Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 08.djvu/155

Rh

compels us to omit several things we had written and were rather anxious to publish this month, and like the famous writer who begun his description of "Snakes in Ireland," by saying "there are no snakes in Ireland," we must gratify our readers by having no "Editorial Paragraphs " this month.

We are indebted to the publishers for a copy of this beautiful specimen of the book-maker's art, which in paper, type and binding is what we may expect from the famous "Riverside Press."

We have read every page of the book with deep interest, and (reserving for the future a full review) we do not hesitate to say that it is in the main an able, candid, remarkably fair, and very valuable contribution to the history of the campaign of which it treats. General Gordon has diligently studied both the Federal and the CenfederateConfederate [sic] official reports, and all other means of information accessible to him; has made skillful use of his material, and has produced, in many respects, a model book. His tribute to "Stonewall" Jackson, who was his classmate at West Point, is very beautiful. His acknowledgment of the ability of Lee, and others of his subordinates, and his tribute to the splendid fighting qualities of the Army of Northern Virginia, are very handsomely done, and we "take off our hat" to the gallant soldier who could see these qualities in "Rebels," and has had the moral courage to publish his convictions.

His criticisms of our especial pets—General John Pope, General Halleck, and General Milroy—are as scathingly severe as they are fully sustained by the facts.

He very ably defends General McClellan from charges made against him in connection with Pope's disasters, and makes a most triumphant vindication of General Fitz. John Porter from the charges under which that gallant soldier has suffered for these long years. And now we must regret that so good a book should be marred by some very serious blemishes, which our space does not allow us now to point out, but to which we shall hereafter fully pay our respects.

We hold ourselves prepared to show that in his treatment of the relative numbers of the two armies he has fallen into the almost universal error of Northern writers in underestimating Federal and exaggerating Confederate numbers; that in his attacks on General J. E. B. Stuart he is as unjust as he is bitter; that in his vivid description of Ewell's "precipitate flight"