Page:Confederate Portraits.djvu/77

 This is magnificent praise, coming from such a source. Nevertheless, I find it hard to question Lee's judgment. There was nothing in the world to prevent his giving Stuart the position, if he thought him qualified. It is not absolutely certain how Stuart would have carried inde- pendent command. I can hardly imagine Davis, even early in the war, writing of Jackson as he did of Stuart : " The letter of General Hill painfully impresses me with that which has before been indicated — a want of vigi- lance and intelligent observation on the part of General Stuart." 3^ Major Bigelow, who knows the battle of Chan- cellorsville as well as any one living, does not judge Stu- art's action so favorably as Alexander. And Cooke, who adored Stuart and served constantly under him, says : "At Chancellorsville, when he succeeded Jackson, the troops, although quite enthusiastic about him, complained that he led them too recklessly against artillery ; and it is hard for those who knew the man to believe that, as an army commander, he would have consented to a strictly defensive campaign. Fighting was a necessity of his blood, and the slow movements of infantry did not suit his genius." ^^

May it not be also that Lee thought Stuart indispen- sable where he was and believed it would be as difficult to replace him as Jackson ? Most of Stuart's correspond- ence has perished and we are obliged to gather its tenor from letters written to him, which is much like listening to a one-sided conversation over the telephone. From

�� �