The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-12-22
REBEL ACCOUNTS.


HOODs DEFFAr-A TERlIHbE TiRADE AGAINST
JEFF. DAVIS AND HOOD.
From "a, Richmond Erdmiaer, Deremj.rI9.
The accounts from Nashville are the statements
OF tue enemy, and must he received VITA much
\ caution.
1t is probable that the real facts are somewhat
colOred; that he number Ot prisoners and cap
tuTed guns will be discovered TO nave DCsu sOms-
what smaller han supposed, and the loss Of
general Thomas much greater than ne would
like TO state in bulletin. BuJ it Is d.ilicut 10
doubt that after gaining an expensive ana worth
less victory az Franklin thr ugh the yaur OF his
troops and in spite OF the most reckless general
ship or no generalship, Hood has now sustained
defeat before Nashville, where he had no Dusi-
ness b. 60.
b Lif it be true that his men were actually driven
nom then brCas.wOrks 1t is proof that they have
LRteIed great deterioration IN his hands. Bat
ftNre is no reason IN laying olamC Ou the troops.
Defects Nc headquarters, now as at Mission ry
Nstidge, explain all. Since BeAnreggrd was or
}dered OIL % stop sherman wituOug troops by
his individual presence, the condition OF ths army
1 which was so ie.L without II general could not oe
4 RENE mheTed without shNCr. IuUmts, the rene
y gadc Vrginan, is one of the most intelligent men
In he Federal army, while HJod's ouly lille to
COM and was tie circumstance that he did not
app I'VE tie policy Of GenIal Johnston.
i'll lgiely Thomas had Ia griOr NUMBERS; bu
W e Hood mas been trcnChing before Nashville
opponent ranks were filing and benOld the
I nit. Those VINO could he surprised at any
y mary plans Of Hood or Davis were surpri,ed
"a campaign for Nashville ana Kenrucky at this
ate sea on. If thst army could have cleaned
lut Middle and East Tennessee and regaiue1
Chattanooga and Knoxville, tue condition Uf the
Confederate cause in the West would nave been
better than iC has been since the battle OF Mur-
y freesborO. But even ii Nashville had fallen, an
6ciat wOuld have been the onIy gam.
n The place could not be held without Kentucky
7 and n campaign in Kentucky at thi, season would
Ehaye been certain ruin. Tue battle of Nashville
Afappears TO be piece with tbe campaign. All OF
II Hoods army we're engaged except ms cavalry.
XWLeTe was Forrest and his cavalry ? We do not
yknOW, but it may be fairly Supposed that they
wwwere employed as Wheeler was when Atlanta
was evacuated. When Johnston had the army
he Kept his cavalry on his aHks, and the nunkeJs
and parasites OF the Government reyiled hlu Tor
\ doing 20. When Hood took Command he sent
Yofi tue cavalry 10 raid on the enemy 5 rear, aud
kuutl the consequences were seen great glory
Twas given to General Hood for doug il.
n but the absence of the CIva,Ty enabled Sher-
Imam 10 reach JonGsDOrO without HOIu's showing
Kuy thing about it, and Atlanta was thrown away
in the panic which ensutd. Then God in HIS
t,mtrcy gave him Forrest. nud wolfe we do not
know tne TACT, 1t appears extremely pro5db.cJhat
Sfe has thrown away his services IN Tennessee As
She did those OF Wheeler in Georgia Viewed by
xthe light of events now accomplished, VINO can
kjustify the removal Of Johnston fr m the HUAd OF
HIhaC army : WHAT melancholy Significance is
fgven TO that point Of past history by every sue.
fcessiSe event ID the beginning OF the year that is
know closing!
d The enemy has formed two powerful armies
RRud planned two parallel Campaigns. rh3 goal
D
Inject them we had inadequate armies; Dut az inst
IGIRut ana Sherman we had Lee and johnston,
NpTnCes Of the military profession on this cOutl-
hEeut. Their defense aganst superior uumb. rs
lfRas equally successful, and Tho incidents on tue
1.-TWO scenes OF aciOn were marked by an uacom-
kmOn similarity. Tue result was the same, except
Ehat Grant reached the banks of the Jarues from
s4he kapldan in muCn lgs5 lime than Sherman
dNtouChCd the Chat lhuOcLee.
- AT that moment Sherman's campaign was as
great failure TO hls position, more perdous than
= Ahat Of Grant. Atlanta was dead lOcA on the
RAImy Of tue Cumberland, NOT less Ell. ctual than
%RiclLnOnd on the Amy Of tho Potomac, There
0s eYtTy human probability in the suppOsition
yhat had JohusloD, liko Lee, retained the com
Z Inaud Of his army, Shugman's column, It not
forced TO retreat, would have been held ia NOrth-
Kern Georgia like Milo in the cIOven oak. The
3Conederate army IN Atlanta was then fully equal
Ito that in Richmond. IL was as we'll organized,
harmonious, as confident in itself and ia its
!, feader. lt was only too eager Tor battle.
N At that moment all was well in the COnfede-
4Aaey. No sensible observer doubted that both
Bluanta and Richmond would resist all efforts
And that the conclusion of the year would be rem
3 Idered memorable by the undenilble failure Of
a atthe greatest military effort OF the enemy. I'm
thappily and dsastrously Mr. Davis mistOok the
I Acause Of that Georgian Rrmy's enthusiasm for u
yclog upon its enemy. He got possessed of the
qnOtion that If Johnston, who would not fight, was
haken of, the Government under the name of
Somebody or other, would Just 60 out with that
a. hne army, whip Sherman in q minute, gather all
= 4he glory to Itself, and crafty all us grudges
against the great officer who had lifted it and him
sgliom the depths Of despair.
80 all the hurdy -gurdies ground ont the death
q song OF Johnston. In three weeks the army had
q lost more men in killed aud wounded than
\ during all the month Of JOhnston's command.
II lost Atlanta without knowing how or why, and
= il Was reduced to the same staIe of hopeless de-
mora elization in which ii once reached Dalton
from missionary Ridge. SHch was the immediate
4, and direct result of Johnston's removal
y Then followed the Presidents harangues, con-
tanning the plan OF the new campaign, which Is
q Just now concluding at Savannah aQd Nashville.
. we have never trusted the pen 70 make any
remarks upon the hAranguesi and tho chroniele
; bf events which a painful duty compels us 70
. bubilsh day BY day furnishes an elucidation and
i commentary which no words aud no pen will
. liver rival. knough IL is 10 say that fortune dad
.1fom the Southern standard When JOhnStOn's
and was removed from the stan; aud the evil
which bad haunted Bragg retained into the
hen Hood assumed command.