The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-04-10
SOUTHERN HISTORY.
Extracts from Gen. Joseph <. JOh
stOn's Book on the Late War.

| G1AtT0CtB Uehs OOBcp1 Gs john
stOn's Book on the Late War.
General Johnston fought through th
whole war in the east and in the west
He began it with the occupation of Hal
per's Ferry and the victory of Bull Rur
He unanswered the shattered confede1
ate armies of the west during the latte
months of that great campaign on tn
Mississippi which made Gen. Gran
commander of the armies of the uniol
and broke the backbone of the confed
crate system. He stayed for long week
with an inferior force the march O
Sherman to the sea, and when at las
he was forced to recognize the hopeless
ness of the contest in Georgia aud tn,
Carolinas, the people of the confeder
ate states all felt that the verdict o
fate had been pronounced against them
Gen. Johnston's account of Bull Run
explains the failure of the confederate!
to follow up the day by IN advance up
on Washington. "The victory" say:
General Johnston, "was as complete al
one gained by infantry and artillery on.
~ can be-" but he declares it to be his
opinion that eff the tactics of the fed
erals had been equal to their strategy
we should have been beaten" He
thinks that '' General Mcdowell great.
| ly underestimated the strength of his
enemy" and that this was the cause OF
| the fatal inferiority above alluded to.
1t is General Johnston's opinion that the
disasters of the north at the outset of
the war were due to the fact that it un-
dertook an offensive warfare; and that
the south would have been Just as bad
ly beaten, therefore, had the offensive
been originally taken on that side
Either country" he says, "could
have raised armies stronger both in
numbers and in spirit for defensive than
for offensive war.
cat the outset" says General John
ston, "the southern troops were superb
or to their adversaries, from greater
zeal and more familiarity with the us e
of firearms. The thorough system of
instruction introduced into the United
States army gradually established
equality in the use of firearms, and our
greater zeal finally encountered better
discipline.
Upon the operations which preceded
the fall of Vicksburg and the great ad-
vance of Sherman through Georgia,
Gen Johnston's book throws floods of
new light. We shall content ourselves
with few striking extracts, which will
give, we think, a fair notion of the
spirit and style of his remarkable pub
lication. He says:
On the 21st received the following
letter from the president, dated 23d.
Like that of the secretary of war, it
was ostensibly intended for my instruct
ton:
GENERAL This is addressed un-
der the supposition that you have ar
rived at Dalton, and have assumed COM
mand at that place. The intelligence
recently received respecting the condi-
ton of that army is encouraging, and
induces me to hope that you will soon
be able to commence active operations
against the enemy.
"The reports concerning Missionary
Ridge show that our loss in killed and
wounded was not great, and that the
reverse sustained is not attributable to
any general decentralization or reluc-
tance to encounter the opposing army.
The brilliant stand made by the rear
guard at Ringgold sustains this belief.
''In letter written to me soon after
the battle, General Bragg expressed
his unshaken confidence in the cour-
age and morale of the troops. He
says: We can redeem the past. Let
us concentrate all our available men,
unite them with this little army, still
full of zeal, and burning to redeem its
lost character and prestige-hurl the
whole upon the enemy, and crush him
in his power and glory. / believe it
practicable, and that may be allo we'd
to participate in the struggle which may
restore to us the character, the prestige
and the country we have just lost.
This will give us confidence and restore
hope to the country and the army,
while it will do what is more import
ant, give us subsistence, without which
do not see how we are to remain
united
"The official reports made to my
aid-de-camp, Colonel Ives, who has just
returned from Dalton, presented a not
unfavorable view of the material of the
command.
"The chief of ordnance reported
that, notwithstanding the abandonment
of considerable number of guns dur
ing the battle, there was still on hand,
owing to previous large captures by our
troops, as many batteries as were pro-
portionate to the strength of the army,
we'll supplied with horses and equip
ment, that large reserve of small-arms
was in store at readily accessible points,
and that the supply of ammunition was
abundant.
Comparatively few wagons and am
balances had been lost, and sufficient
remained for transportation purposes,
if an equal distribution were made
throughout the different corps. The
teams appeared to be generally in fair
condition. The troops were tolerably
provided with clothing, and heavy in
voice of shoes and blankets daily ex-
pected.
"The returns from the commissary
showed that there were
thirty days provisions on hand.
"Stragglers and convalescents were
rapidly coming in, and the morning re-
ports exhibited an effective total that,
added to the two brigades last sent
from Mississippi and the cavalry sent
back by Longstreet, would furnish a
force exceeding in number that actually |
engaged in any battle on the confeder- !
ate side during the present war. Gen
eral Hardee telegraphed to me on the
18th instant The army is in good
spirits the artillery reorganized and
equipped, and we are now ready to
ight.'
"The effective condition of your new
as thus reported to me, is a
matter If much congratulation, and ]
assure you that nothing shall be want |
ing on the part of the government to |
aid you in your efforts to regain pos
session of the territory from which we
have been driven. You will not need |
tn have it suggested that the imperative |
demand for prompt and vigorous action
arises not only from the importance of
restoring the prestige of the army, and
averting the injurious and dispiriting |
results that must attend season of in
but from the necessity Of reoc-
cupying the country, upon the supplies
of which the proper subsistence OF our
armies materially depends.
'tOf the immediate measures to be |
adopted in attaining this end, the full
of which am sure you ap- |
preciate, you must be the best judge, |
after due inquiry and consideration on
the spot shal have matured an opinion. |
It is my desire that you should commu-
nicate fully and freely with me concern
ing your proposed plan of action, that
all the assistance and cooperation may
g,o ,,,ogE n 5x-o,,fo foo,o0rsIu afforded tboE If |