The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-10-15

vi Il
publishers: Harper and Brothers, New
York and London.
This book is the most valuable addi-
ton to the annals of the Civil War that
has appeared in this decade. Gen. For.
rest, next to Stonewall Jackson, was the
most daring fighter that the war rroduc-
ed, and his greatness as soldier Las
grown upon the world as his career is
stndied in the light of history. He
did not have the opportunity enjoyed
by Eastern commanders to win imme7
date glory, but recognition of his SUI
periority as a commander who knew how
to fight has given him lasting place
with the immortals There are very
many who do not hesitate to declare
that he was the best commander the
war developed on either side. His ca
reer shows that he was equal to every
emergency and deserves 10 rank with
snch military leaders as Andrew Jack
son-men whose genius made tnem SUI
perior to the ordinary rules that govern
commanders.
The book is written by DR.. John "A.
Wyeth. who was himself a soldier in the
t,nf,, lerata arn.y, aud served in a COM
1any which had formerly been under
Gen. Forrest liz was the devotion Of
the soldiers that prompted. DIR. Wyeth
10 follow his career closely during the
war and for the past thirty years he has
devoted his time TO the laborions task of
reading. sitting and weighing the i'm
na.nse mass Of material relating To
Gen. Forrest. and producing the giSt
Of il in his authoritative life of the gal
lant warrior The earlier lives of For
resi- were necessarily ur.eI and inaceH-
rate because the writer's did nct have ac-
cess to The official reports. DR. Wyeth
has waited Gng enough ~ make close
ANALYSES OF al the literature uf the war
iearing on Forrest. 1 hat makes his
l.ok full. accurate. anl to lie relied up
On in every particular. He has written
NTH love and Admiration Of ms subject
.t4 these have hot colored the incidents
hp describes or warped his Judgment
All eminent reviewer, writing from the
fana,oint of n Northern solder, Is cor
reel ml,n h. s.iy.; Il mike many studies
Of persons and features OF tie evil war;
tnis is no nefeiy ol.llionated account
.,ut a che q discriminating study; sup
Dnrscd liz doVl!mcItai evidence ami pre-
serted with frequent citation or au-
iLority Only during tae very recent
Last has ii Eecn possible To present an
mas 81 ..ic owl war IN 4 scholarly man
ner, free from the heat md intense par
aisansh.s which cannot .,nr seriously lie
tract from Their value. Net that this
work of Dr. Wyeth is entirely free from
PARTISAN ccloring. fer it is not; 1t shows
in many a passage That the heart of the
writer Leat in unison with those OF his
comrades OF the lest cause But such
Inns rs appears no soldier who has bat
tied and bivouacked for any cause what
ever can fail to sympathize with, and no
one will cavil at the writer's generous
admiration for gallant warrior and
an able general.
The dedication Of the book tells a
story that enshrines Southern woman
hood. !. Here it is:
81 70
Emma Samson.
a woman worthy of being remem-
bered By her coIntrymen rs long as
courage is deemed virtue, who rode
with General Forrest in the engage
nlent ut Black Creek May ?. 1863,
and by guiding his men 10 al I'M
guard 4 ford enabled him to capture
Colonel A. -. Streight and his en-
tire command. the volume is dedi-
respect.
1.-The further my Investigations pro-
ceeded," says DIR. Wyeth in the preface,
the more became convinced that while
Forrest was justly aakli,w lodged to lie
Gne of the most famous lighters and
leaders of mounted infanlry or cavalry
which the war produced OH either side,
he was more than this, and that I care
ful and unbiased stayrnInnt OF ms
achievements would place him in history
not only as one OF tho mosi remarkable
and romantic personalities Of the civil
war but as one of the ablest soldiers
Of the world
Early in 1864. Gen. Sherman r.lowed
his estimate OF FORESTS military GAIA
city BY writingf that lo.aD lives aud
limit.ess expenditure OF means M.re
nangEt to the Accomplishment or bis
death and said: After all l think For
rest the most remarkable man our civil
war produced on either side. IN
the first place, he was uneducated, while
jackson ard Sheridan and other bril-
liant leaders were soldiers by profession.
He had never read a military nook IN
his life, knew nothing about factirs.
could not even drill a company. but lie
originik and 10 ne inconr,r sncnsIble.
There was no theory or art Of wlr ly
which / could calculate with any degree
Of certainty what Forrest was mp 10.
He seemed always TO know what | WAS
doing or intended to dc, while | ain free
to confess / could never tell or form any
satisfactory idea of what he was trying
to accomplish
Lord Wolseley. writing of what For
rest achieved with scarcely any Hnowi-
edge OF Look lore and no previous study
II military science or military history,
says:
.'lr would be difficult in all history 10
find q more varied career than his. Il
man who, from greatest poverty, MA
out any learning and by sheer force OF
character alone became the great .igat-
ing leader of fighting men, man in
whom an extraordinary military instinct
aud sound common sense supplied 10 a
ytiygiarge extent his unfortunate want
Of military education. HIS military Ga
reer teaches lis that the genius which
makes men great soldiers is not to lie
measured by any competitive examina
ton in the science or art of war
Inspired with true military instincts, ne
was verify natures soldier. In war;.