Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-06-27
LEES MILITARY PLANS
FAIL OF FULF|LLMENT
Ills Proposed Offensive Defensive
Strategy Which Might Have
Made South Victor.
WHY FALL OF CoNFEDERAcY
Rev. William w. Page, Who Was
Captain in Great Generals Body
guard, Prepares Work Which Deals
With His Mastery Leadership.

Rev. William w. Page. OF Cornwall.
y. T., who was captain in General
Robert f. Lees bodyguard Of scouts.
guides and couriers, Thirty ninth Vr-
GINA Battalion Of Cavalry, has An in
teresting historical work in prepare
ton. in which he shows that while yet
only the COMMUNICATIVE chief Of the
Virginia forces. by commission of
Governor John Lctchcr. General Ice
planned the first battle OF Bull Run
with view TO crossing the Potomac
Immediately to the Susquehanna River.
establishing his line from the Chesa-
peake Bay and swinging around by
harrisburg. Pa, TO Lake Erie and
Niagara Falls. cutting the North in
two and destroying all railroad con-
ncctions between the West and East.
This was General Lees offensive
defensive plan from the beg inning to
the close OF the war.
Before this was maturcd the Confcd-
crate capital was moved from Mont
gomery, Ala. TO Richmond. when Prcsi-
dent Davis took command and con-
Quoted wholly defensive campaign.
When General Lee took the field in
1852. after his brilliant defeat Of Nc
Clellan around Richmond and OF Cen
eral John Pope at the second Bun
Run, he Immediately crossed the Po-
tomac. by consent of Mr.. Davis. TO
carry out mis- original plan 10 make
the Susquehanna the Confederate line.
This was defeated By the celebrated
lost order" which put Lees army at
the mercy OF Mcclellan. to cxtrcate
which neecsEitated the bloody battle
OF Antietam. Again after the signal
defeat OF General 10 Hooker at Chan
ccllorsville, with the Susquchanna still
in view, he crossed the Potomac, maxi
ing straight for Harrisburg, Pa, when
the unfortunate absence OF his cavalry
under it's peerless leader. General
ri al n I'm In q
ton Of the movements of the enemy,
occurred. under tho Impression that
General Hooker. whom he had easily
outgeneralcd. was stin in Virginia, nc
was surprised and cntanglcd with the
army of General Mead at Gettysburg.
and under the circumstances was un-
able to break through the enem"'s
lines. notwithstanding the deathloss
and unsupported charge OF Picket's di-
vision.
comma ndcr inc chief. with four armies
TO take Richmond, and AT the same
time with General Shnrman's army,
which was under Grants command in
the Southwest, TO advance against Cen
eral Joseph Johnston on Atlanta, Ga.
at the same time General Lee planned.
and Mr.. Davis approved the plan that
General Lee should stop General Grant
in the Wilderness and carry him on his
General Lces) outside lines to Spot
sylvania Courthouse. the North Anna
River. Cold Harbor and around Rich
-nond to Petersburg, Va. At the same
time General Lee was TO move in Nir-
ginia General Joseph z. Johnston
should make a mastery retreat before
Sherman. not risking general engage
ment until he should reach Atlanta, Ga,
when, abandoning Atlanta for the time
TO Sherman. by the two railroad lines
available and fully prepared, to ship
and throw his whole army with Lees
upon Grant at Petersburg, Va. on
crushing Grants army at Petersburg
Lee and Johnston would q once cross
the Potomac and make for the Susquc-
hanna. which would necessarily cause
Sherman TO hurry from Atlanta TO the
defense of Washington. How we'll both
General Lee and General Johnston con-
cealed and carried out their parts OF
this great tragedy the world knows.
and that at the very crisis when Rich
mond Atlanta, Washington, the Con-
federacy and all were trembling in the
balance, General Joseph Johnston at
Atlanta Was relieved OF command and
General Hood was ordered TO hold At
lanta.
There is no personal reflection on
Mr.. Davis for his loyalty and devotion
to the South are unquestioned, but in
his enthusiasm the author holds that
General Lee was so superior as mill
tary man that II ne had been unfettcred
by his communicating chief, IL he had
been made commander-in- chief at the
first he would have been successful,
even at the first battle OF Bull Run. in
his great stratcgical offensive-defen-
sive objective: and that. instead of GO
ing down TO defeat. he would have
saved the South from it's SORROWS and
Its horrors, and would have dictated
the terms OF peace and reunion 10 the
North.
Captain W. W. Page is now rector
Of ST. Johns Episcopal Church al Corn
WALTON Hudson, y. Y.