New-York tribune., 1900-04-23

serving four years from the following March T.
There are scores of errors like this in his COM
pilation. Without verihcation confidence can
be placed in any of his history"
MISTAKES ABOUT GARFIELD.
Some Of his rectations regarding the military
career Of President Garfield merest folde-
rol For instance, he says:
One familiar incident shows and justifes the
great influence he welded in it's counsels. Be
fore the battle of Chickamauga, June "a 1868.
General Rosecrans asked the written opinion
of seventeen of his generals the advisability
of an immediate advance. All others opposed,
but Garfield advised ii, and his arguments were
so convincing that Rosecrans determined to seek
an engagement.
AS the engagement at Chickamauga did not
take place until more than three months after
this literary council of war; it may be correctly
concluded that Rosecrans very deliberate
about following up Garfelds convincing ar
guments. AS usual, Mr. Richardson has got his
facts somewhat mixed. 1t with reference
to the Tulahoma campaign, in Middle Tennes-
see, and not Chickamauga, in Northern Georgia,
that Rosecrans required June 8, 1863, the
written advice of his subordinates The Gov
eminent desired Rosecrans to move against
Bragg in order TO stop the further detachment
of Bragg's troops to Mississippi for the purpose
of loosening Grants hold on Vicksburg. Gar
fields arguments. filed June ID had no effect in
determining the result; the movement did not
take place until June "a nearly two weeks af-
terward, and was, in fact, compelled by per-
emptory order from Washington.
Further along Mr. Richardson speaks about
that "fateful day. September 49," at Chicka-
mauga- where General Garfield wrote all
the orders except one. and that was the
blunder that lost the day" The fateful day at
Chickamauga, it so happens. not September
10, because on this day the Union Army easily
repelled all the Confederate assaults Septem-
Der 20 was the day meant by Richardson
which ROsecrans committed the blunder which
swept him from the field although il did not de-
feat the Union Army. Neither did General Gar
field write out all the orders either day OF
the battle.
SOME BLUNDERS ABOUT GRANT.
Richardson. page 4, volume VII. in his sum-
mary of Grants career, sets down the following:
General Grant was Cn July 1862 placed in
command of the District of West Tennessee.
In September he fought the battle of Iuka,
Miss, and in October the battle of Corinth.'
The affair at Iuka was beyond dispute the
suit Of dispositions made by Grant. though he
was not present in person, and therefore did not
fight the battle, which a failure. General
Grant, at his headquarters in Jackson Tenn,
fifty miles away, had nothing whatever to do
with the battle of Corinth, except that he was
the department commander. Nor was the bat
tie the result of any plans formulated by Grant.
1t was precipitated by a rebel attack under
Van Dorm, who attempted to storm General
Rosecrans's fortified lines. The attack, how
ever, was not unexpected. For his great victory
here General Rosecrans was promoted to the
command Of the Department and Army of the
Cumberland.
Further along, after explaining that Grant
had run the rebel batteries and that his army
was now below NickSburg," Richardson pro-
ceeds with the information that Port Gibson
battle was fought and Grand Gulf captured,
entirely omitting the highly important and nee
essary strategical fact that the Federal Cen
eral had meanwhile been obliged to cross the
Mississippi River to accomplish these designs.
In the subsequent operations, as in the case OF
Taylor in Mexico, he enlarges upon the minor
affairs and wholly Omits the real battle of the
campaign, Champions Hill, where Pembertons
army was broken and the fate of Vicksburg
sealed
These do not exhaust the find; every edited"
page bristles with like blunders There
scores upon scores of them. The term thrown
together used advsedy Richardson's
compilation is as ruthless literary murder
has been committed in a century How do his
fellow Representatives like the spectacle? How
much confidence will they have in Brother Rich
ardsons gratutous compilation of the Confed
crate diplomatic documents? That job has been
smmering these twenty years, and behind it
there is the promise of money returns in
form another