The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1870-07-21

allow junction of his forces with tnose oI
Beauregard at Manassas, and the permission to
do so was not given until General Patterson
had marched down within five miles OF WIN
chester and it was deemed certain g. oattle
would ensue. Skilifully General Johnston then
slinned from that place, and was enabled to get
q portion of his army over to Manassas. The
few thousand men thus added to Beauregard's e
forces were the means of preventing Federal
success. But Mr.. Davis obstinacy had periled
the safety of the army under Beauregard, only
one-half the number of the troops of Mellow
ell for the Confederate forces were stretched
over distance of twelve miles, in order to hold
the various fords of Bull Run. Bees, Bartow's
and Jackson's brigades, fatigued as theywere by
the long forced march under broiling sun,
had only Just arrived, and were placed on the
extreme left, where they bore the brunt of the
battle and were cut to pieces. Many of the
distant forces of Beauregard could not get up
in time and but for the Opportune arrival OF
Kirby Smith and his two brigades, which end
ed long march by desperate attack, the
what McDowelrs kilograms described it up to
81 D. ma resstless and sweeping Federal
triumph. Joe Johnston's troops were fatigued
by the march, and yet they fought nobly-
nearly one-half being killed or wounded. 1t
was impossible for them to move upon Wash
ington, and it was equally impossible for the
troops of Beauregard, miles away down the
creek. to do so. Whilst urging the President
to carry out the views of General Johnston
about their junction, or that Johnston should
move across the country, interposing the noun
tains between himself and Pattersons forces,
and attack the army of Mcdowell in the rear,
Gen. Beauregard had mapped out plan by
which Washington was to be taken slmultane.
ously with the defeat of Mcdowell. He had
in pursuance thereof demanded certain sup
plies from the commissariat and ample trans
portation. Both were denied him. When Ar
mold Harris came to the camp, few days after
the battle, he expressed the general astonish-
ment in Washington that our forces had not
come right in with the demoralized Federal
troops. And when the writer repeated this to
Gen. Johnston, he said: "It would have been
madness in us to have attempted it with our
fatigued troops, because there were heavy de-
fenses, which we had every reason to suppose
were manned by at least 10000 reserves, fresh
and undemoralized And, besides, We had
neither transportation nor supplies"
Gen. Beauregard, in his report, alluded to
the denial of his demands, and in unmistaka-
BILE terms placed upon the administration the
failure to capture Washington. Congress re-
solved itself into secret session, and debated o
resolution to expungee the clauses which re-
hected upon the President This debate was
long and acrimonious, and the resolution was
carried by a small majority to emasculate the
truthful report which Beauregard felt con-
strained to give to the world, and to deny him
the right of publishing the reasons why Ma
nassas was barren victory
There is significant clause in General
Johnston's letter, now published by the CIart-
on. CATER a conference at Fairfax Court
House with the senior general officers, you an
nounced it to be impracticable to give this
army the strength which these officers consid-
cred necessary to enable it to assume the often
sive. Upon which drew it back to its present
position" The army had been menacing
Washington. The senior Generals alluded to
were Johnston, Beauregard and &. w. Smith
They had reconnoitered the entire country:
They had discovered spot above the city, and
army. There were no defenses around Wash
ington. Mcclellan had his army on the Vir-
ginia side, disciplining them; had taken no
artillery there, and was drawing rations of
three DAYS at time from the city, leaving all
his Supplies therein. These Generals sent for
Mr.. Davis They said "Take from Norfolk,
from Charleston, Pensacola, and other places
which are not even threatened, twenty thousand
troops, and send them here to hold our camp
and cover our absence. We will march in the
night. and the dawn of day will find us in
Washington, which will fall without shot
being fred Mcclellan, without provisions or
artillery, must surrender, and the war will be
over" The plan was magnificent, it was fea-
sible. 1t would have established the Confede-
racy. >,
But Mr.. Davis would not listen to it, and he
left that camp foredoomed to be the instru-
IL A. j &c =
success of the Southern people. Those three
Generals were then impressed that it was the
turning point, and they drew up and signed a
triplicate document, stating their plan and its
rejection as vindcation of their military rep
utation in the event of their death during the
war. That document states what each of those
Generals still religiously believes-that Wash
ington could easily have been captured and the
war gloriousy ended but for Mr.. Davis action.
Mr.. Davis was thus TWICE responsible Tor the
failure to take Washington. A third time he
refused to allow the attempt.
After General Butler had attacked and cap
tured portion of the defenses below Drurys
Bluff. General Beauregard assumed command.
He had $4,000 men, partially demoralized by
the previous attack and Federal success. He
studied the position Grant was facing Lee
only few miles off, and Butler, with 10000
men, covered his flank. Beauregard sent for
Mr.. Davis, who rode nine miles down to his
camp. "Mr. President" said he, "there is my
commission. Give me the 5000 troops you
hold in Richmond. Dctach 1000 more from
Lee and send them to me. If by tomorrow
night do not then capture Buffers army, you
may tear up my commission. Before Grant
knows Buffers defeat l will attack his flank,
whilst Lee attacks him in front, and we will go
into Washington with him." Mr.. Davis posi-
lively refused, but said Beauregard might have
the 5000 Richmond troops to attack Butler
with. Beauregard answered that the President
was very complimentary in supposing that odN he
could whip Buffers 10000 men with 1000.
But he would not undertake it. Mr.. Davis
then gave peremptory command, which Beau BEAU
pell-mell; and whilst in the actual pursuit,