New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-04-10
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
JOHNsToNs NARRATIVE OF MILITARY
OPERATIONS.

by L..
C. 3 A. svo. pp Goa. d. Appleton & Co.
Al the commencement of the civil war the author
of tins volume was qpartermaster generh III VIC
United States army, but resigned ms coln''isS,on
shortly before the breaking out OF Institutes NO
other officer in the Federal service OF eQui iahA'
that of brigadier- general relinqushed MS position
In ioin the Southern COnfederacy. upon receiving
orders under General Lee, he was assigned 10 tne
duty of organizing the volunteers that were begin
ming To assemble at the call of the governor OF Vr-
GINA After the accession Of that State to the Con-
federaev. he accepted the Office of brigadier-
general from President Davis, and was APP
pointed to the command of Harper's Ferry.
During his journeys in that capacity between
Richmond and his military post, he was deeply
impressed with the universal enthusiasm of the
people. lie was led to believe that the whole popu-
lation capable Of bearing arms might have been
brought into the field, if they could have been FUR
nished with arms and ammunition by the Conteder-
ate Government. A difficulty at once arose with
regard to his entering upon his duties ct Harpers
Ferry, as the former commander declined to reNn-
ouish his most without direction from the State
authorities II reached Harpers Ferry" says the
author "soon after noon Of the ed of May. accom-
panied by Colonel Y. Kirby Smith, acting AdJntant-
General Major w. II. G. Whiting of the Engineer
Corps, Major T. Mclean, of the Quartermasters De-
partment, anu captain L. IL. lIchOoh' hSoloO'iV
Adiutant- General. Within an hour the COM
manding officer Col Jackson, visited me;
learned the object of my coming, and read
tho order of the War Department. assigning
me to the command he had been exercising. My or
der announcing the change Of commanders, made by
the Presidents authority, was sent to him next
morning with the request that he would have the
proper number of copies made and distributed to
the troops as had no Office yet. He replied very
courteOusly in writing that he did not feel at lib
erty to tranfer bis command to another without
further instructions from Governor Letcher or Cen
eral Lee' but offered me, in the meanwhile, every
facility in his power for obtaining information re-
lating to the post. Major Whiting, who had been
his school-fellOw saw him at my request, and con-
WINGED him very soon that the Presidents author
ity was paramount in military affairs and his ac-
ton IN the case in accordance with military USAGE
OF the force concentrated at Harpers Ferry, there
were about $500 effective men, with several officers
who afterward rose to high distinction, including
Stonewan Jackson, A. p. Hill, and others. " These
troops were undisclipined, of course. They were
also badly armed and eQuipped-several regiments
being without acCouternents-and were almost des-
ttute of ammunition and, like all new troops assem-
bled in large bodies, they suffering very much
from sickness; nearly forty per cent of the totaf
being in the hospitals there or elsewhere, from the
effects Of measles and humps"
Prompt attempts were made to supply the want OF
ammunition but as it would seem, with only indif-
ferent success. THE manufacture of cartridge
boxes and belts was ordered in the neghboring
towns and villages. Cartridges were made of pow
der furnished By Governor Letcher and lead found
at the place or procured in the neighborhood Caps
lin small quantities only were smugged from Balti-
more. Caissons were constructed at Captain Pen
dleton's suggestion by fixing roughly-made ammunl-
ton-chests the running-parts of farm wagons.
Horses and harness of various kinds, for the art-
leTy and wagons and teams for fied-ransportation,
were collected in the surrounding country; and the
work Of removing the machinery of the armOry, be-
gun by Governor Letcher's orders, was continued"
The author gives detailed account of the first
battle Of Bull Rum OF of Manassas as il is styled by
him and offers series of special peaiings to excul-
pate himself from his subsequent failure to capture
Washington. This failure has been ascribed to the
prohibition Of the President; but that is an error;
he gave no orders. and expressed no wish on the
subject. Taking the situation into view, says Cen
eral Johnston. the Southern people could not have
expected greater results from their victory than
those accomplished, the defeat of the invasion OF
Virginia and the protection Of the Confederate cap
ital. The reasons which he alleges for declining a
movement ON Washington will be read with interest
Az the military conditions we knew. forbade an at
tennpt on Washington. The Confederate army was
more disorganizcd by victory than that OF the United
states bv defeat. The southern volunteers believed
that the objects OF the had been accomplished ny
victory, and that they had achieved All tnaJ ter
rountyy reGured of them. Many, therefore, lg
noance OF their military obligations, lett the army-nO
return. some hGstened home 10 eNhlhl the fOpnles
picked up on the 6ed Others left their regiments with
oni cerctpony TO attend 10 wounded friends frequently
ACCOMMODATING them TO hospitals In DISTANT towns,
such were reports of general and staff officers and
prevailing among cost US more men than the
Federal army lost by defeat
Besides this condition of our army the reasons for the
condemned by the noncom0atant military critics
inc unAtness Of troops for marching or assai
ing iutTenchinents.
milton and OF Transporting them Until near tue
10Th OF August never had ratons Tor more IMAM Two
days and sometimes none, nor haI enough ammunition
for a battle.
mauding the resources OF the Uneu siates nad oeoI
engaged since April, manned by at least hy thousand
Tie Potomac, a mile wide, bearing United states YES
sels-Of-war, the heavy guns OF which commanded the
wooden bridges and southern shore. ,oo ., ,,.. &,
,,arcnig from Bu Run To the Federal mtrenchmenfs
with less than two days rations, or not more. IL
Is asserted that the country, teeming with gram
and cattle, could have furnished food aud forage
I'm abundance Those who make the assertion forget
that large Federal army had passed thrice over the
route IN question. Many OK the Southern people nave
seen tracts Of country along which Federal army has
passed once they can judge, therefore, OF the alum
sdanee Jeff where IL has passed twice. As had
OF TIC means of besleg!ng, immediate assault
the forts would have been unavoidable 1t would have
been repeed inevitably, and our nall supply Oh ainnu
nittone and tie enemy previously ncrea sed TO
seventy thousand men by the army al HaTpers Ferry
and become the victorious party, could ana Would have
resumed march 10 Richmond without lear OF Iur
And II we had miraculousiy been successful in our
assault the Potomac would have protected washington
and enosrea our Ip 6e eSs oyernmen and gen.
erals did regard the capture OF WASHINGTON py US s
practca able like the noncombatant authors OF the Gt
tisms To when refer The iact the army at Har
pers Ferry eft idle there instead of Delng DrOagn
10 Washington, is conclusive on that point. nave
never doubted the correctness OF my course on tha oc
cason Had done the results OF the lnvasOns lndie