“Cannot General Lee await an attack?”

“I fear that he cannot, Jones; the enemy would grow stronger every day, while we should become weaker.  The enemy would not attack until we should begin to retreat; then they would embarrass our retreat and endeavour to bring us to battle.”

“Then you would advise immediate retreat?”

“My friend, we must risk a battle.  But even if we gain it, we shall be losers.  The campaign was false from the start.  Is it not absurd for a small army of a weak nation to invade a great nation in the face of more powerful armies?  If we had arms which the Federals could not match, we should find it easy to conquer a peace on this field.  But their equipment is superior to ours.  The campaign is wrong.  If inactivity could not have been tolerated, we should have reenforced General Bragg and regained our own country instead of running our heads against this wall up here.  But, do you not agree with, me that inactivity would have been best?  Hooker’s army would not have stirred this summer until too late for any important campaign.  The year would have closed with Virginia secure and with great recuperation to all our eastern states.  Our army would have been swelled by the return of our wounded and sick, without any losses to offset our increase.  As it is, our losses are going to be difficult if not impossible to make up.  I fear that Lee’s army will never be as strong hereafter as it is to-night.”

“But would not a great victory here give us peace?”

“I fear not; we cannot gain such a victory as would do that.  Look at the victories of this war.  They have been claimed by both aides—­many of them.  The defeated recover very quickly.  Except Fort Donelson, where has there been a great victory?”

“The Chickahominy,” said I.

“Gaines’s Mill was a victory; but we lost more men than the Federals, and McClellan escaped us.”

“Second Manassas.”

“Pope claimed a victory for the first day, and his army escaped on the second day.  True, it was beaten, but it is over yonder now on that hill.”

“Fredericksburg.”

“Yes; that was a victory, and Burnside should not have been allowed to get away.  Do you remember a story in the camp to the effect that Jackson was strongly in favour of a night attack upon the Federals huddled up on our side of the river?”

“Yes, Captain.  I heard of it after I returned from the hospital.  You know I was not in the battle.”

“I remember.  Well, the rumour was true.  General Jackson wished to throw his corps upon the enemy the night after the battle; the men were to wear strips of white cloth, around their arms so that they might recognize each other.”

“And you believe the attack would have succeeded?”

“Beyond all question, Jones.  We should have driven the Federals into the river.  We lost there our greatest opportunity.”

“And you think we could have done the same thing to Hooker’s army?”