The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1902-01-29

| dangerous. " hllc Oh 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 faultless in conception and exccu-
tion." This will be the just verdict
Of history upon Lees ability and ac
complishmcnts as military leader.
No other great general in all history
has combined such genius with the
admirable and attractive character and
personality that Lee possessed. Of
him in this regard and Of his capabili-
ties as soldier, Col. Mcclure says:
"There have been many criticisms
of some Of his military movements and
Of his qualities as a military chief
tain, but it may now be accepted that
the name Of Robert II. Lee is cryst.i-
lied in the history Of the country and
Of the world as one Of the great COM
mandcrs Of his century. His charac
ter may be summed up in single SEN
tcncc, defining him as an accomplished
soldier and Christian gentleman, for
he filled every measure Of both great
attributes. Like all great command
crs Of his century. with probably the
single exception Of Napoleon, there
were limitations upon his capabilities.
Napoleon was equal to any condition
Of war, aggressive or defensive, or
stratcgically defensive and tactically
aggressive, but in that supreme quality
he stands alone. All Of the great
commanders Of that period were noted
for their aggressive or for their dcfen-
sive qualities. Grant was pre-emi-
nently distinguished as an aggressive
warrior; Mcclellan was pre- eminently
distinguished as defensive warrior.
Grant always fought when he should
have fought, and sometimes when he
should not have fought. Mcclellan
gave the most sublime illustration Of
his great qualities as defensive gen
eral in the Seven Days battles but
he never assumed the aggressive in a
single great action, excepting at An
tictam, and theu he should have
fought one day earlier. when onc-third
of Lees army was engaged at Harper 8
Ferry.
"Gen. 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 de-
fensive until his army was disintegra-
ted and weakened by death and deser-
tion and lack Of supplies, 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 unex-
pccted attacks upon the Union forces.
While stratcgically defensive he was
always dangerous soldier in his tao
tically aggressive movements. He
will be accepted in history as not only
tho greatest Of the Confederate com
manders, but as the one military chief
tain who could have filled the military
necessities Of the Confedcracy. * x
The most heroic military movement
of the war was his separation Of his
army when confronted by Hooker at
Charlottesville, by sending Jackson
to turn the right wing of the Union
army, which was up in the air, result
ing in the disgraceful defeat of an
army that doubled the numbers of the
Confederates; and his attacks 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. It is nm i'm
pressive commentary upon the general
ship of the two great commanders Of
that conflict that Grant lost more men
in killed and wounded and missing be-
tween the Rapidan and the James than
Lee had to oppose him.
"Gen. Lee was one of the greatest
of men. He was the one eminent
Southern man during the Civil war who
uniformly taught, alike by precept and
example, as Lincoln taught in the
North, with malice toward none; with
charity for all" Lee, like Lincoln,
never uttered single sentence of re-
sentiment against the opposing sec.
ton. When he was finally brought to
surrender at Appomattox he appeared
before Grant in his best uniform, with
his finest sword at his side, ready to
perform his last sad duty for his cause
with all the dignity of soldier and
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