Smyrna times., 1867-04-10
NJ Is LII A \ EO u s.
Joseph E. Johnston on the Battle of
Bull Run.
Duck CREEK.

General Joseph +. Johnston of the late
Confederate Army has written u long letter to
the Selma Dddy Messenger, to correct various
errors III u " l4Ite Of StOnewall jackson" re-
Gently published by u member of that officer
staff lie Is at particular pains to deny the
biOgrapher ) assertion that the pursuit of the
routed Union army at the close of the disas-
trOus battle of Bull Run was not urged with
the energy which the Southern people had a
light to expect, aud that the City Of Wash
ngtOn-as Vim. III. Russell and good many
more competent judges Including George b.
McClcllanl declarcd-was wholly at the mercy
of the Rebels. lie shows, indeed, several
lame reasons why the pursuit could not have
been carried into the capital, but none why it
should not have been pressed; aud his labor
cd dcten>e OF his conduct Strengthens the i'm
preston which has been generally entertained
at the North, that our diSgraccful defeat at
Manassas surprised nobody 50 much as it did
the enemy who defeated US
No more could have been hoped from this
battle, says Gen, johnston than the preserva-
ton of the COnfederacy, and the arrest of the
Federal advance toward Richmond n move
ment upon Washington was out of the ques-
ton I've could not have carried the en-
8 trenchments by assault, and had none of the
means to besiege them. Our assault would
have been repulsed, and the enemy, then Be-
come the victorious party, would have re:
sumed their march to Richmond. But five
he captured the intrenchments, a river, a
mile wide, lay between them and Washing
"tOn, commanded by the guns of Federal
feet. :" This makes an odd contrast with
McClelans report Of the state of things al
that time, when he declares that I" in no quar-.
: ter were the dispositions for defense such as
" to offer vigorous resistance to respectable
body of the enemy" that the earthwOrks OF
the Virginia side were of the slightest ant
most trivial character; and that there wa
nothing to prevent the Confederates from oc
cupying the nights and shelling the city from
across the Potion &C. But even had it been i'm
possible for the Rebels to follow our routed
army into Washington, that was no reason VIII,
they should not have followed an harrassed u
as far as they could. Gen. Johnston says tina
his infantry gave up the chase because the
found it Intellectual, and his cavalry was driiC
"en back by tho solid resistance" of our re
serves. The story that number of fresh Con
federate regiments were recalled from the pun
suit in consequence of false rumor that ou
forces were moving upon Union Mills he prC
nounces a talsehood; but Gen. Beauregar
states it very distinctly in his official report
with a minuteness of detail which leaves n
room for doubling its correctness. The tru
reason of the dilatory and irresolute pursu
seems to have been that the Rebels were a
most as much bewildered and demoralized ,
ourselves, and feather would have turned d
scale OF victory to either side. Neither arm
knew the damage it had inflicted on the othe
Beauregard bears witness to the disorganiz
ton which prevailed in his command at Il
close of the day and Gen. Johnston adds tn
the exultation of victory cost him moro th
the Federals lost by defeat. The troops
U lieved the war epded and the independence