Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1904-08-13
Criticism for West Pointers.

1t appears that your paper, writes
q correspondent of the New York
Sun, has great faith in the military
ability of West Point graduates, but
glance at the history of their per-
formances during the civil war hardly
justifies such confidence. Look at the
records:
Mcdowell at Bull Run-with his
| left resting on the only road and
his line extended in prolongation OF
that road, thus severing two-thirds of
his army from its communications
before a shot was fired. When the
fighting began his little bunch of ar
tillery was too far advanced, shoot
ing in the wrong direction and abso-
lutely and entirely without support.
have never seen the fact stated in
print, but the first sign of discourage
ment shown by our infantry was
when these artillerymen, led by the
| lead driver of the right piece, gallop-
| ed to the rear, leaving their guns on
the field.
Think of Rosecrans at Chickamau-
! ga-his army lost in the woods, and
to this day no man can tell what he
was trying to do with it 7. Sturgis at
Gun river-whipped in minute by
Forrest, who had been a peaceful
slave dealer till he was past 40 years
of age; Smith-looking at Petersburg
and then retreating without even
realizing the Importance of occupy
ing the town; the absurd Red River
campaign-planned by one West
Pointer and, to all intents and pur-
poses, conducted by another
Then look at Antietam. 1t is not
too much to say that any one of
-I,-1- h oxrea
taken either army and won decisive
victory in that Maryland campaign.
Mcclellan could have beaten Lees
divided force on the 18th or 18th, and
then thrown his whole army on
Jackson, who, good as he was, could
hardly hope to win against such odds.
The worst of it is the movement re-
quired no display of originality on
the part of the federal commander,
for the trick had been done thou
sands of times and was hoary with
age when Hannibal was fighting the
Romans.
The other side: If a squad of Con-
federates had pushed through the
gap made by Hills artillery when it
stopped the Ninth Army Corps, Lit
tie Mac" would have had another
chance to show the world how fast
he could retreat, for there was moth
ing in the way of such an advance ex-
cept four pieces belonging to a New
York battery, without a round of am
munition.
The chests had been emptfed shoot
ing at nothing before crossing the
creek, and the corps commander, a
West Pointer, had been within ten
yards of the guns most of the time
oh inv
in the cannonading.
When Burnside, early in the fight
reported to his superior that force
should be sent to protect his left, the
commander replied that he had nc
troops to place there, well knowing
that neither the Fifth Corps nor the
cavalry had fired shot that day
1t would be interesting to discover
why that commander was always ask
ing for more cavalry, for he never
used any except for escort duty.
A couple of hundred dismounted
troopers, with their breech leaders
could have kept that cornfield so full
, of flying lead that nothing could live
in it, and the confederate artillery
would have been compelled to dc
, their fighting from a respectful dis
lance.
Another graduate, Meade, at Gettys
burg-with large part of his arm,
so situated that it could not b.
brought into action
Any one who served during ON
domestic disturbance must acknowl
,, edge that most of the West Pointer,
: on both sides, were too fond of I'M
necessarily and clumsily assaultini
fortified positions, and that all o
!. them except possibly Sheridan AM