The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-07-14
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
[The DEMOCRAT Is responsible for none of
the views expressed In the communications
1nder this head; but no communications will
70 printed except from responsible parties.lS
THE BATTLE OF SHILOH.
The Battle Planned and Fought by Gen.
G.. r. BeRuregard.
NEW ORLEANS, July IS, 1873.

WIN leelHRS Oh no ordinary 6LnOJlODs Gn6 GlO-
quent address delivered Wednesday, the
tenth instant, at Mississippi City, by express
ident jefferson Davis. We cordially join our
voice to the voice of those who pronounce
eulogiums upon the mastery efforts Of our
former Confederate chieftain, and hail with
| Joy as another of the numerous signs of re-
cuperation in the South, the fact that even
| his voice is now allowed to be heard on ques-
tions which, for so many years, it was beyond
| our power either to discuss or control. No
| better or ADLER expounder Of the views, mo-
tives and principles which governed the people
of the South before during and after
the war, can be found, we believe,
than Jefferson Davis. His authority
upon all these vital matters, carries with it
more weight than that Of most of our public
men, he being now looked upon, and logically
| SO, as the living impersonatiOn Of "the Lost
Cause" 1t Is for this very reason that all
statements OF facts emanatlng from him
| should be so we'll authenticated that no shad-
ow of doubt or uncertainty can rest upon
| them He speaks for history, and his utter
ances on all subjects connected with the war
| derived as they are taken TO be, from posi-
| tive, personal knowledge, will naturally be
looked upon as the most fitting material with
| which to build up our future history. Moth
| ing that President Davis publicly asserts
should give rise to misconstruCtion or error.
| Great, theTefOre-and greater than we can
| we'll eXpreSS--WaS our regret at seeing the
| strange inaccuraCy, and still stranger Oms-
| sion, committed by Mr.. Davis while deliver
| ing the statesmanlike address, solicited from
him by the high-spirited and patriotic officers
and members of "the Association of the Lou
| isiana Division Of the Army of Tennessee"
! Speaking of the much regretted and heroic
| Sydney Johnston, ostensibly the commander
| in-chlef Of "the Army of the Mississippi" be-
| fore the battle of Shiloh President Davis
| saws: HE seemed about to fulfill these hopes
and expectations, when, concentrating all the
| forces within his reach, he moved forward to
| the battle of Shiloh. Gen Johnston sent to
me a cypher dispatch, being his plan Of bat
tie, and | regret the loss Of it the more, be-
cause it was the only instance within my
knowledge of plan which was executed as
it was devised. How well the tide of battle
rose and swept onward in the channels his
great arm directed, need not say to you who
saw it."
Herein lies the error we speak Of The con-
| centratiOn and organization Of our forces at
| COrinth, the plan Of the battle of Shiloh, the
order Of march of our army, on that dav and
on those preceding it; and, in fact, Of all the
minor details and preparations in relation
thereto were devised, conducted and written
out In full, not as Mr.. Davis believes, by Gen.
| Sydney Johnston, but Gen. G. I. Beauregard,
| his second in command; and that, too, at the
earnest request of Gen. Johnston himself.
may have made it, to some measure, his own,
| as It bore his official signature; but the con-
ception and execution OF it, SO deservedly
| lauded by Mr.. Davis, are due entirely to Gen.
| Beauregard; and Gen. Johnston, when adopt
ing that plan of battle, made not, nor even
suggested, one single modification or addi-
| tiOn thereto. The fact Is, SO disheartened was
Gen. J ohnston by the disastrous and uneXpect-
ed loss OF Forts Henry and DonelsOn, which
! had cast such shadow of gloom over the
whole Confederacy, that he even urged upon
Gen. Beauregard to take full command of the
whole army, he having lost, as he thought,
| the public confidence and military prestige,
without which a commander can neither sutfi-
GENTLY sway his troops, nor lead them to
promised victory.
| So much for the error we signalized.
| Passing now to the omission made by Pres.
Ident Davis in his address Of the tenth In.
slant, we must be allowed to say with all due
| Difference to SO eminent man, that we are al
loss to comprehend how he could have com
mitted it, President Davis was addressing
| Louisianians-men who, DESTROYS OF doing
him honor, had rendered him membership
of their association. and requested from hin
a retrospective review OF some of their past
days of hardship and glory when forming
part of the army of the West. These men
while listening to the illustrious speaker, Sc
warmly and cordially selected by them as tht
exponent Of their feelings, had every right tC
expect that when recalling to their memories
episodes relating to the great battle of Shiloh
the name of their own Louisiana leader, &
T. Beauregard- lately the honoreC
president of their assOciation-should have
at least q passing mention from him. W.
J heartily indorse President Davis enconiums
upon Gen. Sydney Johnston, although his
} untimely death prevented the fulfllment o
those hopes-prOmised but never realized
conceived of him by the South as grea
occurred during the thickest of the struggle
on the first day of that hard-fought battle
the entire command of the army. the reSpon
siblity of which already rested, to no incOn
siderable degree, upon Gen; Beauregard, be
came his officially as well as otherwise
and so remained until he was Unexpected!
relieved therefrOm by order Of Preslden
Davis, on Or about the twenty-secOnd OF June
1862. President Davis speaks OF the first com
mander Of the Army of Tennessee, and we re
echo his praises of him; he eulOgizes its thirC
commander, we cheerfully acquiesce In VIVA
he says of him; but why Is he so utterly 81
. lent about the second commander the tru
hero OF Shiloh, as he was, also, the true her
of Manassas active, far-Seeing, untlrint
Beauregard, who, by his brilliant and incom
parable defense Of Charleston, proved, no
only to the Confederacy, but to the world
that he possessed patriotism surpassed b.
,, none and military genius Of the very hrs
. order?
Convinced as we are, not only OF the pro
priety, but OF the necessity for every people t
, sustain and vindicate their hard-WOn renOWI
+ and glory by paying homage TO their gfea
citizens-be they soldiers or statesmen-w
could not allow to pass unnoticed the seemin
slight upon a son OF Louisiana, now so uni
versally revertd and esteemed, and who, /
day s to come, will certainly be mentioned a
the first and greatest historical figure OF GU
r State curing the grand four years struggle
9 which he took so prominent part. =.
The hope expressed by President esd mt D d.
1 world a full history OF the Army Of Tennes
see, could never be realized t should n si%i la,
I by us, be allowed to descend, uncorrected, t.
3 posterity. It is with a view, to assist in tn
3 collection of all essential elements require
to guide the future writer Of that history tina
| we have written the above and offered it t
your readers in general, and, most especially
: to our former brothers in arms OF the Arm
of Tennessee The only motive actuating u
being-to satisfy our own sense Of justice an
Of public duty. CY'
THE JUDICIARY SYSTEM.
Editor Democrat have just read you
article on our judiciary system, the defects c