The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1906-02-15
A CHEAT bOLDIEB I.
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bers over adversaries who are tacm'
clans and nothing more"
! In speaking of Lees audacity in
attacking with force inferior In
numbers and equipment McClellsn's
thoroughly organized army in their
intrenchments in the Seven Days
battle he says.
From Hannibal to Moltoke there
has been no great captain who has
neglected to study the character of
his opponent and who did not trade
| on the knowledge thus acquired, and
it was this knowledge which Justified
Lees audacity. He was no hare brain
ed leader, but profound thinker,
following the highest principles of
the military art. That he had weighed
the difc1rcerting effect which the
sudden appearance of the victorious
Jackson, with an army Of unknown
strength would produce upon McClell.
an goes without saying
Again he writes:
I Lee, with his extraordinary in
sight into character, had played on
Pope lat Second Manassas and his
strategy was justified by SUCCESS. In
the space of three weskshe had ca r.
ried the war from the James to the
Potomac. With an army that at az
time exceeded IS 900, he had driven
$4,000 into the Notifications Of
Washington. He had captured 30
guns, 1000 prisoners and 20. 600 rifles.
He lad killed or wounded 49, 500 Fed.
erals, destroying supplies and mater.
ials Of enormous value and all this
with q loss to the Confederates Of TO-
600 offl ,ers and men,"
II, as Moltke AYERS, the junction OF
two armies on the field Of battle Is
the highest achievement Of military
genius, the campaign against Pope
has seldom been surpassed: and the
great counter stroke at Massassas is
sufficient in itself to make Lees repu.
tauion rs tactician. Tried by this
test alone Lee stands out as one OF
the greatest soldiers OF all times. Not
only against Pope but against Nc
Olellan at Gaines's Mill, against Burn.
side at Fredericksburg and against
Hooker at Charlottesville. he seceed-
ed in carrying out the operation OF
which Moltke. speaks; and each case
with the same result of surprising his
adversary. None knew better how to
apply that great principle Of strategy,
to march divided, but to fight concen
crated.
| In this action Lee violated both OF
the maX,ms of Napoleon-nev to di.
vide an army into two columns unable
to communicate, or attempt juno
tion In the presence OF a concentrated
enemy; but Lee knew his men. BE
violated the last section Of this max
i'm because he knew Pope, and the
first because he knew Jackson. 1t is
rare indeed that such trategV sue,
ceeds. Hasdrubsl divided from Han.
Dibal by many miles and a Consular
army, fell back to the Metarus, and
Rome was saved. Two thousand years
later Prince Frederick Charles, divi'
ded by few marches and two Aus
trian> army corps from the Grown
Prince, fingered so long upon the Iser
that the supremacy Of Prussia trem.
bled In the balance. But the charac.
ter Of the Vlrginian soldier was of a
loftier type. It has been remarked
that after Jackson's death Lee never
again attempted those great turning
movements which had achieved his
most brilliant victories. Never again
did he divide bis army to reunite 1t
on the field Of battle. The reason is
not far to seek. There we,s no general
in the Confederate army TO whom he
dared confide the charge Of the de.
tacbed wing, and in possessing one
such general be had been more fortn.
nate than Napoleon.
1t is noteworthy that Moltke once,
at Kopiggratz. carried out the opera.
tion referred tt: wellington, twice at
Victoria and Toulouse: Napoleon, al.
though be several times attempted 1t
never, except at Uln, with complete
success.
In his History of the American
War;" Lieut.. Col. Fletcher CT EGG
land says;
The armies of Grant and Lee were
still in the vicinity of Spottsylvania
court house. The former not9ith.
standing his vastly preponderating
strength, was awaiting reinforce.
ments. The latter. with only a small
and overWorked army to rely on, was
expecting the arrival of troops from
the Shenandoah.
1T must ever remain a marvel how
this small force, ill.supplied, over.
worked and harassed by continual
fighting and marching by night and
by day, could hold It's ground against
the almost innumerable host In
Grants command. That it did 80,
infllcting losses far heavier than 1t
sustained and creating a belief In the
mind Of the enemy Of numbers far
larger than it contained, has been al
ready shown.
Two Of the three armies or Sigel,
Meade and Butler had been forced tc
seek shelter behind f rtifed lines. the
third had been krcught tn q halt tC
await reenforce menrss saud the arteries
which supplied life to the capltal
Of the CJnfederacy had been preServ-
| o1