Year: 1875

|


saiesJ; but he knew how to profit by experience
While awaiting more favorable occasion this modest
and courageous general had the virtue TO openly as


sumo the whole responsibility Of the defeat and to
accept without a murmur, the subordinate posiuon
which resulted from the arrival OF hcClernand


We suppose this high estimate OF the military capacity
OF General Sherman OF which have inserted the text
to enable readers weigh the force of the words


Is pretty generally shared by foreign military critics


II Is st least certain that the Comte Paris ranks him.
| in point OF genius above General Grant and General


Lee we'll "A above Generals Mcclellan, Johnston and
Jackson But although glad 70 introduce this comp-
ment and selecting the quotation partly with this OBJ
jeci our chief purpose TO exhibit discrepancies be-


the two narratives and show how Important it is
for other distinguished commanders to initiate tho


ample or General Sherman by giving their recollcctions
to The world contributions to history According to
the Comtc dc Paris General Sherman had learned Of
the capture Of Holly Springs through rebel pre-
! vous to tho arrival Of McClernand According to
General Sherman himself he FIRST learned OF
the capture Of Holly Springs from McClcrnand
and had been listening for days TO catch the sound
! OF General Grants guns in the vicinity OF Vicks
burg This disposes Of the pretty theory that sher
man preparing eigncd attacks for tho three days
succeeding his disastrous assault in the hope OF draw


ing rebel troops ycksburg and aid the exrication Of
Grant. He could have had such purpose for he
knew nothing OF Grants extremity. He had heard the
noise of trains bringing rebel troops into Vcksburg but
he had idea whence they until he learned from
McClernand of Grants misbappnd forced retreat which
released great part Of Pcmbertons army for tho do
fence Of vicksburg II appears from General
Shcrmans 'MeIaoirs" that the blanc heapcd upon
Grant his failure and which he acknowledged in his
reports, unicserved, and that tho failure OF tho
assault due 70 General Sherman, who neglected
TO reinforce Blair, according TO ORDERS Mt


the proper time This fact invaldatcs the criticism OF
tho Comc do Paris founded the smallncss OF the
force which General Sherman launched against tho
place In the assault In his subsequent volumes tho
historian will have tho advantage of the Memors, and
will not be likely differ from General Sherman on
any point unless compelled by strong countervaing
evidence If he has seen the 'Mcmoirs since the
volumes ready for publication he probably pre-


erred to make the needed in the form of


note to the rather than change the plates
after the edition had gone 10 the binders We may, at
any rate his scrupuous fidelity to facts so far
ho has the means OF asccrtaining them. Wc have
alluded to this subject chiefly to illustrate the impor.
tance future historians of such works those of
| Generals Sherman and Johnston.


President Lincoln fully into view in these
volumes than in their predecessors The final chapter
of tho fourth volume, which consists of a recital of all


that done the great subject of emancipation up
to the time of the final proclamation, is written with
great cearness of insight and appreciation of Pres
dent Lncolns course which shows that the authors
mind is entirely free from any bias derived from the
views of General Mcclellan. The Comte do Paris dis
this subject with great intelligence and penetra


on ustifyng every step taken by the President from


the protection of fugitive slaves in the camps and the
enrolling of them soldiers, up to the second and final
proclamation of emancipation He also recognizes the
great mpedment such steps which existed in the pub


lie sentiment of the border States and thinks President
Lincolns slowness and caution wise and prudent
as his final action necessary and inevitable OF the
propriety of the earlier steps the Compile de Paris
speaks in this decided tone:-"The protection accorded
to the fugitive slaves the first logical consequence
of the war; their enrolment in the federal armies
the second He warmly indorses Mr.. Lincoln at every
stage of his progress toward emancipation 1.-THE day
when he took his part courageously assumed the
responsibility of 1t on himself and executed it with
resolution We believe that he chose the opportune
moment; IL Immediately after the battle of Antie
TAM and this great decision like response to the


invasion by the Confederate army the States faithful
to the Union" In speaking of the second and final
proclamation the author THAT proclamation suf-
hccnt to render the of its author ilustrious
marked the beginning of year destined to be
bloody the year 1862 1t inauguratcd the
time a new period and the struggle, extrcated from
| all the remembranccs OF past concessions, took
thereafter its vcritablc character 1t could
terminate only by the complete abolition of slavery
the soil of the Republic by the triumph Of that in
sttution in the greatest part OF the American Con


under the protection of the confederation aggran
dizcd and all powerful AT the epoch at which leave
the recital military events after tho terrible defeat
of the federas at Fredericksburg their serious check
before vicksburg and their barren victory at Murees
boro the most optmist spirits of the North began
TO doubt the of their cause" We have trans


lated this impressive paragraph, with which tho author
brings his volume to close, in order that American
may perceive the authors just appreciation OF
real character of the struggle whose will be


learned from his pages by majority of European read
crs in this generation This admirable history has no
tinge OF McCelanism though does full justice the
military capacity Of that general; does 1t bestow
indiscrimnate praise President Lincoln, but treats
all the actors in the with the enlightened impair
tiality OF mind OF perfect candor and scrupuous
moral rectitude


As General McClcllan's connection with the army
closes in the midst OF the events narrated these vol
umcs it may be interesting to in what the
author leave OF HIM. Considering their relations
! we are tempted to give rather long extract


On the 7th of November, at evening, in storm OF
| early for that climate, Mcclellan found himself
under with General Burnside when messenger
| was announced from the President 1t General
buckingham, an officer unknown to the Army OF the
Potomac who brought order couched in three lines
and signed by Halleck This order dismissed Mcclellan
from the command of the army and designated
Burnside as his successor such piece OF news
these two officers whom old and close
friendship united; but the latter alone
showed any emotion at the order which imposed on
| him n responsibility TO which he had never asprcd
| After Mcclellan had read the despatch, without any
visible feeling, he passed II to Burnside simply say
| ing, 'You command the army" Burnside resisted for
time All his friends and his former chief pressed
him to accept they overcamc his scruples which tho
future unhappily destined to justify. On the


ing of tine Sth the Army of the Potomac learned with
astonishment and grief that It had lost the chief who
! had formed IL, who had FIRST led it to battle who
| had shown 1t the stccples OF Richmond, who
| the morrow Of great disaster had restored It
! to confidence in itself, and who at length had
just conducted II TO victory. We will not here judge
! the military OF General McClsllan. Despite our
sincerity the reader would in such en- appreciation
the reflection of sentiments of profound gratitude
and Of faithful friendship for former chief; but
each can form his judgment in accordance with tho
] facts which havo impartally recouuted We only