The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1896-01-08
LEE AND GRANT.
By CAPT. W. P. BARLOW.

To give an authoritative decision
upon the comparative merits Of these
two greatest Of American soldiers, is
beyond the power of any human being.
We, poor, weak mortals, can only form
a very plausible conclusion by com,
parison Of the work done by each, and
Of the difficulties under which each
labored. believe these two were not
only the greatest of all American SOL
diers, but the greatest of all in the
world since Napoleon and Wellington.
IF the question were, (Which is en-
titled to the most personal credit for
his wonderful success in life?' [
should unhesitatingly concede this
credit to General Grant. For no Am
erican has been blessed with more ad-
vantageous surroundings, from birth
to middle age, than General Lee. His
family belonged to the highest and
most genuine nobility of old Virginia:
All Of his family traditions and social
surroundings encouraged moral purity
and,a q noble ambition to be the first
among gentlemen in all that makes
men gentle and manly. Lee was also
blessed with poverty, and, therefore,
protected from the, temptations which
so often impair the faculties of gifted
young men. And greatest of all, Prov
idence had endowed him with that
patient fortitude, humility and sub
Unity. of character which marks the
sincere Christian. In addition to all
this, his father was a Major General
in the Revolutionary War and per-
sonal friend Of Washington, his wife
a wealthy grand daughter of Mrs.
Washington, he had a West Point
! education, personal experience in the
scientific branch Of war in Mexico, 20
years experience in the army, perfect
health and physical endurance. Is it
any wonder that he was patriot, q
soldier and a gentleman? 1t would
have been a reversal Of natural law
had he been anything else.
OF General Grant it is sufficient to
say that his personal experiences right
up to the beginning Of the war were
precisely the reverse, except in two
points: A West Point, education and
the blessing of poverty. The son Of
"a poor farmer, with no social training
or accomplishments, no proud family
traditions, awkward in appearance,
.difident, afflicted with a weakness
which reduced him almost to social
level with the vagabond-it is the
greatest wonder in all American his
tory that he should rise from the social
gutter to be the foremost citizen Of
this great nation, and to gain every
promotion by merit alone. Silent and
modest, he was an unknown quantity
to his nearest farmer neighbors in St.
Louis County, Missouri, and even TO-
his own family. When he re-entered
theSseryice in 1861 his father-in-law
derisively remarked: .'Well, the Un.
ion is safe now. They've got Grant,
H AS we Judge q man personally by
the personal dificlties which he sur
mounts, I concede at the beginning
that Grant is entitled to far more
personal credit than Lee. He is the
wonder Of this country.
But following the same rule, when
we attempt to Judge Of General by
the military difficulties surmounted-
when we estimate his effectiveness by
the work performed-there is another
story to tell. This can only be told
by fair comparison of the work of
these military giants as related in the
ample official and historical records.
We will begin with Grant at Fort
Donelson, which was the first impor-
tant battle gained by the Federals.
Grant was modest man, under social
Taboo from the regular army officers,
and as unconscious of his own great
genius as the infant in its nurses
arms. The old-school officers were
under the spell of stupid old maxim
Of war that one should over rather
than under estimate the strength or
ability Of his enemy, but Grant was
always free from military traditions,
and was governed by his own common
sense alone. He knew that the two
ranking Confederate Generals at Don
elson were politicians, masked under
the plumage of Generals, and boldly
marched up to their fortified lines and
invested an enemy whose numbers
were greater than his own, clustering
and threatening until the gunboats
and infantry re-enforcements arrived.
The fleet arrived, attacked, and was
worsted. Was Grant discouraged?
Not in the least. He would apparent
ly make his raw troops assault an ap-
parently impregnable position, and
the matter of fact manner of prepara-
tion made his ignorant soldiers believe
that the thing was easily done. just
then the enemy assaulted and broke
Grants right wing, and in SO doing
gave him bit Of priceless informa-
tion-their dead had full haversacks.
Grant at once knew they were attempt
ing to escape, and the rest was easy.
'sThis must be recti6ed," was his quiet
comment upon his broken right wing.
The enemy was beaten back inside his
own lines. Grants restored right be-
gan noisy imitation Of attack, his
left assaulted and carried some easy
outworks, and the demoralized politi-
cal Generals, communicating their
terror to their troops, were morally
and physically beaten. When all
were equally green in the art of war
Grant ''got the bulge" knew he had
got it, and kept it. His "I-propose
to move Immediately upon your works
settled the matter, gaining compara-
lively bloodless victory, and it was
gained by Grants sagacity and will
power alone.
And now comes stronger test of
character. The capture of Donelson
was so easy, so simple, so devoid of
the pomp and circumstances of war,
that it was not appreciated in "scien-
tiGc' military circles. The army cor
respondents spread Grants name in
bold headlines through the press, Hal:
leck ("Old Brains became jealous,
and seized childish pretext for plac-
ing the first successful General under
arrest when at the head Of victorious
army. The professional course for