Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1874-04-08

| NONj Al lie cOutU IOr HIt06Q Gays employ
the army in moving public property
. and then have to abandon one-sixth OF
the whole amount, why could not the
4 general in command have devoted
twenty or more days to the same pur-
! pose and saved all oft!
He says the engineers were sent from
Richmond, at his own request, but not
for the purpose of making him q topo-
graphical map, and yet the letter he
quotes from Captain Robinson shows
that they were for that purpose, and
were inexperienced and slow. The linn
tied country embraced in the area of his
operations would seem to have demanded
quite all exact and definite Topographic
cal map, but the general says he had
the usual resource of generals-"a good
map"-perhaps an excerpt from Mitch
elPs atlas. He adduces Colonel Cole to
prove that he never received an impera-
tive orderto halt upon the Rspahannock
--andyet admits that theindignation of
the Virginiars ''nldy hdoe drawn from
the President such an orderl But what
becomes of Colonel Coles proof, which
after al is only negative in its charac-
ter; and he being of the quartermasters'
department, was manifestly not charged
with care of the correspondence. 1t was
The assistant-a t-adjutant-generars duty to
receive and preserve such orders. But
the general does not examine him.
With reference to the third charge.
that General Johnston evacuated York
town and retreated to Richmond, losing
supplies and stores, and affecting the NOR
GLeof the whole people and army, without
/ going into the whole circumstances
which would be too lengthy for a news
! paper, 1t will be sufficient to observe two
! general facts, First, that If General
Johnston was ordered by the war depart
/ ment to make, campaign he thought
would end in disaster, it was his duty to
| have resigned
/ Second, that after General Johnston
hsdreceived his desperate wound" and
! General Lee had taken command, the
same army drove Mcclellan from the
same position
With reference to the Ficksburg cam
palgn he has not answered the two i'm
portant charges in any particular. First,
that he did not foresee and prepare
against GRANTS attack on Vicksburg;
second, that he did not make his head
quarters with Pemberton's corps. His
onlyIeply is that he was ordered to Ten
nessee, and that afterward he was wait
ing about for orders like an idle school
boy. Not an idea did he advance: not
plan did he propose; but after having
been placed il command of the most
important department in the south.
he submits to be ordered about like q
private soldier! If these be the whole
facts, then the general has written his
own disgrace with his own hand. There
is not an officer of any rank in the ar
mics Of the civilized world, whose erav-
ing for Office would allow him to be
thus made puppet of, who would risk
the odium of defeats and endanger the |
lives OF his men to preserve bis nominal
rank as general. Such conduct must
terminate in disaster, as in this case.
Pemberton was forced back into Vicks- |
burg and surrendered with thirty thou |
sand men, while General Johnston rest |
ed at jackson and saw has oaUa COM
mana thus sacrificed without an at
tempt TO relieve them. For less than |
this was Bazaine condemned to be de-
graded and shot. He says he would |
nave united with PembertOn but for
dlsobedience OF his orders. This is a
vague general statement. The record
does not show that any one was ever
either tried or condemned for this; and
it is the paltry excuse of every incom-
peteDt that "his orders were not obeyed,D
Again, we find the general in COM
mand of the largest army in the Confed-
Grace service, at Dalton, Georgia, and
again he at once commenced to retreat,
he declares, in a most ridiculous man.
ner for soldier that his reason was "not
because Sherman extended his wings,
but because he moved his army around
Johnston's f1anks, and that the country
was favorable for defense as for attack! ~
Thus confessing that Sherman per-
formed the most dangerous and difficult
Feat OF strategy in moving by the flank
in the presence of the enemy; and at
the same time declaring that If the en-
emy 'gave favorable opportunities for
attack they were discovered by no one
in the army" This is very evident
But the general seems to have forgotten
to quote the famous "BRttle Orderu at
Calhoun, Georgia, when he borrowed
General POpe's pen to declare battle and
victory to the army. Iu this document
he seemed to have been we'll satisfied,
both with his opportunity of attack,
and position"
But this article is already too long for
the limits of newspaper. 1t is not in
tended as criticism upon either Gen
eral Johnston's strategy or capacity,
but because the writer deems him to
have done Mr.. Davis great injustice and
himself more. lie makes a grave mis-
take when he inlmagines because the
southern people found fault with the ad-
in some few particulars,
they meant to make a hero of him. He
Is also mistaken if he supposes the SOL
1iers will ever place him beside such men
rs Lee and Jackson. His continued
and invidious comparisons of his own
position with these great captains and :
'ur other brave generals can only make
lim appear less than he is. If he de- {
Tres to know, he may hear that the {
oldieTs, with keen insight into fitness
or office, declared that he was the best !
in the world; and this he t
hOuld have been during the war as he {
vas before it.
Taken as whole, no candid man but !!
will admit the charges which the gener- l
i has SO rashly brought against himself
0 have been amply sustained. By his
,wn statements alone have we discussed
his cnapter of his book. He admits
hat whenever entrusted with the de-
ense of a post he abandoned it; that 8
whenever charged with the conduct of
campaign, he retreated. He objected 4
o everything and at all times. The l
econd general in rank in the army, he ],
vent grumblingly about his work like
N unwilling hireling. When an officer 1
ccepts plan he becomes responsible C
or its success. There was no person at p
Richmond to force his baton to his
rasp had he chosen to decline it. Penn t
ertOn resigned as general to take COM +
nand ola battery, and Bragg declared A
lis willingness to 90 into the ranks, but 81
ieneral Johnston held on as long as Is
here was regiment in the field. He g
eld Office under an administration
which had tried to disgrace him. When
hey called he went; when they ordered
e came. They made him the instru-
nent OF death to thousands of poor brave
nen whose ignorance and love made
hem look up with respect and conf e
ence to their general, and he led them L
D slaughter-useless slaughter-under n
he order of the administration as eoolly o
S if they were trees that he was Topping n
nder the orders of foolish master. q
his is not military. 1t has not the first y
lement of a soldiers brave, proud heart p
bout it. He should have learned from a
ieneraI Hooker more than his estimate Ii
( General JohnatoR's capacity-he g
nould have learned to resign; but while
aking knowledge from his foes he
nould not have robbed its possessor of
he name of "buteher."
/ more than regret that General
ohnston should have forced such ex- ii
ressiOns from his own people. 1t is sc
is own fault. Lee is dead. The great, al
ood man and captsin has gone and p,