.NDIw.NTc3

ALS (5?)

 

 

Ewell Papers                                        August 17, 1885

39.1 (391?)                                                      Ewell, Benjamin S., Williamsburg, Va.

EW 3                                                   to Colonel Thomas Tash(k?)er Gantt 7 p.

 

Folder 5                                               Reply to Harriet's letter concerning

                                                            Peninsula Campaign articles in

                                                            "The Century" magazine.  Joe Johnston

                                                            fair and able; writes from different view

                                                            than Ewell.   Johnston missed opportunity

                                                            in not fighting pitched and decisively

                                                            at Williamsburg.  Details of battle.

                                                            Opinions on Seven Day's Battles.  None

                                                            of the generals equal to Caesar etc.

                                                            Lee's errors.

                                                                                                                        (1)                                           

                                                 August 17, 1885

 

            Colonel Thomas T. Gantt,

                                                My Dear Tasker,  In

a letter, Harriet sent me a half a sheet

of a recent letter from you to her

in which I was much interested.  As

there was nothing in what she sent

but was related to the war & the

recent articles on it in the "Century" I

trust you do not object to my [seeing?] it.

Being tolerably familiar with operations

in the Peninsula in 1861 & 62 most of the Century

articles, on them were most attractive.  Joe Johnston

& Dr. H. Hill, in the Southern & Fitz John Porter

& Franklin on the Federal side were able

& in my estimate, fair.  Johnston's & Porter's

were particularly so.     Johnston,

though, did not write of the Battle [here?]

as I would have done.        By

not farthing [strikethrough] fighting a pitched & decisive

battle with McClellan at Williamsburg he

missed an opportunity not often offered

to Military Commanders.  He had 55000 men

about & a strong line of redoubts 3 1/2 miles in

length at (this is a strikethrough) half of them covered by swamps

& mill ponds too difficult for a "coup de main"

leaving less than 2 miles [    ] for a large

attacking force to approach in.  Then for a distance

of 8 miles below Williamsburg, there

were but two road in which McClellan

could advance, or retreat, & these two roads

converged into one a short distance

below the Redoubts - the land bordering

on the roads being covered with an

undergrowth almost as dense as the

Mexican Chapparal - and further

there were two possible roads each

defended by a strong redoubt - leading

from the Confederate lines - to points

in the Yorktown & Warwick roads

                                                                                                                        (2)

 a mile, or a mile & a half, below

these lines.  Johnston had enough men

to man the redoubts, to resist McClellan

in front - to send a flanking force to

attack both his Flanks, to form

a sufficient reserve, & to furnish a detachment

to repel any threatened movement

up York River & McClellan had not

space enough to handle his Army

within 2 miles of the objective

points.  The very numbers McClellan

had [strikethrough] would have served to [strikethrough] increase

the confusion incident to such a battle, &

to have converted an attack, not entirely

successful, into a disastrous retreat.

Before Johnston came with his army

to the Peninsula, I told [those?]

with whom I conversed on the subject,

that the greatest battle ever, up to that

time, fought in America, would be on

this very ground.  Instead of [strikethrough] this battle the redoubts

of the left of the Confederate lines were

abandoned on Sunday night in the

very face of an enemy.  Hancock the

next day, during the battle, occupied

some of them - one particularly which

commanded the Confederate Center, &

part of the right - knowing the ground

well - having located [one?], and advised

as to some of the other redoubts, I do not

think my assertions can be contradicted.

Having, myself, conducted the troops

that occupied the Redoubts in the left, I

know they were fully garrisoned up to

10 Oclock Sunday night & have never

heard that Hancock had any fighting

to do while entering them on Monday.  I

think I am right then in saying Johnston

lost a great opportunity.  It is true he

 

                                                                                                                                    (3)

might have been defeated, & badly so,

but as you indicate in your letter

to Harriet "nothing venture nothing

won" in War as in other things.  I

knew much less of the ground near

to Richmond where the 7 Days battles

were fought yet something about

Coal Harbor & more about Malvern Hall -

and [strikethrough] I believe that McClellan & Lee had

in those 7 Days each one by the throat

of the other - 1st one & then the other, more

than once.  I thought in those days Porter

was one of the best on the Federal side [strikethrough]

what I read, [now?], confirms my opinion.

How any of the American Generals can

be talked about as if they compared

with Alexander or Caesar or Napoleon

or Malborough, or, perhaps, Wellington,

or certainly Von Moltke - is more than I

can conceive.  Gen Lee began the 7 Days with a

serious blunder attacking the Beaver Dam

Works 24 hours too soon, losing men

& morale.  At Coal Harbor, if McClellan

had sent his whole army to the

aid of Porter, Lee would have been

defeated & Richmond would have

been taken.   If Lee had concentrated his army

at Frazier's Farm ˆ Monday McClellan would have

been routed.  If McClellan had stuck

to Malvern Hills, after the battle Tuesday, the

attacks on him would have been [minimized?]

and the Confederate army would have

been dashed to pieces & if Lee had closely

followed McClellan early on Wednesday morning,

without attacking till Harrison's Landing

was reached, McClellan would have

been [worsted?], if not destroyed.  [However?] I was

told by Gen Barnard & other officers

of McClellan's army.  Tis ridiculous

to talk about the strategy of either side.

As it seemed to me, the [strikethrough] parts

of each army, after Coal Harbor & till Malvern Hills stumbled

about, & fought when they stumbled against

each other without any especial

object, except that on one side the

[strikethrough] goal was James River & on the other

to prevent the 1st from reaching the

goal.  The 1st side making more coherent

attempts than the other.  What Gen Sherman

told you of Grant being a natural Gamester [explains?]

to me something I never, before, understood.  I

told Johnston more than once in the Stanton Campaign

in 1864, that if Grant had been in

command instead of Sherman the campaign

[strikethrough] would have been not half so long &

[that?] Grant would have sacrificed his army

by incautious attacks.  A mistake in front

of an adversary [strikethrough] so observant [strikethrough] ˆ as Johnston

& so careful in keeping his troops in hand, so

as not to be compelled to wait a couple

of days before he could concentrate his

                                                                                                                                    (4)

 army might have been attacked with

very serious results.  I wish I could

follow your advice & write more

plainly.  The habit is too inveterate.

In March, I think, I got a letter from you

& I have kept it near me to answer,

but, as I have done before, I put it

off till the I had nothing to say

though I was full enough when I

read it.  Harriet has been constantly

improving slowly for a year.  It is

doubtful when where she will go when she

leaves Rockbridge.  I trust your health

is better than it was some months ago.

and I remain,

                        Your affectionately

                            Benj. S. Ewell