Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-03-04


GENERAL r. b. MILRoY, o. s. A., LEADER
or THE ATTACK AT GRERNBRIER RIVER
ted by Lee to capture western Virginia
aroused the warmest praise at Rich
mond Yet it ended in little better
than a fasco. The inevitable conclu-
sion Is that either Lee was outgener-
aled by Rosecrans or he was constitu-
tionally unable to make winning
Eight in Union territory. Perhaps the
last is fhe true explanation, as be loS
every time he yentured outside of
Virginia. First he failed In western vir.
GINA. next In Maryland at the battle
Of Antietam and finally In Pennsyl.
yania at Gettysburg. As great gen.
eral as even his enemies conceGe Lee
10 have been. he was not great enough
TO win q campaign In territory where
public sentiment was agl;pst om. On
the other hand. Grant gained rracti-
cally all his victories In the enemys
country. 1t is q trlIisnl in war that
men fight better on their own soil.
when defending their homes. On the
defensive Lees generalship was mas
terly. When he invaded Union terri
tory he was undone. Willie his West
Virginia campaign is the. least Known
OF bis entire military career. there is
none that more clearly brings out this
point Even his own partisans admit
its weakness. Magni6cently planned,
its breakdown was almost pitiful.
Fight on Hatteras Island.
In the meantime things were hap
Pening In the vicinity OF Hat:eras in
let After the capture OF the forts
there on Aug ~ Colonel Hawkins
was left with part of the Ninth New
York and several gunhoats TO hold
Them. Later he WAS re.enfurced by
Colonel Brown With the Twentieth
lmliaila. lie first dispatched IN expe-
IIaiun 10 disable The abandoned forts
at OeracOSe Inlet. q few miles down
the slmre and later sent Colonel
isrnwH and The Twentieth Indiana up
llaiteras island TO Ch!ccmicomico for
tllt' double purpose OF protecting the in
iiahii:tntS of he isiand ANA of Observ-
lne tile Confedersites, who were gath
cring in some force on Roanoke island
iaA the north Colonel Brown landed
ON Sept. 10 with scant supplies. On
Oct tho Fanny. a United states pro
heller. was 10 land stores and intrench.
Ing tools. No sooner had the Fanny
h.At
:edergte vessels appeared. surrounded
and captured her. X was estimated
that she had Sl.A.OD0 worth OF supplies
on board. all of which fell into the
enemy's hands This of Itself defeat.
ed the purpose Of Colonel Browns ex-
petition. but was not the worst of the
fate in store for him. The Confcder
ates on Roanoke island now attempted
TO surround and capture his entire
command and for this purpose landed
two large forces. one above and one
below him on the narrow island. The
only thing that saved him was that
the boats below were delayed in land
Ing, and as night was coming on Colo
mel Brown managed to retreat past
them in the darkness Now began
weary march of twenty-eight miles to
Hatteras light. To add TO the miseries
of the retreat. the inhabitants aban-
doned their homes and fed with the
troops. who had been their protectors.
among them being old men. women
and children. When the sun arose and
beat down on the hot sands both sol
diers and natives began falling ont.
overcome by the heat and by hunger
and thirst. The supply Of food and