He enjoined them, in a word, neither to look to
the right nor the left, but to keep straight ahead, with their steel
sharp and their powder dry. And when they got near enough to the
enemy to see the color of his eye, then deliver their lead right
square into his stomach. That was the way war must be carried on.
Our army must look only to the front, keep its eye open, and forget
that there was such a thing as its rear.
This was highly encouraging to those politicians who said our army
must get to Richmond over the shortest road. After what I have said,
my son, you will not fail to see what a great general this Pope was.
Great generals were not generally generous enough to intrust the
care of their rear to the enemy. But this was not all. He
established his headquarters in the saddle, and told his soldiers
they would always find him there. My opinion has always been, though
I have never had much to do with war, that the general who
establishes his headquarters in the saddle, was not always to be
found when you wanted him. In short, the saddle is a very uncertain
locality, and very difficult to find when you have information to
convey, and orders to receive; both of which may be necessary during
a battle.
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