The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1874-05-28
81 90 PER YEAR.

H0OPS ~ Uc Drought into action arc
assembled beforehand at the prec,.,
point where a great battle is imminent
On the contrary, when two armies af,
approaching each other one " both com
manders maneuver, and generally one /.
forced To- keep his adversary IN check
until the arrival or expected reinforce
ments. When Lee and Mcclellan were
IN the immediate presence of each othei
prior to the seven days battle around
Richmond, 1862, Gen. Lee matured hi.
plan, Kept his enemy occupied bv Skin
mishIng until Gen. Jack>on's army then
operating in the Valley of virginia
marched long distance 90 the railroad
near Stanton, took the ears 60 Ashland
from there marched and found Gen. u.
| on the battle field of Gdlues's Mil. WbeI.
great victory was achieved Prior to
| the battle of Sharpsburg or Antietam
/ Jackson was ut Harper's Ferry. whilst
Longstreet was holding in check Nc
Ciellan's entire army at Boousboro
/ Gap: Notwithstanding, jackson and
Longstreet united their forces tor battle
| NJ Snarpsburg. Prior also to the grandest
struggle of the revolution, Eweil. Hill
and Longstreet were extended along "a
line from the Potomac TO Carlisle. Pa.
but all assembled for action against thc
heights AT ettyburg. An instance sun
more Illustrative is presented when 0e
contemplate the long distance which
separated our forces eventually engaged
in the battle OF Chickamauga Rose.
crdntz was moving against Bragg, when
Longstreet, with his crops, was ordered
from Fredericksburg. Va, TO report 90
Bragg, exactly as Polk WAS ordered
to report 70 Johnston. Bragg by
maneuvering, kept his adversary's atteu.
ton till Longstreet made this long Jour
ney from Virginia, when followed the
attack which resulted in Il gloric- vic
tory. 1t cannot, therefore, be argued with
any degree OF reason, when we consider
these striking examples before us, that
Polk ; force concentrating at distance
of two hundred and lightweight L2SoI
miles, and being pushed rapidly forward
by on rail on the 4th of Alay-was not
available" on the 9th, when Gen John
ston was in position at Rocky Face Ridge
and could easily have awaited the
Of All his reinforcement- ar
Dalton.
The plea urged by this general that he
was justified in his retreat from Dalton T
on the night of the 18th by the report thar
Sherman had moved with his army down .
the valley beyond Rocky Face Ridge Is
not warrantable. 1t WAS only necessary
to h ave thoroughly fortified Mil Greek
and Snake Creek gaps collected fifteen
or twenty days ration in Dalton, then
to have sent the trains and engines t5
some place of safety beyond the Etto-
wah to have held our position until the .
arrival of Folks army, when grand .
assault upon Shermau's left flank ana
rear could have been made near Tunnel
Hill, by passing over the northern slope .
of Rocky Face Ridge, with an army of .
over 20, 900 electives, which might easily .
have been increased t. 7j, 600 by lessen .
ing the extra-duty men. This move. i'm
my opinion, would have eliminated .
in an overwhelming victory and In
the event of defeat, We had by holiiu5 .
Mill Creek and Snake Creek gaps,
the short line of retreat, since the
railroad south Of Kingston defects
greatly to the last, as shown by uniting
the two maps AT page 276 and $40. Ouc .
Gen. Johnston abandoned Dalton on p
the morning of the 18th f May. and /.
turned over the army TO me on the IStu f.
Of July, with loss OF not less than 30, 600 h
men, during his retreat OF sixty-six $3.50 ,
days. | as umed command on the 18th F.
Of July. and gave up at Atlanta on the .
night of the LIST of September, and fell .
back to Logejoy Station. During the .
siege / received no rciniorcements TO the .
Army Of Tennessee proper, but, on the
contrary, sent in August two brigadc-
and eight battalions of artillery 10 Macon
and Mobile, numbering in all about O.,
)OO) three thousand men. The militia
IF Gen. Gustavu- w. Smith increased at
Jne time from 500 fo about = 600. By
coo -our io Macon aud Mo.
bile from 7,25g. Nr have A, 25O as tle
actual strength OF iu- Army OF leuue--
see, exclusive OF 3h. militia, during tine
.iege of Atlanta. G.n. sherman, on the
5th Of September ah 1duued his works 40
Lovejoy Station and retired to Atlanta,
after which the men were allowed rest
md on the Goth, the following official rec
urn was made up and signed by Col. \
P. Mason, Assistant Adjutant General.
,rRENGrH OF rnE ARMY on rENNE--aE oS
IHE 10Th OF ePrEMBEE. 1861.