will never end this war.' History is there to support my assertion." ^^
The strenuous and magnificent defense of Charleston left less leisure for brilliant meditation. Yet even during that time the general's brain was far from idle. Then, in the spring of 1864, he went to Petersburg and immedi- ately it became obvious to him that Lee, though a good- enough fighter, knew nothing about the science of war. There was an infallible plan — Beauregard saw it at once — by which Grant could be crushed, Richmond saved, and the Confederacy established. Unfortunately Davis was jealous, and Lee — well, perhaps Lee was busy, and it all came to nothing.
Even when the last guns were firing, at the beginning of March, 1865, this indefatigable dreamer writes to John- ston proposing action by which the tables may be turned : "We could then confidently attack Sherman, expecting to destroy his army. . . . We could then attack Grant with superior forces and expect to defeat him signally." Or, by another alternative, "We could give immediate battle to Sherman, which could be done with almost cer- tainly decisive success." ^^
And what about the value of all these plans ? No qual- ity can be of more importance to a really great com- mander than imagination. We all know what Napoleon's imagination was, magnificently inventive, ceaselessly working. We all know what was achieved by the imag- ination of Jackson. Beauregard is right in general, when,
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