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 324 Southern lllxfari<-(d N."-7// I \ipers.

but this suggestion of Beauregard's is noteworthy. It brings for- ward in strong relief the bent of his military genius a consummate master of the engineer's defensive art, in strategy his views were comprehensive and essentially aggressive.

WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN.

Again, it was a campaign similarly devised that had signally de- feated McClellan before Richmond two years before. The Confed- erates had fallen back to the immediate defences of the city, over a greater distance without an effort at decisive resistance, and then assumed a determined offensive, aided by Jackson's wide-swinging Hank movement. Jackson, to disengage himself from the enemy in his front, had harder fighting to do than Beauregard, with the rein- forcements asked for, would have needed to dispose of Butler; and then had to encounter more of the contingencies which in military affairs attend time and distance, before he could place himself in position for the supreme co-operative effort. With Grant along the Chickahominy, but a few hours were needed for Beauregard, moving from Drevvry's to be in actual conflict upon his flank. More than twenty years aftewards a distinguished military critic, General Wolseley, of the British army, in a study of the Virginia campaign of 1864, said of Beauregard's proposal: "As far as one can judge, it was then the scheme most likely to give a brilliant result. * * If vigorously carried out, there does not seem any reason to doubt that it would have been big with great results for the Confederacy." But the President, commander in chief of all the armies on the spot and in person, had decided. It was the prerogative and responsi- bility of his high office.

Beauregard promptly addressed himself to the work before him with the means assigned. Ransom's Division from Richmond reached him on the evening of the isth and at daylight on the i6th the battle was delivered.

BATTLE OF DREWRY's BLUFF.

The trend of the river from the fort at the bluff, where the left of our lines rested, was for half a mile or more nearly due eastward and then southeast. Kingland creek, coming from the west, passed the fort at the bluff, probably six hundred yards to the South, and continuing its eastern course reached the river after the southward bend of the latter had been made.