Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-02-07

and In this city thu surviving veterans
or the louisiana Division OF the Army
OF Northern Virginia have for many
years been accustomed to honor with a
banquet, and with oratory. the recurring
anniversaries Of the natal day OF Stone
wall Jackson, because the Louisiana
soldiers made up distinguished part OF
his famous fighting corps. but really they
celebrate both birthdays, which come so
close together, on one and the same day.
These two men, who were so intimately
connected In the most momentous pas
sagcs OF their lives, can never be dis
ISOLATED. The exploits on many battle
field OF the great lieutenant are an int
gral part OF the fame and glory Of his
great chief. Jackson was always I'D 10
the highest mark Of excellence ana
success in every military position in
which he was placed, and there Is no
reason TO doubt that in supreme control
he would have continued to win great
and signal victories. His genius was equal
to any demands which the exi.encles OF
war could have put upon It,
The surviving old soldiers Of both armies
are putting on record their personal
recollections of the civil war as they saw
it, and they are furnishing interesting
and valuable material for the history OF
that momentous conflict. when II shall
be written. But much in these memo
randa will have to be corrected In the
light OF the official records and ascertain
ed facts. since many writer's, enthused
with heroic recollections. are apt to be
carried beyond the limits of accuracy.
Heroic stories are all very well, but what
is wanted is facts.
In this connection some reference is
due to an interesting article i'm the Janu-
airy issue Of the Century Magazine, by
General Horace Porter. of the Union
army, entitled Campaigning with Grant"
After describing the thrilling and despe-
rate fighting at the Bloody Angle" I'm
the terrible battle of Spotsylvania, in
May, 1854 General Porter closes with
this statement:
"The results Of the battle are best
summed up in the report which the Gene
ral-in-chief sent TO Washington At $50
=. NJ, May 18th, he wrote TO Balleck as
follows: The eighth day of battle closes.
leaving between 5000 and 1900 prisoners
i'm our hands for the days work, inclu-
ding two general officers. and over thirty
pieces of artillery. The enemy are OBJ
stnate, and seem TO have found the last
ditch. We have lost no organization
nos even that of a company. whilst we
have destroyed and captured one division
Gohnson's), one brigade DOles), ana
one regiment entire Of the enemy The
COnfederates had suffered greatly i'm
general officers. Two had been killed
four severely wounded. and two captured
Our loss in killed, wounded, and missing
was less than 1900; that of the enemy
between 1900 and 1O,OOO as nearly as
could be ascertained"
II was all right for General Grant TO
make such a report on the 18th Of May
1854. because all the facts of the losses
had not then been ascertaned, but it is not
by any means accurate 10 use those inn
perfect data at the end Of more than
thirty years after. when the official re-
ports Of both sides are attainable. These
printed in the celebrated Century War
Papers, or Battles and Leaders Of the
Civil War" published in 1SSS. show
Grants losses in the single battle OF
Spotsylvania to have been as follows
Killed 272j wounded, 1916; captured or
missing 2,25S. Total, 1882 This does
not agree with General Grants hasty
estimate Of 1000. on the night OF the battle
General Lee started into the campaign
Of 1854, from the Wilderness to James
river according TO the Century Papers.
with Gl000 effective men. The effective
strength Of General Grants army at that
time was given at $4,000 men OF all arms,
BY the same authority. During the cam
paign. General Lee received re-enfOrce-
ments to supplement his losses and these
were sufficient TO raise the total number
Of men in his immediate command, from
the Wilderness to Cold Harbor. TO 1890
The losses Of General Grant In his
campaign from the Wilderness to Cold
Harbor, including killed. wounded. and
captured, are given at $500. very nearly
as many as Lee started with into the
campaign. The simple fact is that Gene
raj Grant with a largely superior force.
was repulsed in every assault he made
upon Lee, and he suffered frghtful losses.
The Union General had at his command
practically unlimited resources In men
and material, while the resources OF the
Confederates were limited They hold
out until they were exhausted, and then
they succumbed. That is all Of IL.