The military history thus laboriously constructed is doubtless destined to descend to a late posterity. The historian is skilled in the science and practice of war, is well informed in the politics of the time, and has written the work honestly and in good faith, from excellent materials, and in a tone of lofty and severe morality. The narrative is exceedingly interesting. The leading events are distinctly traced and connected, and the leading characters briefly but vividly sketched. The sites of the battles are clearly described, and the arrangements, manœuvres, and evolutions made intelligible even to non-military readers. The descriptions of the combats, battles, and sieges are in the highest degree forcible and animated, fix the attention, and excite the feelings. The style is original, clear, and vigorous, and, though somewhat labored and declamatory, has a peculiar charm from its seeming to be obviously the outpouring of his own carefully collected thoughts and well-considered convictions. William Napier's account of his brother's 'Administration of Scinde,' though somewhat diffuse, and too much mixed up with controversial matter, defensive and accusatory, is full of information and interest. The account of the Campaign in the Cutchee Hills' (a stupendous mass of lofty rocks, more than one hundred miles in length and eighty in width, intersected by difficult ravines, and then the stronghold of skilful and daring robbers) resembles a narrative of Eastern romance, so wild is the scenery and so wonderful are the details."-Knight's Eng. Cyc., Biog., iv., 1857, 425. Sir William published a number of other works; but these do not now come under our consideration. MEN CALLED GREAT, IN HISTORY. Sir WHAT constitutes greatness has been a controverted question in all ages. It is certainly not goodness alone; but whether the moral element must not enter into the combination, is difficult to answer. We shall not attempt in this single paragraph to enter into the discussion, but only call attention to the singular fact that the few men upon whom History has conferred the cognomen of great have been great warriors, and have owed to generalship and prowess their highest claims to the honor. Alexander was great because of the wonderful Eastern campaign; Charlemagne, into whose name the Latin adjective was interwoven, because of his victories over Lombards, Saxons, Gascons, Avars, Huns, and Moors; Peter of Russia, because he beat Charles of Sweden, quite as much as because he built St. Petersburg; Frederick, for the glories of the Seven Years' War; and Napoleon, because he was the very incarnation of a soldier and commander. All this is because the great general must possess the highest genius and talent, and accomplish what to the world is marvellous, and therefore great. WHERE GENERAL SHERMAN WENT, AND WHAT HE DID. WHATEVER may have been the hopes suddenly excited in the public mind by the sudden announcement that General Sherman had unexpectedly left Vicksburg and carried a movable column into the very heart of the enemy's territory, we may now settle down, not without satisfaction, upon what he did really effect by his bold, suggestive, and terror-striking reconnoissance in force, and, combining what he has done with the wider scope given to him by his newly-extended command, may assure ourselves of fresh energy and activity in his great department during the coming desperate and, we believe, decisive campaign. First, collecting a large cavalry force (about eight thousand) at Memphis, under General William S. Smith, and giving full instructions as to their movements, he went to Vicksburg to start his own column. General Smith was to start on the 1st of February and push rapidly forward to Meridian, where he was to destroy the railroads and join Sherman. Immediately advancing the Sixteenth Corps, under General McPherson, the Seventeenth, General Hurlbut, was ordered to follow it closely. Both corps moved towards Meridian. The general impression that this force was more than thirty thousand strong is an erroneous one: it probably numbered no more than twenty-one thousand infantry and twelve hundred cavalry,-the latter deficiency to be made up by the junction of Smith's force. Wagons were in train, carrying twenty days' supplies, the design being to husband these as much as possible, by living on the country. The main body, leaving Vicksburg, on the 3d of February, by several roads, crossed the Big Black River at two points,-the Seventeenth Corps by the railroad-bridge, and the Sixteenth at Messenger's Ferry, six miles above. As the country beyond had not been occupied by our troops, they were to expect that they would meet the enemy at every step; and dispositions were made to this end. But at first they encountered little opposition. The enemy's skirmishers would fire a running volley, and retreat. At Champion's Hills the lines were deployed for battle, but after a slight resistance