The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-09-08
AFTER SHARPSBURG
LEE WAS SUPERB
With But Remnant OF an Army
Whipped Grant Three
T';,,ec

i llliNS'.
little old, but very interesting, is
controversy between the st. Louis
Globe-Democrat and Confederate
soldier of Mississippi.
The Globe ID emocrat is paper which
bellies it's name and its Southern loea-
ton. in that 1t is intensely anu
Southern.
1t may not be remembered by many
readers of to-day, but the fact Is that
during President Grants first admin
istration there was a terrible scandal
in regard to whiskey frauds in Mis-
souri, in which the editor and then
owner of the Globe-D Democrat, one Mr..
Mccullough. was conspicuous figure
and greatly profited.
suffered for Grant.
1t was developed that McCullough's
close relations with General Grant en-
abled him to perpetrate the frauds on
the government by which he pros
pered.
Mccullough was game, and submitted
to his punishment like a man, his true
manhood coming out In his Willingness
to serve term in the penitentiary, or
do anything else, to take all the blame
on himself, where it really belonged,
Grant, in the scandal.
The Globe-Democrat has always been
loyal TO Grant, and unto this day
never loses an opportunity to pay
tribute to his memory. Hence, the
following editorial, which appeared in
its columns three or more years ago,
was natural enough:
The Antictam Anniversary.
president Roosevelt will assist to-
day in celebrating the anniversary of
one OF the hardest fights of the Civil
War. With Mcclellan in command of
the national troops and Lee at the head
OF the rebels, the opposing armies met
at Antietam (Sharpsburg) on Septem-
Der II, 1862, in a battle on which,
beforehand. it was believed that the
fate of both Washington and Richmond
would depend. BY q faulty arrange
msnt of his men in the fight, McClel-
Ian allowed his troops to meet with a
technical reverse, though they held the
ground which they had occupied before
the battle, and by neglect to keep
vigilant watch over his enemy, he al
lowed Lee to retreat to the south side
of the Potomac
"Of course, If Grant had been in
command OF the national forces at
Antietam the chances are that It
tory instead of drawn battle. He
would hardly have allowed his forces
to be attacked in detail as Mcclellan
did. In number of troops on the field
the Union army was the superior. but
in the number actually engaged at any
one time the rebels We're In the pre-
ponderance. Thus. 1t happened that
though some of the best fighters in
the national forces-Sumner. Sedgwick,
Hooker, Frlnklin,t Mansfield. and
others--weTe engaged. they were not
permitted to fight 10 advantage, and
failed TO d.ive Lee out Then when
reinforcements came to the Union
forces which would have permitted an
attack to be made on the rebels with
a good chance of success, Lee was al
lowed to escape.
This would not have occurred had
Grant been in command. Lee was weak
when on the defensive, Probably in
the whole history of the soldiers OF the
nineteenth century there was not an
other man who was so much overesti-
mated as Lee was as a commander.
At the beginning of the fighting In
the Wilderness in 1864 the Union army
was beaten according to the rules OF
the game, but it persisted and drove
the rebels out, and resumed its march
on Richmond The difference was that
Grant was the commander in the Will
derness campaign and in tho fighting
in Virginia afterward, The French
were defeated at Marengo, hut Bona.
parte CHANGED to be in command, and
he transformed the reverse into a vic
tory, although. according to the books
he ought TO have let the other side
win. If Grant had been in McClellan's
place on September IT. 1852. the
chances are that Lees capture would
have come more than year Garlic,
than it did, and that the lives of sc, DOT
or more Union soldiers would have beer
saved"
e Didn't Know What He Was TallsInr
In reply Colonel Scales wrote a.
follows:
Dear sir.-Received copy of the
Globe-Democrat, with your comr1i
inents. The author of the editoria
treating of the battle of Antietam, o,
Sbarpshurs. may thank his God Gran
did not command the Army of the Pc
tomac during the Seven Days hghtlns
near Richmond, Va, in 1869. whe,
General r.. r. Lee had an army. an,
~ would be Wen TO let others shar
part of the credit of conquering Lee,
army, Mcdowell, Mcclellan (the great
est and best tactictan OF Federal gen
erals, Burnside Hooker, Pope am
Meade, after they conformity had deci
mated the ranks or Lees army an
wore II 10 fragile. with nothing /
recruit from Grant, with his legion
aud his government with The world I
recruit from, pounced on Lees sma
number Of soldiers and forced than.
surrender. Grants first smessage /
lielieell on crossing the Rapidan rive
was: Notify Butler / have crossed III
river and vii! know hi forty eigl
hours weather Lee viii give battle q
retreat behind mis- works at Richmond
What did Lee, the greatest general
all ages, do with his small army. abol
5000 men. In less than twenty or
hours he marched them from wihtc
quarters ana gave battle TO Grant
the Wilderness on the 9Th and 9th
sIay, gained 4 victory over Gran
Killed, captured and wounded 2e.4i0 4
Grants army, atid awaited battle d
Tho nh. INSTEAD of running Lee on
Grant reiterated ana moved from Lee