The Cairo bulletin., 1909-01-02
THE CAMP PA|GN IN
THE WILDERNESS
DISCUSSED IN CLOSING SESSION
OF AMERICAN HISTORICAL
ASSOCIATION,
CONDUCT OF GENERALS
Discussed by Confederate and Federal
Officers---Major Swift Declares
Lee Was Only General Of
NaPoIeonic Type.


, ion of the campaign of the wilderness
in the civil war by able officers of
both armies marked the close Of the
, meeting Of the American Historical
, Association.
Gen, Alexander on Grant.
General Edward p. Alexander of the
Confederate army, discussed Grant
conduct of the wilderness, campaign =
saying In part:
General Alexander referred to
Grants aggressive campaign against
Lee, Commenting Upon the division
of Grant army, part of which the
army of the Potomac, was under
Meade and part, the Ninth corps,
was under Burnside, he declared that
there are few axloms of war better
established than those which con
denim divided. commands and in this
case, he added Grants experience
gave additional evidence of the lack
of wisdom Of such an arrangement.
Had II not been for delay caused b.
The akwardness of having to look af,
ter such dividend command General
Alexander believed that Grant would
have gone beyond the fields both OF
the Wilderness and Spottsylyana into
Eshe open' country. Had Grant done
this, he declared there would have
been no battles of the Wilderness anil
Spottsylyania, but probably a battle
on line behind the North Anna
1T was Lees policy" he said, 80
fight his battles under cover Of the
wilderness and he practically won
victory by bringing I-ongstreet into
the action just in ;he nick of time,
and perhaps we must say that Grant
lost II by his faulty organization Of
having two separate armies under in
dependent commanders operating IN
the same field
II is little surprising to find that
Grant, having the initiative, and the |
greater force of artillery, did not not |
make a greater effort to get himself |
clear of the wilderness before he en- |
conntered Lees army. Evidently
however, he considered himself abund. |
antly able TO meet Lee on any ground, |
finding him In the wilderness, he At |
once took the aggressive with sucn
yigor that had he had sufficient day.
light he would have made Lee regret |
his mistake in locating his support.
ing infantry under Longstreet behind
bis left flank instead of behind his
right, for he fully expected Grants
attack upon his right; as It actually
occurred. The Wilderness country
was very fertile In tricks and surpris-
es, as It had already shown itself 1t
was now about to repeat upon each
of the combatants some of it's famous
tricks OF the year before"
Colonel William b. Liyermore. of
the federal army spoke on Lees con
duct OF the same campaign
Major Swift on Lee.
The discussion as closed by Major
Eben Swift of the general stan Of
the United States army
The artillery Of 1864 was so uncer-
tain said Major Swift. that | will
not venture 10 describe its effective
ness. At the present day a battery of .
four guns firing shrapnel can accur-
ately place 10000 bullets on a ten ,
acre lot. two miles away in two min
1tes BY the method Of indirect Ere a ,
single observer can direct the FIRE .
n artillery which Is sheltered behind q
a hill IN such way that IL can hrs %
oyer the Hill and hit It's target just as .
accurately as IL 81 were firing in The 2
1pen- In the Wilderness campaign
he smoke Of powder gave information
NJ the lpJsiii0n Of the army. chscurc,l 1
he view and made the aim uncertain
But with smokelcss powder 81 Is OK
-rcdingly difficult 10 locate ths fr j
Ing lines. bur aiming is easy for both
sides
The Wilderness Campaign called
'lr a braver soldier than every fought
IN war Battles called for the. utmos
limit Of physical and moral force. bui \
ne results were often negative and p
lsrtial. Since that campaign. increase e
n The destructive power Of weapons q
las acted 70 lenEthen the range at !
which battles begin They end wher io
hey algays did~ e
lee ard Napoleon. To-
Lee vas the oniy general Of Napo =
comic typc who ever lived. declared ?
Major Suiff -and whether Ereater or =
0C0Bti-Us5 N TbIr5 Pager