The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-02-08
BOOK REVIEWS

Il
| attempting to repair tho damage done
by Semmes fifty years ago. He was
the average, the Nemesis, part OF the
price the United States had to pay
for success in the war. 1t was only
sentimental satisfaction to tho
Unionists when the Alabama" finally
sank into the Maiers-pf- the Atlantic,
OH the coast of France. on Juno 10,
1864; she had completed her work.
MI Mertwether has. Of course, based
his book on Semmes' own memoirs,
which are unusually interesting and
full. but 1t is well to have a critical
estimate of the commerce destroyer.
ana so this life comes in we'll. The
author gives good impression OF
Semmes as an officer and man--wary,
skilful, energetic. and strictly devoted
! to duty. His account OF the famous
! duel between the Alabama" and the
| "kearsarge" Is interesting and dis
tinctly different from Bradford's.
Meriwether thinks that Semmes fought
under great disadvantage-with defec-
tive engines and ship generally In
need repairs, against an excellent
warship I'm the best of trim, and par
TALLY armored besides. The honors
/ of the fight seem to have been about
even. At long range the "Alabama's'
/ peatediy. but failed to penetrate the
armor, and at close quarters the
kearsarge's' heavy guns speedily
settled the Alabama"
/ 1t was a fitting death for one OF
the most noted of war vessels. As
the Richmond Enquirer said on July
II. 1864: He could indeed have re-
manned in harbor, or skulked away
without fighting. and long continued
to be the terror of Yankee commerce.
But not without some disgrace Such
course would have sunk the warrior
( In the hangman. 1t is better as 1t
| is. The Alabama neither ran away.
| chance of battle. fighting to the last.
and not shadow now dims her
glory"
| II, ]. ECKENRoDE.
Bull Run. It's Strategy and Tactics.
Fly r.. NJ Johnston. Houghton- Milf
film Co, Boston. 1919
This Is another of the many de-
tailed scientific studies OF the Civil
war. and might be used as a textbook
I In the war college. Every phase OF
the campaign ending in the Confed-
crate victory at Bull Run is presented
infinitely. and one would be afraid
TO read II II were not for the authors
mastery of narrative style. The book
"flows~; there are none of the painful
halts or confused repetitions common
| in military histories. Indeed. few
things are more indeterminate and
difficult to grasp than accounts OF
! battles, partially because a battle can
not be understood without maps, and
maps cannot we'll show the changing
phases OF the fight. 1t Is just to Mr.
Johnston to say that his maps are
about the best sketch maps OF a bat
tie we have ever seen. There are SO
many of them. too. and they are 80
we'll placed where they are wanted TO
illustrate the text that the movements
of the battle are easy TO follow on
topography familiarized by repeated
presentations.
/ The eliterature of Bull Run Is vol
luminous. but never before have we
been able to get any clear idea OF tho
first big engagement Of the Civil war
1T has always seemed to MS a con-
fused medley OF There stands Jack
son like a stone wall" furious. hut ill.,
directed, upset delicatessen wagons
broken decansers and ice cream freez-
ers. The present volume. with mas
/ terly elearness. untangles the knots
and makes IL easy to follow every
move OF the Inflated Mcdowell from
the moment he sailed forth from the
defenses OF Alexandria, until the re-
turn OF his marathon runners, follow
| ing the engagement beyond Center
vile.
Mr.. Johnston has done his work
/ so we'll and so closely, that his hook
| Is likely to he the last word on the
I battle. He not only writes clearly,
but with well-reasoned Judgment The
blame for the defeat Is laid primarily
upon the people and politicians of the
North, who demanded an advance by
/ a crude and ill-prepared army, COM
posed mostly OF three months VOL
I l.
system was the divided command be-
/ tween Scott and Mcdowell, who COM
manded the army. but considered him.
self 4 subordinate, Mcdowell was
weak general. but his scheme OF bat
tie was fairly good. though badly ex-.
ecuted, Patterson, the Union general
at Winchester. confronting the Com
federate force under Joseph T.. john
ston. belongs to the realm Of musical
comedy, says Mr.. Johnston, rather
| than OF military art. He suffered
Johnston to leave his front and Join
Beauregard. at Manassas, without a
struggle. Johnston received a word
Of commentator for the superior orr
ganization OF his command and its
| transfer from Winchester to Manas-
sas, while Beauregard Is severely
censured as wanting In strategy. The
Confederate army was better than the
Union. but the battle was in doubt
some times. though. according to this
work, the chance OF Union success was
never very great. Stonewall jackson
comes in for the most praise. Hts
tactics and his control OF his brigade
were excellent. and sthe victory was
chiefly due to him. But alas Mr..
| Johnston decides that Bee did not
/ dub Jackson "Stonewall' In the crisis
OF the fight. while attempting to rally
his men: that this was a newspaper
story made up after the engagement.
| The, book is well worth reading
/ by those who find entertainment in
accounts OF the battles OF the Civil
! war, and do not mind having to peep
through a microscope when so en-
ployed for this volume il truly micro
scopic, vet with all the destinations
of the minute.
II. ]. ECKENRODE.