Daily Nashville union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1862, 1862-04-24
Cen. sidney Johnston,. Report.

The remarkable exposure Of rebel mil
itary affairs in the Southwest made by
Gen. Sidney Johnston, who was killed
at the battle of Pittsburg, throws good
deal Of light upon late rebel movements
and prospects in Kentucky and Tennes-
see. The failure of that distinguished
rebel officer to hold Bowling Grecn-his
signal failure 70 defend successfully
Forts Henry and Donelson, which were
the keys to his department--his failure
to defend Clarksville-his flight from
Nashville--his retreat from Murfrees-
boro'--his abandonment OF the entire
State of Kentucky, and nearly the whole
of Tennessee-his decampment into Al
abama-his miserable failure every
where, had called forth execrations up
on his head from every part ofrebeldom.
He was hooted at by the Tennessee reb-
els for delivering them up into the hands
of Hallcck; he was cursed by the Cotton
States for bringing the war within their
borders he was maligned by his own
subordinates, and his army was desert
ing him he was iercely assailed in the
Rebel Congress he was bitterly criti-
cised in the rebel ewspapers-until
finally he is reported to have said des-
pondingly that he had not friend left
in The Confederacy. And yet he was
The man who, of all others, had been
until lately looked upon in the South as
commander without a peer for active
field work--combining in himself sci
ence, skill daring, coolness, resoluteness.
experience, popularity, and whatever
other characteristics or elements of sue
cess are supposed to belong to great
leader This was the fourth war in
which he had seen and donc service .
and in each of the previous wars, he had
gained only renown and achieved al
ways success. His letter to Gen. JEFF.
Davis attempts to explain the causes of
his present failure 1t is apologetic and
defensive in statement and tone; and as
the rebel disasters in the Southwest all
date from the fall Of Fort Donelson, he
makes that the event upon which to
hang his defence.
Gen. Johnston's career, since he took
command of the rebel army in the
Southwest, as exhibited in his report, has
been beset with difficulties lie was
charged, when he received command,
with the duty Of deciding whether or
not it was polite to occupy Bowling
Green-a question which, he saws. in
volved not only military, but political
considerations. He decided it in the
affirmative, and in the middle of Sep
tcmber that stronghold was taken pos
session of by four thousand rebel troops.
The object of seizing that point was
undoubtedly for nothing less than 70
obtain military possession of the State
of kentucky, and thereby carry the
boundaries Of the Southern COnfedera-
cy to the Ohio River. There were then
no National troops in the State, and a
triumphant march to Louisville was the
purpose and hope of the rebels. But by
the extraordinary and patriotic efforts OF
Gen. Rousseau and other prominent Ken
tuckians, to whom due credit has never
been given, the rebel scheme was frus-
trated. 1t was on the 18th Of Septem-
Der, only a few days after the rebel army
had commenced its nOrthward march
that two thousand Union militia, under
Rousseau, hurried out of Louisville tC
stop its advance; and if they did MOI
meet the rebels in the field, and defea
them in a pitched battle, they at leas
compelled them to assume merely de.
fensive position at Bowling Green. Tn,
National army in Kentucky increased il
magnitude with great rapidity, anC
Johnston had TO resort TO various eXpe
dients TO maintain his ground III
makes the following statement, curious
enough in the light Ofsubsequent events
believing it to be of the greatest mo
ment to protract. the campaign, as TN
dearth of cotton might bring strength
from abroad and discourage the North
and TO gain time to strengthen mysel
by new troops from Tennessee and Othe
States, magnified my forces TO the en-
cmy, but made known my truo strength
to the Department and the Governors 0
States
II would seem that he succeeded il
his attempt at deception for, though tn
National troops in Kentucky grew fron
a couple Of thousand TO over a hundre,
thousand, while he, all told, had never
according to his own statement, highe
than from twenty-five to thirty thousand
he managed 10 keep our great army a
bay for five months. He adroitly re
ported his force, by various means, a
sixty, eighty, hundred thousand an
a secession newspaper in this city re
| peatedly gave details of it, showing it {
reach far higher figure even than these
lie perpctually threatened our army wit
assault and annihilation, kept Louisyill,
and even Cincinnati, for a time, in
state Of perturbation, and delayed th
progress OF our arms until IL seemed hi
end was on the eve Of accomplishment
II was only when the vigorous policy @
Gen. ialleck had carried the war up th
Cumberland and the Tennessee, and out