Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 14.djvu/87

 Ceremonies at Unveiling of Statue of General Lee. 81

and with the aid of their powerful flotillas of transport ships and gunboats, the enemy was able, at any time, without the possibility of opposition by us, to land an army within a day's march of our capi- tal, and to support it there by deep water lines of supply, which we could neither destroy nor interrupt.

No invading army ever had such advantages as the Northern Army of the Potomac. The greatest difficulty of successful inva- sion, the protection of its lines of communication with its base of supplies and reinforcements, was practically eliminated from the pro- blem ; for not only were the water routes of the James and the York open almost to the gates of Richmond, but even when it finally moved from the direction of Culpeper Courthouse, its path lay across successive lines of communication, so that, in the words of a philosophic commentator on the campaigns, "it abandoned one, only to find another and a safer at the end of every march." At Cul- peper Courthouse, the Orange and Alexandria railroad was its line. When it abandoned that, its halts at the Wilderness and Spotsyl- vania Courthouse opened up a new line via Acquia Creek. As it advanced to the Annas, the Rappahannock at Port Royal furnished another efficient water line. When it reached the Pamunkey, the York river and Chesapeake Bay gave it one still more efficient ; and finally, when its last march brought it to the James, that great river formed a perfectly safe avenue to Washington.

When these facts are considered, in connection with the enormous disparity of numbers and resources now demonstrated beyond the possibility of question by the historical records of the two armies, Lee's successful defense of Richmond for three years must take its place in history as one of the grandest military achievements of ancient or of modern times. Had like success attended the Confed- erate operations in other directions, the backbone of the war would undoubtedly have been broken. As it was, the tremendous blows of Lee so staggered his adversary that the issue lay in doubt to the very last, and at more than one period in the contest the Northern cause barely escaped collapse.

Follow me now in a rapid sketch of the mere outline of the marvelous campaigns.

After the indecisive battle of Seven Pines, and the unfortunate wounding of the first commander of the Army of Northern Vir- ginia, that skillful soldier, Joseph E. Johnston, his successor in com- mand, General G. W. Smith, had retired the army to its encamp- ments near Richmond, and there it was when, on June 2, 1862,