The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-01-10
R OF SUBSCRIPTION.
WILMINGTON n. C.
THE CORRECTION OF AN HISTORIC
OI:STOy.

We read with unusual interest the
paper of Mr.. o. W. Blacknall. Of Kit
treII. referred to in yesterdays Messen-
ger. 1t is a contribution OF merit and
should be duly considered. 1t Is CAPT
tally written. with coherency and his
toric insight. His contention is that
the commonly received opinion that
the battle Of Gettysburg was the decis-
i've battle on the war, and led inevitably
to the final defeat Of the Confederates,
is He sustains his conten-
ton with lucidity and vigor If not with
absolute conclusiveness. He says that
our main blunder at Characteristic
was the turning point of the war-that
Brigadier General Colquitt's failure
to the Confederates. o will be inter-
ested to follow him carefully in his ar
gument to sustain his position.
Mr.. Blacknall first refers to the fall
of Vicksburg, which was lamentable in
deed. 1t lost over 10000 men to the
south. and divided the C~onfederacy.
We quote: ''This severance meant the
loss of the whole trans-Mississippi re-
gion with it's ~boundless foe supply as
completely as if it had been included in
the Vicksburg capitulation. Morally
and materially the blow to the Confed-
racy was crater thar the defeat OF
Lees army. 1t would have Offset, in
the northern mind n defeat of
Meade's army short Of practical de-
struction. Had Meade met
a serious reverse and Vicksburg been
relieved the growing discomfort at the
ed head and forced the Federal govern
ment to cease it's plan of s~ubiugation
and made peace"
Through the last thirty-odd years we
have had occasion several times to re-
fer to q conversation we held with
General Grant early in November 1866,
that lasted quite an hour and a quarter.
Among many interesting things he said
was this: That twice in the war
President Davis shaped his campaign
for him, Grant. The first was the at
tack on Vicksburg, which he said was
not meditated by him until he read
President Davis speech at Vicksburg
in which he was reported as saying that
1it is the Gibraltar OF the Confederacy."
Then General Grant said: 81 said to
myself then / will capture that Gibral-
tor"
Mr.. BlacknaIrs entire discussion Is
replete with interest. We cannot follow
him through his nearly three columns
in The Raleigh News and Observer.
however. meritorioHs and inviting. We
merely purpose calling special atten-
ton TO his effort to xpose what he
holds to be a blunder. Vicksburg ought
never to have been lost, and a better
soldier than COlquitt should have neld
the key at Charlottesville, Mr.. Black
nall says. He hen explains at length.
and we are much disposed to agree with
him in his forcef 1 argument and seam
ingly irresistible conclusion: THE real
ly decisive battle of the war was. as
I have before had occasion to say.
Charlottesville rather than Gettys-
burg. Had Charlottesville been the
overwhelming Confederate victory
which in all human probability but for
one mans blunder it must have oeen'
both objects essential to peace would
have been accomplished. The federal
army covering Washington would have
been so crippled as to justify the Con-
federate oyernmen in detaching sufh-
cient force from Lee to relieve Vicks-
burg Thus would both essentials to
peace have been accomplished. The
bIunder alluded to. made by General
Conuuitt, commanding a Georgia ori-
gade, not only deprived Jackson, OF the
complete success he a so justly earn
ed by one of the most brilliant pieces OF
strategy in history, but resulted in the
fau of FRAT ,rvincible chief himself"