battle. All
the more remarkable then was the conf
dence he displayed in coolly lying in his
camps on the Rapidan while his opponent
across the river was massing in one col
umn the greatest army ever seen ON this
continent. Several moves were possible
for Grant--one across the upper Rapidan
L In ION
pahannock. thence overland to Richmond
or by water to the James river peninsula,
and still another across the lower Rapidan
on the direct road to Richmond Although
the question with Lee and his captains had
changed from the favorite one "Eow can
we best get at these peoples to "llow can
we best foil these peoples he did not
move n single spade of earth nor drive one
stake to obstruct the Richmond routes in
any direction. He simply waited like "A
knight with lance in rest ready for open
battle and his lance was the ragged, for
lorn looking veterans of the Army of
Northern Virginia living on hope and
quarter rations of bacon and cornmeal.
Grant crossed the Rapidan and Lee launch
ed his bolt, and the meeting in the Wilder
ness was like that of two locomotives on
separate tracks plunging into the midst
blocked by weight of obstacles thrown
down in the collision, and the cattle
plunged and reared and gored back until
exhausted then sullenly retired, leaving
the engines master of the situation.
From the Wilderness Grant moved
around Lees right flank toward Spottsyl-
vania and there, posted across both roads
to Richmond, was the army of Lee.
Twelve days of assault failed to shake its
power of resistance and Grant again back
ed OFT and marched to the North Anna.
Again Lee was there first and Grant
marched down the Pamunkey crossing OPP
posite Richmond without contest. The
Pamunkey line would have been more de
feasible for Lee than any position he had
held during the campaign, but was equal
~ defensible for Grant and Lee 50 ma
neuvered as to draw him away from It,.
That is to say, Grant halting ON the north
bank secure from Lees attack could de
tach half his large army and send it to
aid Butler in assaulting Richmond from
the south side of the James. Hence Lee
formed his troops along the Totopotomoy
creek, compelling Grant to cross the Pa
munkey in full strength. Lee eventually
stretched his line 20 the Chickahominy
and held Grant at arms length once more.
At Petersburg. To which Grant hastened
after the battle of Cold Harbor, Lees vet
Grams were encountered standing guard
I along parapets three lines deep. From that
' time to the end Lee was by all odds the
e biggest man in the Confederacy.
@ GEORGE l.. kIlMER