The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-01-05
ViCKSBuRG LOST BY THIS
The Fall of the City Divided the Con-
federacy and Inspired
the North.
CoLQUlTT WAS THE MAN WHoBLUsDERFD
This Not Only Deprived J:ckson of The Com
plete Success He Had So Justly Earned
But Resulted in the Fall Of
Jackson Himself

To th Editor; That Gettysburg was
the high water mark of Southern en-
deavor in its desperate struggle for in
dependence and constitutional right can
not be doubted But a survey of the
whole situation leads one to dissent from
the popular belief that it was the decis-
i've battle of the war-that had it been
a Southern victory in the same, or even
much greater measure than it was,
Northern victory, it would have
wrung peace with independence from the
Federal government. For the very Sun
day that Lees shattered though undis-
pirited, columns drew back from Gettys-
burg saw the fall of the then most i'm
portant place in the Confederacy-Rich-
mond not xcepted--Vicksburg
The capture of Vicksburg besides the
loss of a Confederate army of consid-
erably over 10000 men, counting killed.
wounded and captured, cut the Confed-
eracy in two. This severance meant tho
loss Of the whole trans Mississippi re-
gion with its boundless food supplies as
completely as if it had been included in
the Vicksburg capitulation. Morally and
materially the blow to the Confederacy
was greater than the defeat Of Lees
army. 1t would have Offset in the North
ern mind any defeat of Meade's army
short of practical destruction. The de-
struction or dispersion of a disciplined
army Of 10000 Federals operating in a
friendly territory by $4,000 Confederates
was an event scarcely within the reach
of possibility. 1t was a fate that in all
the eyentualities of war befelI no army
in the East between Manassas and APP
pomattox.
Had Gettysburg been another Chancel-
louisville or even Fredericksburg Meade's
great superiority Of numbers would have
enabled him to hold in strong force the
highly defensible region east of Gettys-
burg. In fact a position in this very
region was selected as stronger than tho
ore at Gettysburg. And here it was that
Meade would have awaited Lees attack
had not accident brought about a coils
ion elsewhere.
Had Meade met a serious reverse ard
Vicksburg been relieved the growing dis
content at the North would almost surely
have gathered head and forced the Fed
eral government to cease its plan of
eubjugation and made peace
Success at one of these vital points
could not have saved the Confederacy.
The North would have been so encouraged
by even a half success that if would
have persevered. Nothing short of sue
cess at both points could have forced
her to withdraw from the contest
The really decisive battle of the war
was, as l have before had occasion to
say, Charlottesville rather than Get
tysburg. Had Charlottesville been the
overwhelming Confederate victory which
in all human probability but for ono
mans blunder it must have been, both OBJ
jects essential to peace woRld have been
accomplished. The Federal army cover
ing Washington would have been so Grip
pied as TO justify the Confederate gov
eminent in detaching sufficient force
from Lee to relieve Vicksburg. Thus
would both essentials to peace have
been accomplished.
The blunder alluded to, made by Gen
ColQuitt, commanding a Georgia brigade.
not only deprived jackson, of the com
plete success he had so justly earned
by one of the most brilliant pieces OF
strategy in history. but resulted in the
fall of that invincible chief himself
To explain this / shall have to de-
scribe the battle though lack of space
will allow little more than a bare out
line. After Burnside's crushing repulsc
at Fredericksburg in December, 1852
the two armies remained on opposite
sides of the Rapahannock River, con-
fronting each other throughout the win
ter. At the end of April, 1853 Hooker.
Who had superseded Burnside in com
nand found himself at the head Of 1874
600 men. Lee had detached Longstrect
10 Suffolk, and had with him only $1,000
men.
Hooker after detaching SLOVENIAN with
10000 cavalry to destroy Lees communi-
cations--a measure as fatal as Stuarts
detachment in tho Gettysburg campaign
left Sodgwck with 10000 men actively
threatening renewal Of the attack at
fredericksburg. At the head of $4,000 no
passed rapidly mp across tho river and
without loss succeeded in throwing him
1f-antinund IN pare Icfevap