LITERARY INTELLIGENCE AND NOTES ON NEW BOOKS. PERHAPS no American book of recent publication has received or has deserved a more general perusal than the "Memoirs of Lieutenant-General Scott," written by himself" (2 vols., Sheldon & Co., New York. $4.00). On this account we shall make no extended review of it. If those who have not read it, do not, they cannot know its real value from a magazine article. Not designed as a complete history, it is a noble aid to the history of the principal momentous events which have transpired in this century, witten by one who can, without a spice of arrogance declare, "Quorum magna pars fui." It is the life of a great soldier, general, diplomatist, and gentleman. As a soldier, his career is illustrated by his rapid rise in his profession, his eager service, his magnanimous self-sacrifices, and valiant self-exposures in the great northern battle-fields of our last war with England. As a general of the highest order, he is manifested in his judicious organization and control of the Army in time of peace, his marvellous Mexican campaign (the rationale of which is here presented in a clearer and truer light than ever before), and his reception of the new rank of Lieutenant-General, till then unprecedented, except in the case of Washington. As a diplomatist, he shines in the humane character of a peace-maker, in nullifying South Carolina nullification; on the northeastern boundary, on the Canadian frontier, and on the Pacific coast. And as a gentleman, whose life, in the words of Mr. Thackeray, "may be read in young ladies' schools with propriety, and taught with advantage in the seminaries of young gentlemen," he has no superior among the public men of America. Pure, devout, patriotic, refined, and elegant; true to his friends, magnanimous to his enemies, generous to all; cultivated in polite learning, a purist in language, he challenges the admiration of all. We mean this for no random eulogy on General Scott: all this, and more, is to be found in his book-for the actions of his life here recorded are his best eulogy. Unlike most history of contemporary events, these memoirs are true and unbiased; and this, notwithstanding that he has had to discuss some nice points of public controversy,-as, for example, the courts-martial before which he has been obliged to appear; the treatment of his political enemies; and his famous quarrel with General Jackson. He gives an excellent chapter on the political causes of the war, in speaking of a time before the war seemed imminent: but he wisely abstains from a detailed view of the present struggle. Let us hope that he has prepared copious notes on this subject for posthumous publication. We like trite quotations when they are particularly apposite, and to General Scott, of colossal form and colossal eminence, may be most fitly applied the well-known verses: "Like some tall cliff, that lifts its awful form, Shoots from the vale, and midway cleaves the storm, "The American Boys' Book of Sports and Games: A Repository of In-and-OutDoor Amusements for Boys and Youth;" published by Dick and Fitzgerald, New York, is a book that will delight the young people. It is a complete cyclopædia of sports, games, and amusements of all imaginable kinds—is attractive in its outward appearance, and is profusely illustrated with well-made and instructive wood-cutsnumbering more than six hundred. The publishers state that, while they have laid other nations under contribution in preparing their work, the details of all games have been conformed to our American method of playing; and they have certainly succeeded in producing by far the handsomest and most complete work of the kind that has yet been issued. We know of no present that will give a boy more lasting and varied pleasure. 600 pages, $3.50. MORRIS'S MODIFIED TACTICS. When our armies were first organized, at the commencement of the war, regiments were required to learn a large number of movements, with all their arbitrary and precise details, which served no other purpose than to make pleasing showdrills. When these same regiments were sent to the field, they very soon discovered that a very small portion only of their laboriously learned tactics was of any practicable use, and even that portion required to be simplified. 2 vols. 18mo. D. Van Nostrand, Publisher. Commanding officers, desirous of saving their men from all unnecessary fatigue, and learning from experience the simplest and quickest methods of putting their troops in the formations desired, naturally adopted such changes as were in accord ance with common sense. Finding that subdivisions could not be marched through woods by their front, they marched them by their flank. Finding simultaneous movements were fatiguing to the men, and consumed valuable time, besides often causing the advancing column to halt, while some preparatory or intermediate movement was executed; of course, successive movements were preferred. The result has been what might have been expected; as the movements do not conform to the tactics, the tactics must conform to the movements. It will, therefore, be readily understood, how important it was that a system should be prepared which should reject all obsolete explanations and evolutions, and teach the movements which have resulted from experience, and are constantly employed in the field. The system by General MORRIS supplies this want fully. He has retained nothing which has not been found useful. Two small volumes contain all the tactics required for infantry. He has omitted all superfluous commands and parts of commands, and has made simple general rules, thus saving tedious