The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1874-06-04
HISTORICAL CORRECrTON.
Letter from Gen. Jordan. Beaure-
CARDS Late Chief of staff.
From the N Y. Evening Mail

From the n Y. Evening Mail.
In your notice of Gen. Joseph Z.
Johnston's Narrative of Military Oper
ations," it is stated that The bes
Part of the book is that which refers I,
the first Bull Run campaign. In thi.
Gen. Johnston is almost Invariably cor
rect in his actions and conclusions. x ;
Johnston knew the value of concentra
ton for fight. He pliyed with Pat
terson, deceived him, reinforced Beaure.
gard and won victory which equal com
nonsense and generalship would have
given to u.s.
This statement, of course, grows out OF
the superstition that the strategy which
led to, and the tactics of the successful
! confederate forces in the memorable battle
of the 21st of July, 1861, emanated from
Gen. Johnston. Admitting that some
| thing of the language of the work in ques-
ton warrants the conclusion cited, the
present writer, who was in position at
the time to know the facts, feels called
upon in the interest of history to show
that the confederate commander was
Beauregard and none other. Johnston
was indeed the superior officer present,
nevertheless, he neither assumed the
chief command upon his arrival imme-
dlately preceding the action. nor in any
substantial manner took direction of the
battle after it was engaged, and for rea-
sons by no means hard to explain a.
lie did not come upon the theatre of op-
GRAFTON until about noon the day before
the battle, and brought with him barely
* A -, i, Il. Oh
regards forces had been in collision with
and repealed McDowell's army in an eff
fort to pass Bull Run at Black burns
Ford. A general engagement was evil
IDENTIFY impending, and was already ma
turely prepared tor by Beauregard I'D
The responsibility for that battle was
very grave one. 1t was the first of the
war, and defeat would not only bring SUI
preme disaster to the cause at stake, but
fatal discredit to the general who had
offered battle under SO many unfavor
ing circumstances. 80 The immediate
position and surrounding country were
wholly unknown to Johnston, but as IA
miliar to Beauregard as a nursery tale.
a. Further, the bulk of the troops as
sembled were of Beauregard's organiza-
ton, with supreme faith in him. They
knew nothing Of Johnston, nor he aught
Of them, except that they were not regu-
lar troops. (5.) The strategic movement
which had brought Johnston with a por-
ton of his forces upon the scene, was
emphatically of Beauregards conception.
Urgently suggested by him, it was only
acceded to and carried out by Johnston,
as can be shown, upon Beauregard's
strenuous Geographic appeals-made as
late as July 17-for the junction OF
the two armies.
Under such circumstances it was very
natural for Johnston to leave with Beau
regard the responsibility ofso tremendous
an issue as the one now inevitable, and so,
waving the command, he left to Beaure-
gard the execution of that generals own
plan of battle, with the details Of which
he was made acquainted during the af-
ternoon and night of the goth of July.
That Johnston should have done this was
to his credit, and it is to be regretted that
anything in the language of the MARIA
tive should give countenance to the idea
that he now sets up the claim TO any con-
troll over successful battle, of the issue
of which he is at the pains to say: eff
to their strategy, we the confederates)
should have been beaten" (p. SD. For,
such being his present views of what
should have come to pass, the thought
will occur to even the casual reader that
he must have apprehended disaster at
the opening of the battle; and this will
be sure to furnish to some minds a con-
elusive explanation of his failure to as
sumo the baton of command until the
battle was won.
As proof that he did not assume com
mand any sooner, it must be held conclu-
sive that the chief or detailed official re
port of the battle addressed to the confed-
crate acknowledgement at Richmond was
made, not by Johnston, but by Bcaure
gard.
In that report the precise circumstan-
ces Of command, and responsibility for
the battle, are expressed in terms which,
unless Beauregard had been in actual
direction of the united forces upon the
field, must have been treated by John
ston as an impudent assumption, not to
pass without contradiction. That was the
time to raise the question. 1t was not
done, and the mere fact of abstract supe-
riority of grade will not support the claim
now first made visible.
In conclusion, it should be stated that
the chief honOrs of the victory were une
quivocally accorded at the period to Beau
regard by the press and the people, as
also by the army engaged, while the
views of the confederate authorities are
made patent by the following official let
tiers, the one from the secretary OF war
and the other from Gen. Lee: