Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1863-07-18
aiIg appeal,
GEN. JOHNSTON AND TEER FALL.
OF VsCKsRURG.


CHATTASO0GA, July l3, 1853
EDITIONS APPEAL: Year regular cafresp sndeats have
kept you fully advised Of the movements Of ID army
TsuDssssS sHd prob sbly give yoa stls sadusns
information.
il is kn0wn that Middle Tsuaessse Is evacuatad By
the any hat hsls is for menA1 which pree patey re-
treated before the advance OF RosseraaI azd the re
slt aust sasafy the pnblc, who are not expected to
know anything Of the reaI rs for movement so uusuS
psetss beueyed capable Of srs.audlHg ii en- If
known
Gen Bragg had ss'ss.sd what was regarded a
strong defsE line the key 20 which was series Of
gaps IN tie msuntaiHs, which EtAtousd what
was considered sfcleut signal csrps to give notice
Of the eReuy'a movements, sEd which were guarded
by forces though. sufficient fer their defense, and au
furshsr Prs.eeted BY pieketa and videt.sE.
Whsthsr Gen. Briggs line was srong ozs, capable
Of being hsld wh.ther the sBsny's advance WA
overvhsIuius 20 make a successful resl4ta cs ne.
less whether the gaps were lost and he position
made unt-uzbie by the csrsesness or ineciency OF
those eHtrustsd with their defense are quesians 70 be
determined by others, and upon fuller Information
Iiz said however, and have nstsen 9, csatrzsict-
ed hst A. least portion OF thoss entrusted with TIE
st Of bol5irE the gaps, had negIsot5d i7 yys1ET sr
-a4sts-- war and surr-isad "e=psrlng ninbl7
to he lasciviols plsssngs sf lu.s 81 balls and par
ties and pcaies, and in ether zosal ezj7yEsuts IN
which they tndulging. while the fare of lsr'.
populoEs and fertile country hung trembling in aue
balance aHd agreeable young ossrs freed by their
position from many ssCia and moral rsstrsists nd 1t
diBguit TO resist the temptations that bssat them.
fear thsrs Is too much foundation for Ae allegation
Tbs csuntry wosld be surprised 10 lss-u. bswever
what havs fr uad lublsd authority that Sc has net
been intended TO give battle 70 the en- emy in Middle
TsnnesBas-hst afterthe bzrtle Of Eurirsesbose re-
treat determined upon IN the svent Of advance
m force agai-i us-thst the sole object Of Ger Bragv
stay At shsIbyyile and Tiahona was ts protect aad
secure the growing erops bsweea his line ard the Ten
nense river.
As Il had been announced apparently upon suthorty,
that the commanding general had given hI men the
word Of sslasr that he would fight and whip the eue
my, rsrzzt not expected and battle, the result
Of which not couslds-sd doub;ful looked for
The rersst has been accomplished; n sdle Tennessee
is given mp, the growing eroPs sacrificed and eur
army safe. while the enemy bss gained no advantage
bat has heightened bis communication and vsaksd bis
l position.
! General B-azg's army IS now coneeutra ted On the
south side Of the river and viii soon be ready more
Successful operations in another dire ctioB and under H
to be hoped another general In the meantime events
o. greater significance have been transPring on the
Mississippi eliminating in Federal success inevitable
almost from he TT, bat fer which ths people were
altogether uupreparsd Of these events owing to the
extraordinary and perhaps prudent reHesncs Of our
military authorities, bui Little Is even yet known. 4
Knowledge OF them would satisfy the public that what
ever bunaers may have esntnbusd 90 orr rsvsnes in
tsa quarter be attributed some ether thsu the
iius-rouE general who assigned TO the command Of
6ur armiss there be7 it was too late 20 save vlcks-
burg and defend tie State.
No general can be shove criticism but every servszt
Of the people whether military or civil shoud ever be
held TO the strss accountability for his acts II Cen
Jsanst5r has failed through ucampetsucy or fo other
csBs5s than lack Of means 20 accomplish She tafk a..
signed him, every consideration OF puse Interest de
Rszds at least his removal 90 less iupsr ant coumaas
szd the Eulstut7u Of an ogsr egBs to the ueos-si-
ss q the occasion II be has done al tat energy and
gsnus, and oonssmmsss skill and the most Intense and
uudaggiuE industry sad tss most ssepsEs yyiIancs
enabled Aim 60 do De deserves the cozfdsnCs Of The
people the sruy and the Adirstrst and tie sup
per SAD assisiauCs ef 81 in the yyork before him
Froa facts that have come 10 ny knowledge I can.
