Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-04-29
letter of GEN. A. ~ y Johnston Oh the EVRC.
uafiOH OF Nashville.
HEADQUARTERS WESTERN DEPARTlIEyT.

] J.. :
! MURFREEsBORo, Tenn February 25 1862.
Hon J p Benjamin Secretary of war Richmond Va
! SIR: The fall OF Fort Doueson compelled me
! 10 withdraw the remaining forces under my
! command from the north bank OF the Cum
| baIiaud, and 20 abandon the defense Of Nash
| vile, which, but for that disaster it was my in
| tentiOn to protect 10 the utmost. Not more than
! II 900 effective mcn We're lett Under my com.
/ mand u oppose column ui Gen. Buell. Of
| not less than 10 600 troops, moving by Bowling
| Green, while another superior force, under Cen
| Thomas, outflnkel me On the east, and the
/ army from tgrt D0urmoU, with the gunboats
! aud transports, had IL ia tcir power 10 ascend
| the Cumberland u0w swollen by recent flood,
! 50 aa 20 intercept all communication with the
South. The situation left alternative but
| 10 eyacuate Nashville OF sacrifice tine army By
| remaining, the place would have been uuneces-
| sslly subjected 10 destruction, as it is indefen-
! siOle, and no adequate force would have been
! left to keep the enemy in check in Tennessee
Under these circumstances / moved the mnin
! body of my command to this place on the I7th
and 18Th instant, and LETT brigade under Gen
Floyd to bring on such stores and property as
were at Nashville, with instructions to remain
until the approach Of the enemy. and then % re-
join me. This has been in great mrasure rf-
iected, and nearly sll the stores would have been
saved bat for the heavy and unusual rains,
which have washed away the bridges, swept
away portions 10. tho railroad, and rendered
transportation alsnst impossible, Gen FIovd
has arrived heIa. The rear guard left Nashville
on the night OF The 23i EdgefeId, GA the north
bank Of the Cumberland, opposite the city, was
occupied yesterday by the advanced picket of
the enemy
have remained here for the purpose ct aug
meuting my forces and securing the tansporta-
ton ut the public stores. BY tho juaclI4u Of
the command or General CurIeHdru aud The tu-
gluyes from FJGt DoueEon which have been
TspTgauiZeJ as lar as practicable, the force now
under my command viii amount 10 about l. ,uOy
m=u Conceal Floyd, with about = JUU troops
has beer, ordered 10 Chattanooga Co defend The
apprGathra towards Northern Alabama and
Georgia, and tba communication between the
Mississippi and Atlautc, aud with the view to
increase his forces by such TO ps as may be sent
forward by the neighbOring STATES
The qumtsrma,tei's cOmmitsaTy's and Cgd
nance stores, which are moi required tOr ilume
di4tr gsC haze been ordered to Chattanooga. and
those which will be necessary on the march have
ven forwarded 70 Huntsville and Decatur I
nave ordered drpot 20 bee established at Atlanta
Tor ,ta mauJtactGre Of supplies for the quarter
lngsEers department, and also q laboratory for
the manufacture oi percussion caps aud ordnance
s:oos, and az Chattanooga depots for distribution
dIateIy sent forward
Considering tho peculiar typography of this
Stale, and the great pnwer which the eaeInys
means OF transportation afford upon the Ten
Hessrr and Cumberland, Il WIll be seen that the
force under my command cannot successfully
cover the .hlIe line against the advance of the
enemy / aHI com. rllId t. elect whs ther he
shal. be permitted 10 occupy Middle tennessee,
OF turn Columbus, take Memphis, aud open the
YAliey OF tine Mississippi 10 mo TIE defense OF
tbs Valley appears u paramount Importance,
aui CONSEQUENTLY | viii move this corps Of the
army, ut which | have assumed the Immediate
cumruaAd, towards the LETT bank o. the Tenurs.
see. crossing the T!vrr near Decatur, IL order To
enatir ue 10 go operate ur unite with General
BsauregaId iOr the defense of Memphis and tine
Mississippi
The department has sent sight regiments 10
Knoxville ioT the defense dr East Tennessee, and
the protection Ot that IeEiOH viii be- COntidsd to
them and such additional forces as may b. here
after sent from the djacsnt States Gen Buck
Her wss ordered by the department TO take com
m8u1 OF the troops Il Knoxville, but as ha was
81 that time iu presence OF the enemy, tue order
was u Z fulfilled. As it would b. almost im
possible for me, uAjaU present circumstances. 10
5Upcrnena tie operations al Knoxville aud
Chattanooga / y. -a.i respectfully suggest that
the local commanders al those posts should is
--Iye oIdeis from th- department directly OF be
allowed 20 exercise tk-Ir discretion.
With grea. respect
Your Obedl-At servant,