The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1874-01-15

GEN. JOHNs,oN.s BOOK.
HOOker's LeGfern-Meess Long
streets and JacK<s0n's letter.
Gen. Hood.

!.
pressed heavily upon our people an
taught them to bear with philosoph,
and charity the crushing burdens it entail
ed.
Common suffering and privation uni
ted their hearts in an effort to work Of
the hateful and disheartening effects
produced, established prosperity, and t
rebuild the shattered foundations of tn
social fabric.
But it seems that amity and concort
can not exist between our people, ever
upon the subject of their misfortunes, ant
there are hyenas in human form wh'
stand ready to tear open the grave of thu
buried past and whet their insatiate APP
petites for revenge upon the slain heroes
of the late war, and spit their venom OF
those who survive.
Shame upon that hand which roll:
back the stone that seals the sepulchre o.
! the dead Confederacy. Shame upon thai
spirit which would seek to scatter any o.
the ashes of its noble slam, or attempt &c
blacken the fame of its illustrious living.
/! Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, a Virginian,
and man whose fame was great as q
leader of Southern armies, is the first who
has essayed this ignoble role, and he has
gone hail fellow to Federal generals to
procure their testimonials damning to his
brother officers. Several of these goodly
specimens are procured in the shape of
letters from Sherman and the redoubted
Joe Hooker, to herald his book into exis-
tence, which book purports TO be a narra-
tiveo his (Johnstons) military operations.
He attempts to ser himself up by accom-
plishing the downfall of others. How
unlike that other Virginian who relieved
him before Richmond in time to save that
city and preserve it for more famous
future, now gathered to his fathers, who
had the nobility and grandeur of soul to
assume the responsibility of failure, and
not charge it at the door of his lieuten-
ants-who said, after GETTYSBURG. ''1t was
all my 1ault-we will do better next
time" Does this teach nothing to the
great military chieftain, who must write
his own history, and emblazon in book
his glorious deeds in arms, at an attempt
ed sacrifice Of half-score Of the most IL
lustrious men of the revolution We
give in full one of these whtewashing let
tiers from fighting Joe Hooker: Here
follows letter of fighting Joe. Hooker,
the Federal General, highly eulogistic of
Gen. Johnston. 1t is easy to be seen that
this letter was procured for the purpose
of blackening the military reputation of
the young and noble Hood, who succeed
ed him in the command of the Western
army, against his will, and after manly
interposition with the President to
have Johnston retained in the command
of that army. The other letters and ex
tracts quoted in his prospectus, reflect
upon President Davis and others.
The writer served prominently under
both of these commanders, and wielCls his
pen against what he conceives to be a des
picable attempt to build in book a fame
which the qualities and genius the Illus
trious author employed III the field, cou3
never have earned or entitled him TO.
We propose to briefly discuss only one
portion of Hooker's letter, referring to
his Georgia campaign. lie says: AT
BuZzarde Roost, near Dalton, Johnston
found himself too weak to cope with our
army with any prospect of success, and it
became his problem to weaken the Union
army by drawing it from its baseof oper-
ations, and seeking opportunities iii the
meantime to attack and destroy it when
ever occasions presented themselves to do
so advantageously. Our vast superiority
of numbers enabled us TO divide our army
and turn all his positions without risk from
ana quarter" This il the most extraordi- /
nary and is the most disparaging refiec- !.
ton on Johnston's reputation as a com
mander. Does not Hooker know that I
General Johnston had at Resacca General T
Folks whole army added to his own,
total effective force o seventy I
men, while Sherman's army
was but little larger in number ? Such +
was the case. Gen. Lee scarcely ever /
used larger army when he fought his /
grandest battles; indeed, the most Of his /
battles were ut the odds of two to one, and I
he never failed. let Johnston had with /
in his reach an army of 70, 900 electives.
and Sherman had less than 10000 etfec
lives, and country adapted by nature to I
the exercise Of military strategy and a I
inviting maneuvre, yet the I
Federal army was permitted to be divided, /
and the Federal commander to turn all 1
his (Johnston's) positions without risk from !
any quarter. Shades of Charlottesville, /
Port Republic and Cross Keys, what
strategy What a stupendous criticism I
upon the superior military accomplish
ments of confederate leader
But to proceed ; this formidable army
IF seventy thousand dwindled down in
the mastery retreats of Johnston from
Dalton to Atlanta until it reached total
If 48, 900 men of all arms. when Hood
was placed in command. Strategy had
lost upwards of %, 900, and not a battle
fought all the mountainous country
given up and our army driven on the
plains, where strategy was almost impos
sible, dispirited in great measure, with
their fire and clan gone, while Sherman
had about 80, 600 men left, and an army
up in organization, buoyant aud inspirit-
ed by success and unchecked advance.
This was the condition of affairs when the
Government, through the
Executive, demanded a cessation of
policy that had well-nigh ruined its re-
sources and certainly disappointed and
dashed its hopes
In this great stress, Gen. Hood,
daring and skilled officer, WAS
given the command. The situation was
full of embarrassment and difficulty, and
this young soldier felt it. and interceded
with the President, but he was memorable
the policy of the Government de-
manded that this eternal retreat should
stop before the most valuable part of the
should fall into the hands of the
enemy, a change was made Hood
took command anddid the best that /
could be done. Montgomery Blair's de-
scription of the battle of Peachtree Greek
the fearful blows dealt Sherman around
Atlanta tell what might have been done
- i L Il
was so reduced and dispiIiIeo by constant
ratreat Init wa will mot Iinoey tn discuss