The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-02-13
JACKSON AND BUTLER.
A Comparison of These Two Generals
British Behind the Times in Their
Mode of Warfare.

There has been a great deal Of dis
cussion among ex-Confederate veter-
ans in Richmond as to what General
Stonewall Jackson would have done at
Spion kop.
DR.. Hunter Mcclure, who was a
of General Jackson's staff
during the civil war and was surgeon
for the famous commander, has been
much interested in the war etwee
the Beers and the British. and has
watched with great interest reports of
military maneouvreS on both sides.
DR.. Mcguire, who was a great ad-
mlrer Of General Jackson as a mill
tary commander, as well as a man,
couId not help comparing the tactics of
General Butler with those adopted by
General Jackson, and when called upon
and for an interview as to the
comparative merits of the two men
and a comparison of Buffers campaign
IN South Africa and General Jackson's
in Virginia, said:
Jackson would never have gone in
to that trap at Spiop kop as did Bull
lerS subordinate commander.
Had General k 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
l A1CICSodISy OIle AuIluISu IlIlcS"CuI
their communication and attacked
them on more equal ground. An army
is obliged to move when its supplies
are cut off, and, its communications
cut, ackSO would have followed out
this principle. The difference in add
vantage in South Africa to the army
attached with the present weapons and
the army attacking, is shown in the
splendid defence the English have
been making at Ladysmith n Kim
berley, where they have invariably de-
feated the Beers, who were the at
lacking party, and just the reverse OBJ
tains when the English have been the
attacking party.
1T does not seem to me that the
English have shown n g~eneralship
at all. The soldiers have fought in the
most gallant way, as they have always
lone in their whole history. But so far
there have not appeared a Marlbor-
ough or a Wellington. or a Robert Lee
or a StonewalI Jackson. So far as I
| can see there has never been any ma
noeuvring at all.
THE NEED SCOUTS.
Another great defect in the English
campaign to an old soldier is the alb
sence of scouts. The English seem to
be absolutely ignorant of the position,
strength and resources of the enemy,
subjects with which Jackson was al
ways acquainted through his scouts
and spies. Jackson's cavalry, under
Ashby and j.. E. B. Stuart, kept him
accurately informed of the position,
strength. number and the morale of
his a~dversaries. AS far as 1 can see,
the English are greatly deficient in this
respect.
The Beers are splendid fighters. 1
believed when l saw that General War
rem had crossed the Tugela river with
little resistance the Beers were laying
a trap for the English. Jackson would
never have allowed himself to be
caught in such a trap as that.
Suppose the Beers were occupying
a strong position in the Blue Ridge
range of mountains, occupying hills
about Rockfish Gap, controlling the
whole of the surrounding country. Do
you uppoSe ackSO would nave at
lacked them in their almost impregna-
BILE position? He would have gone
around them and got in their rear, cut
their communications and forced them
to leave their position. What a COM
pliment The London Times paid to
Jackson when they sent Colonel G.. F.
r. Henderson as one of Lord Roberts
staff officers avOWedly because of his
knowledge of Jackson'S tactics in mill
tary affairs. 1t is not the big battal-
ions that win, but the maj who leads
them. Napoleon said: 1t wasn't the
AOIIIClI NAlSI NOllI uSACN NAbA. DON
Caesar; it Wasn't the C~arthaginian ar
my that made the gates of Rome trem-
BILE, but mil it wasn't the PruS-
sian army that kept the allies out of
Prussia for years, it was Frederick the
Great And if he had lived, he might
have added: 1t wasn't the splendid
! Army of Northern Virginia, grand as
it was. that kept the federals out of
Richmond for four years, it was Lee;
1t wasn't the Army of the Valley that
made the Shenandoah campaign i'm
mortal. it was Jackson So far, the
English have shown nc general equal
to any of these.
HIS GREAT STRATEGY.
jackson was very sparing of the
blood of his men. He never ventured
very desperate unless under
orders of a superior officer. He never
butt up against breastworkS if he could
possibly go around them. A good il
l~ustration of this was with Pope be-
fore Second Manassas. Pope was or
the north side of the Rappahannock
river. Lee on the south side. and for
two or three days we had several ar
tillery duelS- Lee vas threatening to
cross to the north side of the Kappa
hammock to attack Pope. who occupied
much the stronger position and was
partially entrenched. While threaten
ing to cross and making feintS at diff
1 A1ACllN tpAllNS. ~ OdIhStll 1
nearly one-half of his army, sent him
some miles up the Ra~ppahannock riv-
er, where he crossed, marching to Sa-
lem, in Fauquier county, and the next
day after dark We were at Manassas
Junction astride of Pope's communica-
tions. Pope was obliged to transfer
his position from the Rappahannock
river to Bull Run, to come III from
behind his Notifications and meet us
on more equal grounds.
Another illustration of Jackson's
marvellous strategy and tactics was
at Charlottesville Hooker had cross
ed the Rappahannock river with
was known in the north as the finest
army on the planet, but as soon as he
got within striking distance of Lee and
Jackson he began TO throw up breast
works of the most formidable charac-
ter. Indeed, they were impregnable.
General Lee detached Jackson at Jack
sons suggestion, and he marched clear
| around Hooker fifteen miles and struck
him exactly in the rear. The wooded
4 o,,rr a,oohIaI him tn do fb;s ,,rsoon