The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-07-17

not re, soldiers. They lacked IN. a..
pune and training n-~""sary - create. .
cohesive organization ~hIrn
stand defeat without UauIr .- ....
Fortunately for the Nurth th. ..
saas. did not profit by tho ra7,, -.
could probably have mat,H..f ~
inEtOn. bat they Wsrr ov"rr,.r... .y..
the author APPLY terms the r..-..,.
victory. They simply ~ ,'.T ..,.i....
sitting still vas on, Of IN. POI. ,-, .,...
Ut" things that ever happ'''...i i.r.r.. -.
Confederate or any Other s.--
MIR EgElcston's narrariyr ,.. .
tary and naval Operations , rl. -.
clear comprehensive and ..-,.,r..i >,
IMPARTIAL. although Their, - ~ und.,.,.
ret, q emphasis throughnu, ur M, n
nDrty - tbs south a. a cofn .pt,rf -
- mum r-r.'tition 81 favorit.. t.,. y
tho z,yis - that of the essayirt -.rb.- -
3 TIA, 81 the professs-d historian. t,,
/ not the le.s Interesting on that .c,,--.
Much fault ~ found with the c,r.,--.
attempts % the civilian officers 81 Cove
( nlsnt on both sides Ia interfere with -.
control the conduct of military 81
Judah y. Benjamin. the Louisiana -.
tor. who subsequently, went % London A..
hecame 4 leader Of the English har ~
the Confederate Secretary of War in .,
early part % the conflict. and In J.n,a--
/ iss2. he almost drove StoneWall Jack.,,
out Of the service by an order ,o wi,hd,,.
his forces from one portion Of the Sh.o,n.
doah Valley 20 another. which tina s,dI
mildly characterized as IAN at,emp, I,
control military operations In detail fro,,
the Secretary's desk at a distance -
too. our author can hardly find hnrn,,
severe enough 10 condemn the tr-atn.p,
OF General Grant by General Haleos !,
the West until after the campaisn a,
vicksburg. Mr.. Eggleston regards IA.
leck a. having been q paper s,rateSs,
rather than an actual fighter Ia hs
-Reoollections Of the Civil War NJ
Charles A. Dana estimates Haleck char
acter somewhat more favorahly. thoush
oonceding that he was not thought y bea
great man In the field. He attribute. "a.
idea that Halleck was unjust and nah
cious toward certain Of his subordinate.
To his habit OF picking men and name,
TO pieces To sc what they were worth
and expresses the opinion that he wAs an
honest man, though perhaps someuhA,
lacking in moral courage. He gives HAs
heck high praise as an adviser Of stanton
and Lincoln and declines To believe tia,
Halleck was unjust TO Grant.
There can lie little doubt. however
that Halleck believed that Grant had
been surprised by the Confederate assault
at Shiloh. which might we'll have resulted
in a great disaster to the Federal arm.
in that battle IL il had not been for the
admirable discipline OF the Northernf
troops A 20 this much mooted quss
ton Mr. Eggleston says: 1T il CERTAIN
that Grants forces were not disro~~4
as they would have been II an RssAui
hy the enemy had been anticipated
such was not the impression which Mr.
Dana gathered from General Grar'
himself He first met Grant in July Isg
after he had fought the successful ha;tl~s
Of Fort DonelSon and shiloh and a.
in command Of a military district VI"
the rank OF Major-General. having hs
at Memphis -Althoust
one would not have suspected 3, iror
his manner says Mr. Dana. he w
really under a cloud at the time b"raus
Of his operations az shiloh. Those VI
did not like Grant had accused HIM :
having been taken 10y surprise thsr
and had declared that he would hav. D.,
beaten II Buell. had not come up. oft@ ]
talked later with Grants stan ofios7 Z
about shiloh and they always a'firme
that he would have been successful
Buell. had not come "a his relief heliev-
Grant himself thought 50. although =
never said 80 directly in any one - ~
many talks I had with him about ne
battle Whatever may have been TIE
TACT in regard 20 the alleged sirpr'ss.
Mr. Eggleston attributes the Compile
y helming superiority % the Federal
orcer created by the timely arrival II
3uell upon the field OF battle.
In describing Farragut's naval opera.
ions for the reduction of New Orleans
he author recognizes To the full the splen-
lid genius and capacity Of FArragut: but
le has no patience with the civilians Will
without experience or knowledge or skill
" any other recognizable qualihcation
or command. controlled the navy Ie-
'artment.- In the account Of the par
,layed by the navy later in the operations
m the Mississippi in the VicksburR cam
align n high tribute Is paid % Admiral
David ID. Porter -one OF the most enter.
,rising and most daring men who ever
a ship Singularly enough.
However. in the story Of the fight he'we-h
hs Merrimac and the Monitor n" men
ion IL made Of the name 81 the commandep
4 the Monitor. John l.. Worden. whoN
kill and valor first demonstrated the uni
~ Of Erio--on's new type Of war vessel
or harbor defence.
We have not attempted To follow in D.
all the outline u the several campaigns
escribed in these two volumes. but have
merely sought to call attention to the NOR
parts Of the work II
more entertaining than most novels rs
asy reading. and the manner If N" al
hor. though disctIrsive and reitsraiivs
Odds the attention Of the reader 'hrouEh
ut. Coming Ia the end and thinking over
that no has read he will be very apt -
Tonder how IL In that the North was VIC
prious az all. II is manifes'ly the az.
hor's idea that with equal numl'"-s AMI
quail resources the South would have
ron. His book IL commentary raiher
han a history: hut IL is a commentary
all Of interest and inspiration fnr mos
h.. too 80. bar Nsa