repetitions of expla nations. The color-guard is placed on the right of the left wing, in order to have the color leading when a line marches "by the right of companies." The ranks are one pace apart, which affords greater ease in the march by the front, and facilitates the doubling of files, when facing by the flank. Files always dress and touch towards the guide, and the difficult and useless "fixed pivot" is abolished. Many of the movements are made from a column of fours on the march, to save time and useless manoeuvring. The manual of arms has been revised to suit the rifled musket. The manual for the short rifle is placed by itself. All deployments are made by the flank, and by the shortest paths. The close column by division is formed by filing the divisions successively behind or before each other. The line of battalions in mass is formed from a column of fours on the march, by conducting each battalion over the shortest line to its position, and then forming the close column. A tabular form is used to separate the commands of the general and the colonel, which shows their relative order, and is a valuable aid to the memory. In short, the work cannot be better described than by calling it a simplified system of flank movements. $2.00 per set. "Following the Flag," by "Carlton" (with Illustrations; 1 vol. 16mo, $1.50; Ticknor and Fields), is an admirable narrative-simple enough for the comprehension of boys, and yet worthy the study of larger people-of the Campaigns of the Army of the Potomac, up to November, 1862. The illustrations are good, and the map diagrams very clear. "A Manual for the Medical Officers of the United States Army. By Charles R. Greenleaf, M. D., Assistant Surgeon U. S. A. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott & Co., 1864" (pp. 199). It is truthfully said in this little work, "The Medical Officer has really less opportunity than any other for becoming acquainted with his duties: he has no guide, and must rely either on his own common sense or whatever instruction he can gain from those around him." Those of the least experience know that the regulations to which a newly appointed medical officer naturally turns for information afford only the most meagre outlines-outlines that are to be filled up by verbal instruction-of the military requirements in time of peace, with the explanation that they “apply, as far as practicable, to the medical service in the field." Not one-tenth of what he is held to is contained in the Blue Book. Scattered through innumerable orders, circulars, and letters of instruction, are the real rules that are to guide him; and more bewildering than a prairie snow-storm is the confusion of amendments, additions, revocations, and alterations that have been showered from the official sky. Hitherto each has had to find a trail for himself, and to learn experimentally which routes lead to sloughs, and which were cut-offs. We have here a condensation of fact and elimination of error that almost open a royal road. The compiler has arranged, with patient care, the prominent duties of medical officers, and, in each instance, has added the official reason why. The great feature is the confidence it inspires, by naming the number and source of every order as the authority for its various statements. Nor is it made tiresome by quoting more than the gist of the matter. Without bearing any official character, or making pretence to have the stamp of infallibility, it carries upon its face the mark of its own merit, and shows, so that those who run may read, its correctness. To October, 1864, it fairly replaces the entire mass of orders. There are two or three topics that are not treated of, such as the requirements from Hospital Stewards and the constitution of Veteran Reserve Corps, which make it not literally perfect; but the daily duties of a medical officer are well laid down, and, in almost every particular, are implicitly to be followed. EDITOR'S SPECIAL DEPARTMENT. THE dark days are surely passing away: the sunlight is scattering into thin mist the clouds of doubt, despondency, and danger: the storm which, typhoon-like, burst upon us with unanticipated fury, is rumbling off to the fabulous caves. The hoped-for but long uncertain success at Atlanta, is forgotten in the greater glory of Savannah. And while that still dazzles us with a full-orbed blaze, new light breaks in the West. The bold march of Hood, threatening Nashville and the North, is suddenly transformed into a defeat, which closes in a wild, disorderly retreat. Amid the general rejoicing, there was but one drop of regret, which gave secessionists, North and South, a gleam of hope, and now that is gone. The fiasco at Fort Fisher was the spot in our sun; when lo! in a moment, almost unexpected, the news comes that Fort Fisher has fallen, and the entire sweep of the horizon glows with an unclouded blaze. More thunder there will be, but it will be "out of a clear sky," the thunder of our guns as we finally push the rebels and the rebellion to the wall. The value of Wilmington, as a port of entry to the rebels, is well understood. It was, so to speak, their only open port. From it cotton and emissaries went out to bolster the rebellion abroad; into it came arms, ammunition, iron, clothing, supplies of all kinds, to uphold the Confederacy a little longer at home. Let us look for a moment at this noted locality. Situated on the northeast branch of the Cape Fear River, and separated from the Brunswick River by Eagle's Island, it is eighteen miles from New Inlet, the land extending from the city to the Inlet in a long narrow tongue, which ends at Federal Point. New