The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1899-05-04
NONE TRULY GREAT.
DR.. MCGUIRE ON NORTHERN GEN.
ERALS.
Grant, Sherman and Sheridan on the
One Side, Lee, Johns ton and Jack son
on the Other-The North fias Pro.
duced no Great Commander as
Measured by the Worlds STANDARD
Secret of Grants Success.
Wilmington Messenger. }

Measured by the Worlds STANDARD
Secret of Grants Success.
Wilmington Messenger
The time was when we did not be-
lieve that Gen. Grant was the fore
most soldier of the North. We now
hold that he was, but that he was in
ferior in military genius to several
Of the Confederate commanders, and
particular Y so to General K. +. Lee,
General Joseph +. Johnston and Gen
eral Stonewall Jackson-ail three ma
tives of Virginia. General Grant had
great armies and IA vast section
thlckly populated to back him, to
draw upon. His theory was, as is
we'll known. that the way TO defeat
the Confcderates was to wear them
Out-that the South could not afford
to lose its men, while the North could
recruit indefinitely. His plan was
to keep on lighting until the South
ern armies melted away. The United
States governments War Records, -
or as it calls it, The Rebelion,''-a
pitiable lie and insult-shows that
there were over 200, 900 men in the
armies Of the North, exclusive Of the
tens of thousands in its navy. To
this vast force 6O0, 900 COnfederates
were opposed and for four years gave
them battle. We are reminded of
these things just now by recent
lecture Of DR.. Hunter McGuire, of
Richmond. Va, at Alexandria, Va
He spoke to a large audience and at
much length. His enchanted theme
was ..Stonewall Jacksonn We call
attention to one of his points-that
it was a ''striking fact" that the
Northern section has never produced
one great soldier. He said:
1T has given birth to many gallant
and meritorious men, but no one who
by the worlds estimate to-day is ac-
counted great commander; no one
whom the final verdict of mankind
will allow to rank with Washington,
Lee or Jackson. Not one was forth
coming in the revolution of '76, OF
the war of 1912, or in '61-'65. Ineed
not speak of the war with Spain,
fresh in our memories. | do not
think that even Northern history will
claim that one great soldier from
that section was then in evidence"
OF course Northern men, elated and
full of hero-worship, will be slow to
credit the statement, but it is prob
ably exactly true. We asked a soldier
in Sherman's army, that pillaged and
burned. how it was that it took the
North four years, with it's vast armies
and resources, to defeat the South:
His reply was short and emphatic
If we had had your generals we
would have whipped you in six
months"
We must make another interesting
extract from Dr. McGuire, who wa:
SurgeOn-General of the army Of
Northern Virginia, we think it was
and who knows great deal abou
the war. He said:
"Press and pulpit and people have
combined in efforts to make Grant .
great soldier. In truth, he was brave
honest and magnanimous; but a gen
eral who in short campaign-from
the Wilderness TO Cold HarbOr-los
more men than his antagonist had
and who, with anything like equal re
sources, would have been annihilateC
by Lee, will never be accepted by
history as great Sherman ant
Sheridan have been regarded b,
some of their adherents as great sol
diers. The former gave up his CLAIM
to this title-if, indeed, he eve
possessed it-when he said that ol
his march through Georgia he had ST
devastated the country with fire an,
sword that no army could follow hin
; and live; and the latter signed hi
own protest against his right to tn
title when he left-the Valley of Vir
ginia and its helpless people so poo
that crow would have to carry hi
rations if he flew across the land.
Both of these men were incendiaries
and such characters never have bee
} and never will be accepted as 'grea1
: in the estimation of the world"
Not only did ''Old Cump" Sherma
burn Atlanta and bia, but h
LIED like a trooper" about the latter
and General Wade Hampton. He OF
ganized regular corps of plundel
ers, known as "Bummers. If yo
will consult Draper's History of tn
War" a Northern publication by
man of marked ability. you will fin
the order of Shermans creating th
corps of bummers. We have read
and know precisely whereof we write
He was soldier, worthy of the tim
of Philip the Second of Spain and tn
Duke of Alva-simply barbaric, a
was Phil Sheridan, very low types {
civilized soldiers. In contrast rea
General Lees order TO his army as h
was invading Pennsylvania.
j. Sheer, Sedalia, Mo-, conductor G
electric street car line, writes that his Ii
tie daughter was very low with Group. al
her life saved after all physicians Ina
failed, only by using One Minute Cous
= Cure. Phil Ii. Thomas.
CAPT. I. B. VANCE.
First Lieutenant Zebulon B. Eanc
L. S. Army. son of the late Senate