It is impossible for me to speak of the military history of
General Lee, or even refer to it, except in the most general way.
Richmond itself is the monument of his military genius.
When I set before you the task he had to perform and the means he had with which to perform it, I think you will see that what he did needs no adjective.
General Lee always objected to the use of adjectives in the description of what was admirable in itself.
I had occasion, early in the campaign of 1862, to write an account of a brilliant performance of some of his troops, and having been an eye-witness, and being new to such things, I naturally put a good many adjectives into the narrative.
When I took the report to him he struck out every adjective, saying: ‘Leave them out, sir; is not a true account of what they did adjective enough?’
I shall confine myself to a very general statement of what he did.
Richmond, after the destruction of the
Virginia in April, 1862, became practically a frontier post, but its possession was necessary to prevent the loss of
Virginia and the transfer of the war south of the
Roanoke.
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It was as easy for the enemy to land an army within a few miles of the city without obstruction, as it was to transport one from
Washington to
Alexandria.
Richmond depended for the support of its inhabitants, and the army that defended
Richmond depended for its supplies of all kinds, upon long and exposed lines of railway, the defense of which was necessary, if
Richmond was to be held.
Now, if you will count the whole number of Federal troops employed for three years in trying to take
Richmond, including, of course, those engaged in destroying supplies upon which
Richmond and its defenders directly depended, and in breaking lines of rail by which
Richmond received its supplies and the army defending
Richmond received nearly everything it required, and then count all the troops engaged during that time in defending
Richmond and its communications, you will find that the respective numbers were nearly or quite as four to one.
Then, if you remember that the defense of these communications, as well as the defense of the city, was imposed upon the smaller force, and that the larger had the aid of a powerful flotilla, and the assailants had a profusion of military supplies of all kinds, and that the defenders were armed mainly with the spoils of battle, and very often were nearly naked and always with little to eat, and that there were ten men to take the place of every Federal soldier lost, and often none to fill a vacancy in the
Confederate ranks, I say, if you remember all these things and then reflect that
Richmond was held triumphantly for three years, I think you will understand how it is that the consent of military opinion in our day accords a foremost place among the great soldiers of ancient and modern times to our chieftain of the glancing helm and stainless sword.