nor doubt hai in tie trying veisiJudss Of hs-Isst i've
sHths be has shown qualities characteristics Of the true
hero and fairy sSrued the reputation one sf the
greatest military shlzflzins o. tEe ass.
o. fe evening o. the 9th OF Nay. Gen Joaustsz
tAsn at TEshama received orders 70 uroess5 At once
NE fpPi 80 take command OF tbz forces then unssr
Psmbertsu, estimated at forty-two thousand men Oz
the morning Il the I5h he departed for the szId Of bis
futsrs lsb5Ts ssa arrived Jackson en- the evening Of
the 1917. Ia the nsantims, the easEy lad taken
C sud Cali ana with heavy column i1gsrg5sed Be-
twssE Jseizssz Bu5 ear my. They we-s rapidly sp-
/ p-0sshinE the capita As Gez- JOHNS on ns1rsd the
city he net the Governor H-efng from &c. 4 few days
Before the country hai n all She public p-izts the
most positive assurances from the Esas cGcaal that
Affairs wsre In 3 ssiisfsctsry csnsi Ion The Gen
es found the Governor ssd his family gone his Kan
ssn deserted the salrs machinery Of bis Government
renewed aud be who had Esse Essrly oHe thousand
ieE - assist in defending that government, was LEFT
wthsut the suFpert, ssstzBss, csuntszsncs evsR
presence Of It's head At tie railroad depot bis eyes
rested upon Of suzloui and sdighted faesE TIE
sntrs c.mmuulty sf jackson in mstsn AID lt was
the movement Of alarm Every meds Of conveyance
was in rsquis los. Eati-e households fsang BE-
fore the izvs5er osn5n fear CONSERVATION ran riot
tsrrsr reiEuad Supreme.
Oz hs srrva n JzcEssn, Gen Johnston first learned
that tsisgrspEia eonaanication with vleksburE had
been Interrupted shs-.y after he informsd thzt
railrosi cgmmuHicstion had shared similar fate.
From Gee. Gregg, bravs but inexperienced officer
In command Of TIE fsruos iu ard around jackson he
learned that the enemy $500 strong between that
city and vlcks5zrE The head Of the advancing col
umn looked toward Jackses.
Gen Johnston assembled such chiefs Of department a
were In reaeh The couHnissry reported considerable
anount Of so-es the chief Of ordnance large amount
of ammunition the qlsrtsrmsslsr sad dsfeisacy IN
transportation The medical stores bad Seen sent he
day stfors 60 Eebuo Much of tbs pubiie properly
/ machinery etc, lad already been removed.
Gen Grugr reported LIS entire syssbs force at less
tAzn Eve thsusaud znen. They were sore aud n=Re 100
well in hand sitter sharp engagement at Raymond the
day previous. They were being gradually driven back
I BY largely zupersr fsrcs. They we're retiring upsn
city without natural desnse and The works ths. had
been coRstruetrd zrouHd were Hnvvsr.y The name o.
J for,ihsatsHs- Evoa hsy we've unfinished There was
much ftraggiing There was seae demoralizaaon.
There wsru many sick Such Was the eoadi.ion Of
sfairt a. Jae<soa on lis a-rIvaI.
General JohRston ien TuHahoza on the l0.h sr Nay
20 take eomnszd e. fsrty-two Thousand ues-Pszabsr-
tons force lie rsaehej Jackson The l3;h Of Kay 70
aHd an army Of Isss t-sn Eve thousand rask and Gle
He had hssH pronissd heavy reilforosmsais. some
[ were on their way-a fsu lad arrived The aovo-
usuts Of ths enemy made i dsubsfu whether the re-
aain5sr eszld effect jazetion With Greggs forces
That uITsi Gen Johnston tzlegrspbsd the Secretary
Of Wer the condition Of sliairs-that be was "too
Late
.Too Late" Pregnant words What wide mean
Ing they contained now tus has sdds5 e their g
nihcaRes, and events % ihen haapei Too late 70
assume in person the eommand OF The army be had
lhae.sned from Tennessee to direeti Tee late to
form junction with Gen Pembertoa Too late" 20
prs7srt the dlsuombermens Of his army To late
70 seanre eonssntaon Of troops Too late for 60
operation Too late with The promised reinforce
measl TOO late" 80 thwar the purposes Of the sue
MY 'Teo late % save Jsskson f.om occupation, to
Port Hudson from siege, Vieksburg from
investmsnil Night not add that the Government
realized when TOO late ths dsarsr which tsrsSisnsd
that department. That 10 auoko whsn too late 20
the impsriled condition Of the army in Mississippi
aron I.lsl. PLanhsha sarlsl How rnnidlr thsr have