New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-02-27

mard separate armies.
have not been able to procure the means Of moving
these troops They are TN yeah 70 accomplish much.
The reenforcements you mentioned have joined Grant
j. u. JOHNSTON.
At this pout in the correspondence, the President
wrote letter TO Gen Johnston. in which he reviewed
at length al the points at issue between them He al
hides to the atters assignment to defined geographi'
cal command by special order No. 25 which order de-
seribed tho command including portion OF Western
North Carolina and Northern Georgia, the States Of
Tennessee. Alabama and Mississippi, AVID that portion
Of the State Of Louisiana west Of the Mississippi.
We mako the following extract from this letter.
When learned that prejudice and malignlty had
undermined tho troops Vicksburg in tboir com
mander IS 70 threaten disaster, deemed the clrcn.
stances such IS 10 present the case oreseen in special
order No. H, that you should repair in person to any
part Of eaid command Whenever your presence might be
for the time necessary or desirable
You therefore ordered the 9Th Of May TO pre-
ceed at TO Mississippi and take chief command Of
tho forces giving 10 those in the held as far AZ practical
bic tho encouragement and benefit Of your personal
direction.
Some details were added about achievements, but
not word affecting in the remotest degree, your au.
thony to command your geographical district.
On the 4th june y0u teogaphed 10 TIE Secretary OF
Far in response 10 his inquiry saying My only pr
% relieve NcksDrc sly force is iar too small Tor tho
purpose Tel me If you can Increase IT, and how much
To which he answered On tue 9TH: II regret inability
10 promise moro troops as We have draIec resources
concerning Gen. Bragc's army. bat fear TO withdraw
more We are too lar oanbered IN Virginia to spare
any, sc, &c.
on the eth Of June tho Secretary was more explicit II
possible. He said: Do You advise more reinforce
nents from Gen. Bragg Nou ~ commaEdant OF the
Department have power so to order you, III view Of
the whole ease 30 determine"
On the 10th jane Won answered that IL was fos The
Government 10 determine what Department could fur
nish tho rc6aorcemeDtsi that You could not 6now how
Gen Bracgs wants compared with yours, and that the
(,uV.t Mt "a M Ia he
meEt that tie Government in Richmond was better abe
To Judge OF the relative necessities OF the armies under
ment that yon could not know how Gen. Brsggs wants
compared with yours, were considered extraordinary
but es they wer. accompanied by the remark that tho
SeoTetays dispatch hod been imperfectiy decipbeTed
no observation mado them until the receipt o
telegram to the Secretary of the 18th ins stat2
"I have not considered myself commanding in 1ennes-
since assignment here and should not have felt an'
thorzca take troops from that Department after hav
Ing been informed by the Executive that no more could
be spdred."
Ms surprise at these two statements was extreme.
YOu had never been assigned 10 the Mssiss ppi
commend. Yon wen. there under the circumstances
anu orders quoted and Justification whatever is per-
eeyci for your Abandonment Of your duties az com
mandiug General Of the geographical district to which
you assigned.
Orders as explicit as those under which you sent
the West and under which you continued to act up to
tie 9th May when you were directed to repair In per-
son 70 Mississippi only be impaired set aside by
subsequent orders equally as explicit, and your an
charged with the control Of affairs in Tennessee, be-
cause ordered TO repair in person TO Mississippi both
places being within the command 10 which you we're
assigned was too grave 10 BE overlooked and when 10
this added the assertion that you should moi have
felt authorized 10 draw troops from that department
(Tennessce) after being informed by the Executive
that no more could b. spared" was unable to account
for your language, being entirely confident thai had
never given you any such Information.
shall now proceed ~ separate your two statements
and begin with that which relates your ' not consid
erng" yourself commanding in Tennessee since assign
ment here" l. 2. in Mississippi.
When yon received my telegram CT the 18th june: in
forming that the orders TO 20 10 Mississippi did not
ninfsh your authority in bot, 66ing in
country placed under your command in original assign
ment" accompanied by an inquiry about the iniorIna
ton, sad 10 have been derived from me, restricting
yogr authority to transfer troops your ,he
10th June was: meant to tell the Secretary OF War
that consider the order directing me 10 command here
limiting my authority 10 this Department especially
when that order was accompanied by War Department
orders transferring troops from Tennessee to Misssp
pi'
This IT, IN substance. repetition OF the previous
statement without any reason being given for it, The
fact Of orders being sent to you 10 transfer some Of the
troops your Department from point 10 another 70
possible grounds for your "conshcrng" that special
order No. g'5 was rescinded or modified
Your command OF yoar geographical district did not
make you Independent Of my orders as your superior
officer, and when yoG were directed by me 10 take
troops with you 70 Mississippi your control over the
district 10 which you were assigned was in way
involved Bat the statement that troops were trans
fced FROM Tennessee to Mississippi by orders Of the
War Department when y0u We're directed TO repar to
@ S sS but the nS5 s"o5 1iSSs
Won told TO replace them by a greater number.
then their wav 10 Mississippi, aud whom you were
requested 70 direct to 1cnnesseethe purpose being 10
hasten reenorcements 10 Pemberton, without weaken.
ing Bragg This in Difference your own opinion
that Bragg could not be safely weakened nay that be
ought oven Ia be ro enforced at Pemberons expenses
for you had Just ordered troops from Pembertons
mand 10 re-cnorco Bragg. differed in opinion from