The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-07-21

GEN. JOSEPH WHEELER AND THh
 ARMY OF THE TENNESSEE" BY JOHN wITHERsPoON DUBOSF.
 The Neale Publishing Company, New
 York.
 The Neale Company has recently put on the market handsomely bound octave of 40 pages literally illustrated, enutled Gen. Joseph Wheeler and the Army Of Tennessee" by John Witherspoon Du- ssose.
 The book has been received by the press. especially by the northern press, as a fair and intelligent presentation of the motive of the southern people in the great war and of the character of the rank and file of the Confederate armies. as proving the character of the people in their homes.
 Speaking for the north, Pittsburg daily says: MT. DuBose Is a brilliant writer and has presented the southern side of the sectional conflict with forum ate emphasis" Speaking for the south the Richmond Times-Dispatch says: MT. DuBose's book Is written from the want age of intimate personal acquaintance with General Wheeler and a correspond ence with him maintained for the purpose of obtaining the fullest data for this book. His former biography, Life and Times of Yancey,' establishes a standard that I6dQS lle TcdueT 10 expect III lHlS book on a great soldier-leader and a great army just what he has given, a true Confederate story worthy of the man about whom 1t was written" The New York Herald, Springfield (Mass) Repub- llcan. Chicago Journal and numerous oth- CT reviewers show pointedly that this Alabama account of the Confederacy Is revelation to the history of the tremen- dous struggle of the sections.
 toI ,f.to l.xrA ATr DuBose are numerous and profoundly in- teresting. He shows that while the Con- federate cavalry never failed in the en- tire war, whether under Wheeler, Stuart Van Dorn, Hampton or Forrest, to prove its superiority to the foe, there is not a single instance where the cavalry of the United States effected a decisive result until the war was practically closed When the successes of any one of the Confederate cavalry leaders are brought into view they so similar to the suc- cesses of some other Of those leaders that tho argument for southern cavalry be- comes irresistible. General Johnston said. after the war: q could not have com manded Gin the Dalton-Atlanta campaign) without General Wheeler" General Lee told Hampton after the war that if he, Hampton, had not been taken away from him, to be sent afar or to South Caro- lima, the surrender at Appomattox would not have happened
 The book is largely given to descrip- tion of the performance of the rank and file Many letters from the field to friends at home are printed entire. Capt. H. C. Reynolds of Montevallo, Sergt. Alva F. Hardie of Talladega, now of Dallas, Tex, Edward Kennedy of Centreville, Ala, have elaborate reports of wonder ful scouting expeditions. The extensive private correspondence of the author with surviving soldiers of the cavalry has re- suited in the collection of facts at first hand that give permanent value to the narrative.
 MT. DuBose brings forward the view that President Lincoln resolved Hpon war to arrest the further disin,egrations of tho government at Washington. Authorities are cited to show that there was a power full sentiment at the north manifested in tho east and in the west, favorable to a reorganization of all the states upon the Confederate States constitution and thus to reconstruct and restore the union MT. Lincoln feared this sentiment It would put him out of office. He feared the un- certain attitude of Maryland, Virginia, Tennessee. Kentucky and Missouri toward his government. He Saw no safety save in war for his government. He secretly prepared to force Beauregard to open fire on Sumter. That done, he called for a great army and continued to call until he had 100000 men under arms. The Con- federacy must be destroyed
 The author pronounces Abraham Lin eoln to have been a greater military con- queror than Napoleon. His army was larger. his navy incomparable. Lincoln conquered greater area than Napoleon. His conquest wrought infinitely greater destruction. Lincoln uprooted the social, industrial and political character of the conquered, the most wealthy people of the earth. Napoleon was far less de- structive.
 The proposition Is advanced by this book that when Grant was terribly de- feated at Cold Harbor June 8. 1884, by Lee and Sherman defeated with equal dis aster at Kenesaw, June 27, following by J. E. Johnston, the back bone of the mill tary strength of the United States was