eping and
terribly true charge, however, we must except the Grants and
the--alas! how few!--Rosecranses.

The report says, "but for the fog," etc. All lost battles in the
world had for cause some _buts_--except the genuine _but_--in the
brains of the commander.

"How near we came to accomplishing," etc.--is only a repetition of
what, _ad nauseam_, is recorded by history as lamentations of
defeated generals.

"The battle would have been far more decisive." Of course it would
have been so, if--won.

"As it was, we were very near success," etc. So the man who takes
the chance in the lottery. He has No. 4, and No. 3 wins the prize.

The apostrophe to the heroism of the soldiers is sickly and pale.
The heroism of the soldiers! It is as brilliant, as pure, and as
certain as the sun.

The attack was planned, (see paragraph 2 of the report,) on the
circumstance or supposition that the enemy extended too much his
line, and thus scattered his forces. But in paragraph 4, Burnside
stated that the fog, (O, fog!) etc., gave the enemy twenty-four
hours' time to concentrate his forces in his strong positions--when
the calculation based on the enemy's _division of forces_ failed,
and the attack lost all the chances considered propitious.

The whole plan had for its basis probabilities and
impossibilities--schoolroom speculations--instead of being, as it
ought to have been, as every plan of a battle should be, based on
the chances of the _terrain_, by the position of the enemy, and
other conditions, almost wholly depending upon which the armies
operate. It is natural that martial Hooker objected to it.

Oh! could I have blood, blood, blood, instead of ink!

Constructing the bridge over the Rappahannock, our engineers were
killed in scores by the sharp-shooters of the enemy. Malediction on
those imbecile staffs! The _A B C_ of warfare, and of sound common
sense teach, that such works are to be made either under cover of a
powerful artillery fire, or, what is still better, if possible, a
general sends over the river in some way, with infantry to clear its
banks, and to dislodge the enemy. In such cases one engineer saved,
and time won, justify the loss of almost twenty soldiers to one
workman. Some one finally suggested an expedition and they did at
the end what ought to have been done at the start. O West Point! thy
science is marvellous! The staff treated the construction of a
bridge over the Rappahannock as if it were build