The Cleveland leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1865-1865, 1865-09-28
oNH OF DAVIES FAvoRlrEs.

OOhASoeracy- 81. -.s..
/ ONE OF DAvIss FAvORITEs. Il a...-,
Mr.. Davis had been at West Point, and
subsequently seFveI for several years in
the dragons ct frontier post with q sub.
altern officer TO whom it happened he be-
came attsched. A bout the time the for
mer resigned his commission totuTn planter
in Mississippi, the latter Was disabled by
sn accident, quit his border post likewise,
went to bis home, studied medicine, and
turned parish doctor. Mr.. Davis became
IN time politician, Lieutenant Northupi 8
Catholic convert, but 60 eccentric and full
of mental crotchess as to be generally re-
garded in Charleston IS of unsound intel
lect, and unit for the management OF his
own small s1fairs. He had not served long
enough in the army, nor been thrown in
connection with considerable operations, to
acquire familiarity with military admins
tfHtion; neither had his retired habits of
life, his cast of thought or svocations in
Charleston, brought him in relation with
men engaged In large commercial sffaiTs,
or turned his mind to the study of ench
subjects, and in that way attained that
bresdth Of view and knowledge of general
business details and Of men, which msy
make up for the want of profession aI
bureau experience after . separation Of
twenty five years from army lifss rae ~
This man, with whom Mr.. Davis had no
personal association since they were cav
Hlry ieutenants together on the Indian
frontier, he did not hesitate to make his
chief of subsistence, nor scruple TO entF0st
with the organization and administration
Of bureau upon which the very existence
Of the Confederate armies must depend,
and for the lsbors If which it is apparent
the souDdest 'prsctical order of intellect
was essential. One rnember Of Mr.. Dsvis's |
Cabinet st least knew tie local rep6te of
DR.. NOTthrop; snd We asset that had the |
inquiry been msde in Charleston, his pre-.
eminent unftness would have been univer- |
sally certified. As might be anticipated,
his administration st once took all the |
charscteristics If that unhealthy bEGin.D
Ar. Davis supported him, however, in /
every vsgsry, permitted him TO override
all opposition, and ignored the views and
wishes of every army commander, when, as
was of daily occurrence, they chsnced 10
differ from those Of Col Northrop. Indeed,
the crazy courses in when this man was
suffered TO indulge, to the mortal iLinry of
every Confederate army, are incredible.
But we have not the space for their re-
lstion, which would I'LL . volume. One
example must serve TO Illustrate the sur
prisiDg character of an administration
which made success impossible. All rein
iorcements, ammunition, ordnance and the
greater part of the qusrternssters' supplies
were necessarily transported 70 the Con- 4
ledsrate forces assembled st Manassas
Junction by the Alexandria and Orange
which, of course was thus tasked
% the utmost tension Of its resources. Bat
mother railroad, branching from it at Man.
lssss communicated with the most fertile
'egion of Virginia, the famous Shenandoah
Valley, which teemed with subsistence that
was also abundant in the adjoining coun-
les of Fauquier and Lendon. Not requiI.
ID for transportation of troops or ordnance
supplies, that rosd WIS therefore avsilable
.Or the almost exclusive use of the Sub.
'istence Department; and substantial sup
plies, we repeAs, lay convenient to it, sufi
,ient for ali the forces ths Confederstes
could possibly muster in that quarter. No
hing, indeed, could be more favorable for ,
he Confederstes than the arrangement OF
hese two divergent reads.
But all this was lost sight Of by Colonel
Northrop, who by some influence wss led
% determine that subsistence officers with
General Resuregard should not draw their ,
iour or meat either from the rich gamers ,
nd stores of LOudon, Fauquier or the
Valley counties. ForbiddiDg his subordin-
ties, imperstively and sngrily, from pu1-
bAsing supplies within easy reach anc ]
With ample means of otherwise idle trans
'ortAtion at hand, leaving them TO fall into
he hands of the enemy, he set other sub
rdinstes to gathering subsistence in the !
ear of the army, which he was, obliged TO (
end over the already overburdened Alex
ndTiA and Orange Railroad, for which he
lad 10 psy much more than such supplies
ould have been bought Tor in the Valley
II in L9udon. The conse queDces we're that
here was never In depot Ench q supply of
uhsistence IS General BesuregsTd needed,
nd there was not one days ratiOns for the s
Imy at the time of the battle of Manassas 9
or Bull Run, as it is usually styled, nor
lore than forty-eight hours sUpplits for
leeks Afterward of the material part OF the
Aiion. General Beauregsrd having urged
be provision of 8 fortDighfs supply for
1me twenty or twenty-five thousand men,
Iorthrop fell into passion, wrote TO the r
Eeneral letter of surprising ibsoleDce
I'D at the same time relieved the staff
ficer from duty who, under General
'eauregard's orders had attempted to re- .
love the evil. Mr.. Davis, blind TO the
consequences, obourAtely sustained this ex-
conduct ..-.--....,-.-.. 2
THE REBEL ARMY. l., :