The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-04-04

have been compelled to "sit silent. III
,,o,,H bo,,e dome his duty by protecting MS
hr;aode from the effects of such Wretcneu
;ncononetence by demonstrating 70 'no
General and if that proved ine 1I 49, 80
anpeal to the Government. IFS s, on ~.
proves that nc did not see the cSi'' mo
biographer describes.
II is well known that large Doaies oi no"
troops are sickly in all climates. W., 'a.>
reports were larger in the healthy cIinia''
Of the Valley than at the time reiericu ~
No troops were then encamped III .no
valley of Bull Run, or nearer 10 M rhe
battlefield " than four or i've miles; ihe
dead had been buried, so that the iaa a.,
visited the field without Inconvenience. nc
writer's own estimate and Generai beaure-
CARDS very strongly contradict TINS aG-
count of our great losses by disease. ne
estimates the Army of the Valley at IL ,ooo
when Il left Winchester. General Beaure-
gard reported his to be about II ,Ooo, ~
Guiding 500 mounted men, and the garri-
son of Manassas 1900 soldiers and sea-
men). in all about 81, 900; deducting 1888
lost in battle, leaves 80, l07-not estiina',he
the thousands who went home in the belef
that their victory had terminated Tue wa. .
On page 239 the author says, after lhei !,
" forces had grown to about 6o,ooo men,
the Confederate generals "pushea 'he,l
lines forward to Munson's ana mason
hills" This was early in September. Ac-
cording to this the army had then oeen IN
creased by the difference between 6O,O00and
20, 1878, 1893. If my recollection is cor
rect. it had received since the battle ten
reriments-one from South Carolina, one
from North Carolina, one from Texas, one
from Alabama, two from Mississippi, and
four from Georgia, averaging less than COG
men. So that these rcinforcements amount
ed to not more than 5000, leaving 1888 as
the growth OF the regiments represented to
have "dwindled underline ScOurge to Skele-
TONS" But these asScrtiOnS-that our re-
gimcnts dwiLdled to skeletons during Au-
gust, and that The army had grown to
about $4,000 men early in September, are
altogether incorrect. 1 have contrasted
them to show the carclcSsness of the au-
thor's accusations. The battle and its con-
sequences reduced our army to about q ,00O
men. When its advanced guard occupied
MunSon's and ManSon's hills, early in Sep
TENDER, it had received since the battle
not more than 5000. So that its strength
then was little more than half OF the bio
grapher's estimate.
Page 1856 THE wearied Confederate sol
diers did not find the rain any the less dreary
on the next day, because they were either
Coun termarched up and down Bull run, or
left TO crouch on the battle field. in fence-cor-
ners, without tents, instead OF engaging III
the inspiring pursuit of the enemy"
None of our troops were countermarch-
ed up and down Bull run the next day.
None were on the battlefield but those
detailed to collect arms, sc. Beauregard'S
troops had full supply oftents, and those
from the Valley partial one. Pursuit
would have been fruitleSs, and therefore
anything but inspiring.
Page $50 "The country was then tccmiug
with supplies herds of bullocks We're feeding
in the pastures around CentreNille, and the
barns OF the farmers We're loaded with grain.
The country between Bull run and
Washington is poor and thinly pcopled,
and never tccmed with supplies. If there
were ever herds of bullocks in the pas
lures around Centreville, any southern
man can tell how many would have been
left by Federal army Of four divisions,
mear 40 900 men, encampcd there from
the 18th to 2lst July; aud if there was ever
abundance between that place and Wash
ington, those who have seen a country
through which Federal army had march
ed once, can Judge of the abundance left
where it had passed twice.
| Page .3G: " \ march of twenty five miles
! could surely have been accomplished without
| baggage or ratiCmS, especially when the short
| effort might lead them to the spoils OF Il
wealthy capital
1t is about forty miles from the field OF
battle to Washington by the main road,
through Alexandria-perhaps four less by
MunsOn's hill. At the end of that march
a broad navigablc river would have sepa-
rated orr army from "the spoils Of
wealthy capital" J. L. JOHNSTON.
NorE.-The numbers given above express
! effective force.
DEFGHITIONs OF CHARACTER.-Fine Eel