Tuesday, October 28, 2008

The most important item of news during the past week...

...is the resignation of Gen. Burnside – a step which we think will have a good effect, for while many still have confidence in his abilities, his failure of success at Fredericksburg has doubtless depreciated the confidence of many of his soldiers in him as a General.

It is a point of the greatest importance that the soldier should have the utmost confidence in his commanders. We regard this as the great secret of Napoleon’s success; When a man believes he is whipped, he is whipped; but if he is confident he can whip his antagonist, the work is half done, and this is true of armies as well as men.

Gen. Hooker, who fills his place may not be a better General than Burnside, but he has not yet been so unfortunate.

If he succeeds no better than his predecessor, we hope he will follow in his footsteps and give place to another.

– Published in The Union Sentinel, Osceola, Iowa, Saturday, January, 18, 1863

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