The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-01-28
The Major and Uon MoGke.
BY RICHARD LINTHICUM.

should have become a member of these
organizations as it was that the habit
of taking a drop to much was rap
idly growing on him. Previous to the
death Of his wife he had been invited
many times to join a Grand Army post
but had always refused on the ground
that it was an ostentatious display OF
patriotism. He had done but his duty
he said, in serving his country during
the Civil war, and he felt that he would
be lacking in modesty to advertise that
fact by joining the Grand Army organza-
ton. He had often asserted that the
men who were most conspicuous in the
G. A. r. had been the most inconspicu-
Gus during the war, particularly in time
Of battle.
Now, all of this was changed. He was
not only member of the G. A R. and
the Loyal Legion, but he was regular
attendant at their meetings and fire.
quently made addresses in eulogy Of the
organizations
The psychological reason for this
change Of attitude is not difficult to find.
During the lifetime of his wife the
major had lived his life solely for her.
His heart and mind were centered upon
her. She was his all-in-all. There was
no future for him beyond her life. When
she died. he found his only solace in the
past. He then began to live his life in
retrospection. The living presence that
had been dearest to him was now but
tender, sacred memory, the only surviv-
ors who were associated sentimentally
with his past were his old comrades
in arms, and to them he turned IN SYM
pathy and affection.
He delighted to talk of the old war
days, in camp, and on the march, and,
fguratively, to fight again the battles
in which he had borne a part. His
ideal of all military heroes was Grant,
and he was most eloquent when euloglz-
ing the great commander. He resented
any adverse criticism Of his hero, and
when in his cups construed it as per-
sonal insult.
Against one critic of American mill
tary skill he was particularly virulent.
That was the great German military
genius. Won Moltke, who, when asked
concerning some battle of the Amer1-
can rebellion, remarked that he took
no interest in the movement of mobs.
For many years the major nursed an
enmity to Won MOltke on account Oh
that remark and after he joined the
g. A. r. his one journalistic ambition
was to demolish Won Moltke in print.
He studied the military history of Ger
MANY. and made himself familiar with
the personal military history Of the
great German commander. he delVe1
into the technicalities of strategic war
fare and after much research declared
himself equal to the task OF proving
that il Won Moltke at GraVelotte, Metz
and Sedan had had to contend with the
e.nobs'' under Grant at Shiloh, Nlcks-
burg and the Wilderness, or the 'mobs'
nnder Lee at Gettysburg and Cold Har-
hor the Franco Prussian war Woulu
have had a different termination Ii
nIos nis firm conviction that Won Moltke
would not have been great in an emer-
gencv. He regarded the German held-
marshal as a military mathematician
who was able to produce the same re-
suits in the field that he produced on
naper because the relative fighting quail
tiae ~ +ha two armies were exactly
known. and far the further reason that
the troops were Unanswered according TO
set rules and could always be relied up
on to do precisely a certain tnlng uhueI
any given condition. Therefore, ne sdiu'
If only became necessary to know the
topography of the battle ground anu the
number and character OF the troops II
each army to calculate Win e&dcliies"
the result of battle between Llenl'
On the other hand, the major proposed
70 show that the Northern and Southern
| a.rnobs.', VINE obeying generally the fuies
| of warfare, were composed or men pos
| sessing distinctive and individual quail
| Ties who in every crisis brought their IN
! dividual intelligence to bear upon the sit
| nation, and thus quite as often as now,
| produced results wholly the reverse OF all
| military mathematical calculations. he
| had collected numerous incidents to show
| that when one side according to Eufo-
| pean military rules and methods should
| have been badly defeated, 1t had risen
| s11nerior 10 all the formula of the STRAIT
egist and had snatched substantial vic
| tory from mathematically demonstrate
| defeat.
| He was also prepared to prove that a
| Won Moltke was not able to cope with
| a Grant under conditions anything Ike
| equal
| How can a strategist outwit man
| whose bugles are blowing a charge Wnen
| according to the rules Athey should be
sounding a retreat How can you out.
maneuver a man, who, when he should
| be In front Of you. takes you on the