the rebels again fell back. At Clinton was another brief affair, resulting in the enemy's retreat, which seems to have been their designed policy. This retreating force of the rebels consisted chiefly of two large divisions, under Generals French and Loring. Just before reaching Jackson, there was another array for battle, when the enemy withdrew so rapidly that he left his pontons behind him, undestroyed, on Pearl River. In all these movements General McPherson was conspicuous for his personal arrangement of the advance, for his great gallantry, and for the dangers that he escaped while a target for the rebel sharpshooters. The rebels having abandoned Jackson, it was at once occupied by our forces; the two corps were here united, the bridge reconstructed, and the army then crossed to advance upon Meridian. At Line Creek there was a slight engagement, and in the advance, immediately after, General Sherman is said to have been in imminent danger of capture. On the 13th of February, the command was at the Big Chunkey River, and advanced at once upon Meridian. This was evidently a point of the greatest importance, with its contiguous net-work of railroads and its open route to Mobile, or by the Pascagoula River to the Gulf. Well might General Sherman issue a congratulatory order to his troops upon having accomplished thus much. Quitman and Enterprise were taken, and immense quantities of stores destroyed, notwithstanding the success of the rebels in removing a large amount of supplies. The troops were now supplied from the country. All the neighboring mills were put in operation, and in this respect every thing worked well. What, then, hampered Sherman? Why did he stop there? Simply for want of cavalry. Then the cry was, "Where is Smith's force?" But he did not come. If he had, with the splendid weather, full supplies, and open roads, we cannot doubt that Sherman would have advanced upon Mobile, where Farragut was already battering Fort Powell. But the truth at last became startlingly evident that Smith's cavalry were not coming. The enemy in front had divided his forces northward and southward, but within supporting distance. And so Sherman had no alternative but to cripple the enemy as much as he could, and then retreat. He destroyed the railroads effectually, made havoc of the stores, and then set out on his return, followed, but not harassed, by the enemy. We have of course, from very ignorance, no power to comment on Smith's movements. We are informed that he was to begin his march on the 1st, but did not start till the 11th, and that by that time the enemy had gathered in such force as to obstruct his march. That his non-appearance was the chief cause of no greater results to the expedition, is the opinion of the rebel General Polk, who, in his congratulatory order to his troops upon Sherman's retreat, declares that "the concentration of our [the rebel] cavalry, on his column of cavalry from West Tennessee, formed the turning-point of the campaign.' Such we believe to be, in brief, the story of Sherman's very bold, well-conceived, and vigorous movement. If we were desirous of more, we are not ungrateful for what he has done; and we believe that, with equal vigor, and a better co-operation of commanders, we shall soon achieve greater successes. VOL. I.-26 FAITH MILITANT. DEVOUT and simple-hearted men Were Christendom's old knightly band, With Tyrian purple dyed the sand, In crusade on the Saracen ; Who, in prolonged Hispanian war, For Heaven all-whiles with supple knees, Had iron fronts for enemies, Slow-conquering from the Pyrenees To the sea-tower of Gibal-Tar; Who rode triumphant in Don John's Or who, in ranks of Charles Martel, With a great host of crescent moons; Or on the New World's virgin soil, Though deeds were done their daring scope Yet, in all fates, in gain or loss, Their eyes were ever on the Cross, In singleness of heart and hope. Castile and Leon, lo! they yield; Stout Cortes flies: Is it indeed What though, unlearned as his horse, The knight all clerkly skill despised,— The sorceries of Daguerre and Morse And Fulton: ye may learn from him, O men of a mechanic age! Ye read the sky's illumined page, And the dark hills; the ocean gauge, Whereon your iron castles swim; Ye make the sun paint, lightnings speak, Oh for the old implicit faith In any thing not greatly false ! Believe: let peace or war beside, Life is one constant battle-field; In God, my bleeding country, trust! Though sad the consanguineous flow Let us join battle for the just! Have faith! from every patriot's grave, If thence, in truth, no champions start, The voices of the Past impart Purpose and prescience to each heart, Which sees the end, is strong to save! As plainly the great Genoese, While Hope lived on through years of night, As when, in morning glory bright, It blossomed on Bahama's seas. WILLIAM GIBSON, Lieutenant-Commander U. S. N. OFF CHARLESTON, S. C., February 14, 1864. } |