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Griffith-Barksdaie-Humphrey Mississippi Brigade and its campaigns.
[from the New Orleans, la, Picayune, mar. 30, Apr. 6, 20, 1902.]
The seven days battle around
Richmond, in 1862, furnishes a text for study and discussion by critics and students of military science, which probably takes rank ahead of any of the operations of the war.
We often hear expressions that this or that campaign was ‘Napoleonic,’ but in my humble judgment there was more genius in the conception of the plan of the seven days battle, than in any movement
Napoleon ever made.
A writer in the Boston
Transcript several years ago, in commenting upon the different generals of the war, stated ‘
McClellan was the greatest general developed on either side, and while he was not always successful, he never suffered defeat.’
This statement will not be sustained by a single man who served in ‘the army of the Potomac’ during the seven days battle.
General McClellan was not only defeated at
Richmond, but was routed in six of the engagements; nor is this fact a disparagement of him as a commander.
We believe he displayed much ability, and was at that time the only general in the
North who could have preserved the organization of the
Federal army.
The attack by
General Lee's forces was irresistible; no troops with the arms in use at that time could have withstood his charges.
The records show that
General McClellan's army numbered 156, 838 men and 264 cannon.
He states that 29,511 of this number were sick during the battle, leaving him 127,527 effectives.
General Lee's army numbered 88,967 effectives, and 166 cannon, which gave
McClellan a superiority in numbers of 38,360 men and ninety-eight cannon.
When we consider that
General McClellan had nearly one-third more men than
General Lee, and that the latter attacked and defeated him in strongly posted positions, it must be confessed to have been a wonderful achievement.
Subsequent events showed that if
General Lee's orders had been promptly executed it would
