Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1863-12-16


MR.. FOOTE'S REMARKS IN SUPPORT OF HIS RES
OLUTI0N OF INSTRUCTION TO TIE COMMITTEE
| ON MILITARY AFFAIRS DIRECTING THEd TO
INQUIRE INTO THE CAUSES WHICH LED To
THE DISASTROUS RESULT OF THE LATE BAT
TIE OF CHATTANOOGA tl4l
SIR Ia il with unieigned reluctance that present
nv views npon the resolution just offered by Whilst
there Is much in the Message Of the President that
APPROVE there is much also which do not approve
more especially do condemn the censorOus language
employed by the Executive in regard to portion of
| gaInt army. Intend not TO wrong His Excellency,
and therefore shall CHE the language Of the message
of which am disposed to complain, in the very words
employed by him. Alter giving concise historic state
of certain military occurrences which have taken
place since QUE last assenbgs here, he proceeds to
say: d" The sgual defeat OF General Rosecrahs was
ioloRed by his retreat into Chattanooga, where his i'm
periled position had the immediate effect OF relieving
the pressure OF the invasion at other points, forcing the
concentration for his rehef OF large bodies of oops
Withdrawn from tho Mississippi Valley and in Northern
Virginia The combined forces thus accumulated against
u in Tennessee SO greatly ounumbered our army as TO
encourage the enemy to attack After long aud Sc
battle, in which great carnage was inflicted on
him. some of our troops ineXpicably abandoned pos-
ton of ghAt strength and by dsorderly retreat
PEELED the commander 10 Withdraw the forces elsewhere
successful and finally to retire with the whole army to
position some twenty thirty miles in the Il
is believed thasif tbs troops who yielded to the as
Sault had fought with the valor which they had display
/ ed on previous occasions and which manifested in
this battle in other parts Of the line, the enemy would
have been repued with very great slaughter, and our
COT airy would have escaped the misfortune, and the
army the modification OF the frst defea. that has result
i ed from misconduct by the troops"
Now sir take Issue with this part Of the Presidents
Message most emphacally deny the historic verify
of this statement will suffer neither him nor any of
his mnions TO mpugn the ''valor" Of noble army
Of any part of IT, without bringing the unjust and
ungenerous aecuser TO prompt aud full responsibility.
Drawer army was never organized than the army Of
i Tennessee. There is not an UnUGlorous regiment
company in that whole army and the President Is
bound to know this be true The defeat Of that army
did not result: from any want OF SaiOr ? the defeat
Chattanooga was not the result of 'aiseOndue in any
discre 1taele Of that word in that army, in
any portion of il. No sir. mol and it is upjus lib
era il is cruel had almost said that it unpardon
able in the President thus TO charge. This grave
sation Is presented too in his annual message docu
ment which will be or less read in all parts of
the civlizsd world. 1t will be read by enemies OF
the North and twill rejoice them a0indAntly to dis
cover that the eoVdrse of troops formally con
| fesSed by their own Oommander-in-Chief.
This message will be read in Europe and all beyond
the rolling ocean will be thus informed that the boosted
ehivarv Of the South has become transformed into the
most shameful co WArdce on the field OF Chattanooga
And OF what troops does be thus speaki Why Of soldiers
who have oughtmore fierce and bloody battles have en-
dured more for the cause Of freedom, and have incur
red greater sacrifices for the sake Of their loved country
L
Mr. President it is always more agreeable to man
propsrly constituted, to harnonE9 in sentiment and
opinion with those with whom he may stand associated
in government concerns than to be aimed to differ
from them and seriously to conflict with them in
regard 10 important public measures No one would be
more reoiced than should be- a. finding that /. was
both safe and honorable with our chosen E1
ecutiye Chief at all tmfs and In all places AID espec-
ally in this Hall of Deiberatiop, touching the various
connected with the great struggle for ndepend
IL
long time past nave felt it to be my duty to allow
| without open complaint, many things TO be done in
the Executive Department OF the government which
could no; sascon, in ord 10 AVOID hurtfu discussions
among people, aod in order, likewise, TO exhb-
it, as far as possible the appearance of concord to the
Visw of our arch enemies and the word at large But
Sir can refrain no longer can longer remain Ell
lent whilst being perperated which hold to DO
dangerous the very to which all 80 ear
estly devoted. To be silent when the public safety
itself requires frank aud manly declarations of opinion
&C Just exposition OF olaal acts deserving and de-
ma long the severest apprehension would be to prove
traitor to the vital interests Of the great people, and
to become basely recresnt TO all the obligations which
owe 10 my generous and patriotic constituency
have come 10 the conclusion &C last cir that this time
has nos arrived when it is necessary to speak out in
regard TO men and measures boldly aud explicitly in
| order TO cave the Republic itsel from ruiz.
Thousands Of our people are beginning to despair of
our ultimate delvera5ce from the hearteEs and afro
their having been compelled by series of astounding
blundes on the part OF high Off as and OF TIE most
remarkable aud alarming obstiDacy shown by them in
the pursuance of measures the Ossy unwise and des
erous that the world has yet known, seriously dis
trust the possibility OF their escape from subugaton
whilst ur present rulers shall remain at the bsm. 1t is
certain that reform RADICAL vital reform-mu speed
ly occur in ell the departments of Government and
especially in the concerns of the army or we shall be
disapponted AID yanquished people, President Davis
.Iy;va his
he must respect the MONT OF honest public sent
ment he must yield up his absurd and lioera hostility
to some of our most meritorOus military commanders
or he will have the shame and at distant day. fear
of being recognised and truly recognA 3D. the De-
spoiler Of his country and the Murderer of Liberty.
Since the truth must be told about the defeat al Chatta
nooss and the cause that led to il, charge, directly
and formally that President Davis is himself the cause
| of that depoTaoe occurrence Our army evincsd no
want Of vaor as General Hardee in his general order
distinctly Declares but they PEELED to retreat by
the overwhelming force of the enemy President Davis
himseI confesses in the portion OF his message already
ced that "the combined forces" of the enemy accu
muated against rs in Tennessee, 30 greatly outnumber
ed our army TO encourage the enemy to attack
Al, is this sol How did Happen that the disparity
In point of numbers between the forces Of tie enemy
and forces under Bragg at Chattanooga at
the critical moment Of the late battle greati will
tell you sir aud no here elsewhere will venture
| to deny my statement
When tle President visited Chattanooga lately and
reviewed grand army there he found that the
my already greatly outnumbered US as that point he
knew also for the whole country knev that Grant was
also expecting to be reinforced by the army under Sher
| man, amounting to some. twenty-five thou,and men,
Under these ciTcumstsnoes he order d, say lie
dered perhaps it would be accurate 10 say that
the President in conjunction with General Bragg un-
der whose special advsemeat he doubtless was ordered
L1ogstreet and Wheeler into Est Tennessee leaving
no; more than forty thousand under Bragg face
| and outend with full one hundred thousand. With
large army confronting ours, he ordered large portion
of our forces to be detached and thus gave to Cant
the opportunity which he go eagerly seized of
Whelmng our enfeebed but thrice valiant army with
superior numbers, So rejoiOed was our Presi-
e. -1AtJf s. i