Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1879-08-09

and East Tennessee. General Bragg de-
clined to follow up his advantage. Inc
enemy rallied, reformed, and Bragg was
driven back to Missionary Ridge. ! had
talk with Mr.. Davis shortly after Chlck-
amauga. l told him that there was no
hope for the triumph of our arms. re
was very much discouraged and hnally
grew petulant. He said he never remem-
bered having seen such movement as L
proposed at Chickamauga. Ireplied that
if his memory would carry him as lar
back as the first Manassas he would see
such a movement. He replied very tart
ly and we had some sharp words. THESE
were arranged, however, ana we parleu
| on good terms.'
"You say, General, that organization
was the deficiency or the military system
of the Confederacy. What was the fault
of its operations:"
"Chicfly this-the failure to concen-
trate troops. The government, moved
doubtless by desire to protect our soil
as much as possible, kept our troops scat
tered, and thus made them inefficient.
There was scarcely a time when we had
a really grand army at one point. me
policy of the Federals, and especially
| General Grants policy, was to mass eve
| rything available at one single point, and
then drive straight at it. Of course our
| Government disliked to leave any section
of the Confederacy at the mercy or tie
! Feuerals. Therefore our men were scat
tered over our whole extent OF territory.
| | do not think that our best generals even
comprchended the necessity OF concentra-
ton of forces. They relied too much Oh
the valor of their men. They seemed to
forget that where coed, cautious generals
commanded OH each side, numbers must
! triumph over valor. There was notable
| instance of this ut Fort DOneison. Cen
eral Albert Sydney johnson, one OF the
loftiest souls that ever lived, had about
40, 900 men. Of this force $4,000 were ut
Donelson, $1,000 at Columbus and $4,000
in the front Of Buell.. Grant, having
force Of about 80, 600 men, fell upon DON
elson and captured 1t. Had johnson Ell
Their concentrated his forces at DOnelson
or in front of Buell., he could have crush
ed either Grant or Buell.. As it was, Gen
eral Grant told me afterwards that he
was as badly whipped at Donelson as the
| Confederatcs were, if the Confederates
had only known it, and been able to act
on their knowledge.
JOE JOHNSTON THE BEST GENERAL.
'Who do you think the best general on
the Southern side Of the war;"
81 am inclined to think that General
Joe Johnston was the ablcst and most ac-
complished man that the Confederate ar
mics produced He never had the oppor-
tunity accorded 20 many others, but he
showed wonderful power rs tactlcian
and commander. l do not think tfat
we had his equal for handling an army
and conducting a campaign. General
Lee was a great leader-wise, deep and
sagacious. His moral influence was some
thing wonderful. But he lost his praise
! on certain occasions. No one who is ac-
Cuainted with the facts can believe that
lie would have fought the battle of Get
tvsburg had he not been under great eX-
element, or that he would have ordered
the sacrifice of Pickett and his Virginians
on the day after the battle. lie said to
me afterwards, why didn't you stop all
that thing that day?' At the Wilderness
when our lines had been driven in, and l
was Just getting to the field, General Lee
put himself at the head of one OF my brig
AIDES, and leading it into action my men
pressed him back, and | said to him that
if he would leave my COR mandS in my
own hands | would reform his lines. His
great soul rose masterful within him
when a crisis or disaster threatened. This
tended to disturb his admirable equipoisc.
loved General Lee as 4 brother while lie
lived and | revere his memory. lie was
a great man, n born leader, 4 wise gener-
al. but think Johnston was the most ac-
colnplished and capable commander that
we had"
'Nyho was the greatest general on the
Northern side?"
"Grant-incomparably the greatest. lie
possessed an individuality that impressed
itself upon all that h did, Mcclellan
was Skillful engineer, but never rose
4 ~eoro ti.e "rer"S9 0v4cli9iVn' - l..
council. Sherman never fought great
battle, and displayed no extraordinary
power But Grant was great. He UNDER
stood the terrible power of concentration
and persistency. How stubbornly he
stuck to Vicksburg and to Richmond. lie
concentrated all his strength, trained his
energies to single purpose, and then de-
livered terrible slcdge hammer blows
against which strategy and tactics and
valor could avail nothing. He knew that
maioritieS properly handled must triumph
in war as in politics, and he always gath
cred his resources together before strik-
ing"
"What was the most desperate battle of
the war;"
"Gcttysburg-as far as my observation
extended. There was never any lighting
done anywhere to surpass the battle made
by my men on the 2nd of July. led
1000 men into that charge. Over one
third of this number were killed or
wounded. These veterans charged the
whole Federal army, entrenched on
crest, harassed on each flank until the
line was stretched and ut last found my
self charging $4,000 entrcnched men, i'll
the face of Il volcano of artillery, with
single line of battle. My two divisions
encountered and drove back the Third
Corps, the Fifth Corps, the Sixth Corps,
! the Second Corps, one division OF the
| Twelfth and the Penna. PcservIs. AS
they broke line after line they encounter
ed new ones and felt the steady shock OF
fresh troops. The Federals contend that
| the bulk OF Lees army was in this charge,
and put the strength of the attacking col
umn ut 40, 900 men, when it was only my
$4,000, with , 1000 of these knocked out OF
ranks before they had hardly started up
| the slope. l do not think the records of
! the war can show anything to approach
! this work.
THE SURRENDER AT APPoMATTox.
"Did you agree with Lee as to the ne
| cessity of the surrender at AppomattoX:
! Il did. For some time had felt that
we were fighting against hope. | kept
my lips closed and fought ahead in silence.
For the week preceding the surrender |
fought almost without ceasing. l was
covering Gen. Lees retreat, while Cor
don opened way for him in front. l had
Fields division, all that was left. The
Federals pressed upon us rclentlessly and
we fell back. fighting night and day, inch
by inch, covering the slow retreat of our
wagon trains. Our lines were never once
broken or disordered. My men fought
with the finest regularity and heroism.
Wherever l placed a brigade, there it