Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-02-10
NEVER DEFEATED IN BATTLE
WHEN PROPERLY SUPPORTED

4
WHEN PROPERLY SUPPORTED
General Lee may be classed as among
the great defensive generals of his time.
He was never defeated in any of his many
battles fought on the defensive until
his army was disintegrated and weakened
by death and desertiOn and lack Of sup
plies, when Grant broke his lines at
Petersburg and forced his retreat for the
final climax at Appomattox. He was much
the type OF Mcclellan as a commander,
differing only in his frequent unexpected
attacks upon the union forces. While
strategically defensive he was always a
dangerous soldier in his tactically agrees
sive movements. He will be accepted in
history as not only the greatest Of the
Confederate commanders, but as the one
military chieftan who could have filled
the military necessities of the Confeder-
acy.
In but one battle of the war were his
limitations exhibited. and that was at Get
tysburg 1t was the first campaign in
which he was compelled to be both strate-
gically and tactically. aggressive. and his
great opportunity was lost the first day
of the battle, when he failed to dislodge
the shattered union forces from Cemetery
Hill and take possession of Round Top
and Culp's HILL That failure enabled the
union army to concentrate In the strong
est defensive position to be found any,
where between Williamsport and WASH
ington on a short and almost impregna-
BILE line, while Lees line of battle was
thrice as long.
1t has always been a surprise to those
who closely studied the character of Gen
eral Lee that he insisted upon Pickett's
bloody and disastrous charge, even
against the earnest protest Of LOngstreet
1 do not assume to say what Lee should
have done at Gettysburg after his failure
to take possession practically of both
"a Sat- 1nww
He has been severely criticised by some of
his own southern friends especially by
General Longstreet by whom some per-
soIial resentment is clearly exhibited; but
1t is now an accepted historic fact that
the Gettysburg campaign was blunder.
and that the failure of Lee to take
possession of the whole field on the first
day led TO the decisive battle of the war.
in which the fate of the Confederacy
was irrevocably sealed.
tits easy to criticise a commander after
a battle has been fought and all the OPP
portunities known to the critic. many OF
which were not known to the commanders
at the time, and there was nothing in the
Gettysburg campaign. disastrous as it
was that dimmed the luster of Lees
greatness as a military chieftain, or that
impaired in any degree the confidence of
the Confederate government and the
southern people He was as much their
legions. he recrossed into Virginia as he
was when he marched with the greatest
army the Confederacy ever knew to a de-
feat that was decisive OF the fractricidal
conflict.
Considering the military conditions and
necessities which environed Lee. no COM
ma1der of his century accomplished more
with the same resources, and the single
criticism of his military career relates to
Gettysburg, a campaign that was con-
ceived and ordered to be executed against
his military policy. and certainly against
his Judgment. OF all the defensive gen
erals Of modern. times he was the great
est and the most dangerous. While on the
defensive the Union army was never safe
from an unexpected and terrible blow, and
every campaign that he planned. and
every battle that he fought from his own
standpoint. must stand in history as fault
less in conception and execution.
The most heroic military movement of
the war was his separation of his army
when confronted by Hooker at Chancel-
Iorsville, by sending Jackson to turn the
right wing of the Union army, which was
up in the air, resulting in the disgrace
full defeat Of an army that doubled the
numbers Of the Confederates; and his at
tacks upon Grant in the wilderness would
have made him victor of the campaign but
for Grants ability to fill the places OF his
dead and wounded. 1t is an impressive
commentary upon the generalship of the
two great commanders Of that conflict
that Grant lost more men In killed and
wounded and missing between the Rapi-
dan and the James than Lee had to OPP
pose him.
NEVER UTTERED SENTENCE OF