Page:Confederate Portraits.djvu/74

 42 CONFEDERATE PORTRAITS

learned the hardest lesson and the essential corrective for such a temperament, self-control. To me there is an immense pathos in his quiet, almost plaintive explana- tion to Lee, on one occasion: "The commanding gen- eral will, I am sure, appreciate how hard it was to desist from the undertaking, but to any one on the spot there could be but one opinion — its impossibility. I gave it up." 22 On the other hand, no one knew better that in some cases perfect prudence and splendid boldness are one and the same thing. To use again his own language : w^as contemplated in your instructions, I feel assured that the considerations which actuated me will convince you that I did not depart from their spirit and that the bold development in the subsequent direction of the march w^as the quintessence of prudence." 23 Lee always found the right words. In one of his reports he says of Stuart [italics mine] : *'I take occasion to express to the Department my sense of the boldness, judgment^ and prudence he displayed in its execution." ^^
 * ' Although the expedition was prosecuted further than

But one may have self-control without commanding intelligence. Freman tie's description of Stuart's move- ments does not suggest much of the latter quality. ** He seems to roam over the country at his own discretion, and always gives a good account of himself, turning up at the right moment, and hitherto he has not got him- self into any serious trouble." 25 Later, more studious observers do not take quite the same view. One should

�� �