The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1900-02-13
What stonewal jackson would Have
Done at spion Kop.

Dr. Hunter MCGUIRE. who was
membe. Of General Jackson $ staff dur
ing the civil war, and was surgeon for
the famous commander, has been much
interested in the war between the Beers
and the British, and has watched with
great interest reports Of military ma
noeuyres on both sides
DR. Mcclure. who was great ad-
mirer of General Jackson as a military
commander. as well as man, could
not help comparing the tactics OF Gen
eral Butler with those adopted by Gen.
eraI Jackson aud when called upon and
asked for an interview as 10 the COM
parative merits of the two men and
comparison Of Buller's campaign in
South Africa and General Jackson In
Virginia. said:
jackson would never have gone into
that trap at Spion Kop as did Butler 8
subordinate commander.
Had General Jackson been placed
in the same position in which General
Butler was placed he never would have
attacked the Beers from the front, but
would have gone around them-if ne
cessary, one hundred miles-cut their
communications and attacked them on
more equal ground An army is obliged
to move when its supplies are cut of,
and, its communications cut, jackson
would have followed out this principle.
The difference in advantage IN South
Africa TO the army attached with the
present weapons and the army attack
ing. is shown in the splendid defence
the English have been making at Lady
smith and Kimberley, where they have
invariably defeated the Beers. who
were the attacking party, and just the
reverse obtains when the English have
been the attacking party.
1t does not seem to me that the Eng
lish have shown any generalship at all.
The soldiers have fought in the most
gallant way. as they have always done
in their whole history. But so far there
have not appeared Marlborough or
Wellington, or Robert Lee or Stone
wall Jackson. SO far as l can see there
has never been any manueuvriDg at all
THE Beers are splendid fighters. l
believed when l saw that General War
rem had crossed the Tugela river with
little resistance the Beers we're laying
a trap for the English. Jackson would
never have allowed himself TO be caught I
in such trap as that
Suppose the Beers were occupying
strong position in the Blue Ridge
range of mountains. occupying hills
about Rockfish Gap, controlling the
whole Of the surrounding country. Do
you suppose Jackson would have attack
ed them in their almost impregnable
position? He would have gone around
them and got in their rear, cut their
communications. and forced them &c
leave their position. What compli-
meut the London Times paid to Jack
son when they sent Colonel g. f. r.
Henderson as one Of Lord Roberts staff
officers avowedly because Of his know
ledge of Jackson's tactics in military
affairs. 1t is not the big battalions thai
win, but the man who leads them.
Napoleon said 1t wasn't the Roman
army that conquered Gaul, but Caesar
1t wasn't the Oarthaginian army tha
made the gates Of Rome tremble. bu
Hannibal it wasn't the Prussian army
that kept the Allies out Of Prussia fol
years, it was Frederick the Great
And if he had lived, he might havl
added 1t wasn't the splendid Army
of Northern Virginia, grand as 1t was
that kept the Federals out Of Richmont
for four years, 1t was Lee; it WASH
the Army Of the Valley that made tn,
Shenandoah campaign immortal, it iva
Jackson So far the English hav
shown no general equal to any of these
HIS GREAT STRATEGY.