Inlet is the principal entrance, and the forts at Federal Point being in our possession, we entirely control the river channel. These fortifications consist of Mound Battery, at the very extremity; numerous detached batteries and intrenchments on both the river and ocean fronts; Fort Fisher, a very powerful bastioned work, commanding in every direction; and some other works, soon abandoned by the rebels, just north of Fort Fisher. Upon the strength of Fort Fisher the rebels placed their entire dependence: Beauregard and Whiting declared it impregnable; and to capture that was the design of General Grant in sending an expeditionary force, under Generals Butler and Weitzel, to co-operate with a naval squadron under Rear-Admiral D. D. Porter. On the 25th of December the troops landed, but, after skirmishing and a reconnoissance, it was decided to withdraw without attacking. The same night and the next morning, Butler withdrew, and set sail for Fortress Monroe. Upon this first movement forward and back," we do not design to dwell. It is not a pleasing task to dissect failures, and is rendered doubly unpalatable by the immediate demonstration that they were totally unnecessary failures. Whatever may be thought of the opinions of Generals Butler and Weitzel, there were two men who were stung to the very heart by this result,-Grant and Porter. They both acted with a vigor and energy which insured success. Porter went to Beaufort to reorganize his divisions, to take in coal, ammunition, and supplies, and determined to take the work, unaided, if need be. Grant removed Butler and sent him to Lowell; picked out a good man, with his usual sagacity,-General A. H. Terry, remanded the same troops which Butler had brought back, with some slight additions in numbers, to Beaufort, to join Porter; and delenda est was the motto for the redoubtable Fort Fisher. The rebels had laughed at our failure and had bragged greatly-we mean no pun-about the fort and its defenders, Whiting and Lamb-but the laughter was soon turned into mourning. The vast fleet of navy ships and transports once more breast the tongue of land and its forts. Whiting and Lamb have another chance to show their breeding. Colonel Comstock, the Engineer-in-Chief, a brave and able officer, reconnoitres the work. The troops land, under cover of the gunboats, above the fort, and occupy the deserted earthworks. For three days the navy bombard, and the army rest and organize. The fire of the ships is terrific; the Ironsides and monitors stand close in and draw the fire, thus giving the fleet a knowledge of the number, calibre, and position of the guns. Embrasures are blown open, traverses disappear, guns are dismounted. The fleet engages in three divisions: the first led by the Brooklyn, and numbering 116 guns; the second by the Minnesota, 176 guns; and the third composed of the flotilla of gunboats, 123 guns. The storm of fire was so terrific that soon the fort ceased to reply, but its sheltered garrison was waiting our attack. At length, on the third day, Sunday, January 15th, the columns moved forward. The army column consisted of four brigades, commanded by Curtis, Pennybacker, Bell, and Abbot-that is, Paine's entire division and Abbot's Brigade, all under the orders of Major-General Ames. On the sea-front, a storming party was formed of about fifteen hundred sailors and marines. On all points the navy fire was concentrated. The attack of the land troops was at once successful; Curtis's Brigade reached the parapet and gained a foothold, the vessels throwing their shells always directly in front of them as they advanced; by ten o'clock at night the entire fort was in our possession. Thus driven out, the rebels ran southward, to the cover of works nearer the Inlet, and were all captured: five hundred dead were found in the fort; General Whiting and Colonel Lamb were wounded and captured; two thousand prisoners were taken, and guns, variously estimated at from fifty to one hundred, were the trophies of the victory. Our losses are named at nine hundred. Curtis, Pennybacker, and Ball were wounded; and Lieutenants Preston and Porter of the Navy were killed, in the unsuccessful attack of the sailors and marines. Regretting that we must leave to our gigantic brethren, the dailies, the details of intelligence, we pause to look at what should be the results of this victory. 1. Blockade-running is at an end; and the resources of the rebels have received thereby a terrible check. To what extent this will cripple them, let us present the following statistics:- -"The special report of the Secretary of the Rebel Treasury in relation to the matter shows that there have been imported into the Confederacy at the ports of Wilmington and Charleston, since October 26, 1864, 8,632,000 pounds of meat, 1,507,000 pounds of lead, 1,933,000 pounds saltpetre, 546,000 pairs of shoes, 316,000 pairs of blankets, 520,000 pounds of coffee, 69,000 rifles, 97 packages of revolvers, 2,639 packages of medicine, 43 cannon, with a large quantity of other articles of which we need make no mention. Besides these, many valuable stores and supplies are brought by way of the Northern lines into Florida, by the port of Galveston and through Mexico across the Rio Grande. The shipments of cotton made on Government account since March 1, 1864, amount to $5,296,000 in specie. Of this, cotton to the value of $1,500,000 has been shipped since the 1st of July and up to the 1st of December. It is a matter of absolute impossibility for the Federals to stop our blockade-running at the port of Wilmington. If the wind blows off the coast, the blockading fleet is driven off. If the |