Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1881-06-20
General g0seDh E.JOhnstOn.

10 tie editor Of the Alexandria Gazette:
LEEsBURG. Va, June l7.-Ircgre: that you
cdtorialIy occur 10 the propriety and justice OF
The allegation, said 10 have been made, IN Mr.
Divis's rcccn: publication, rgsirss Geo. j. g.
Johnston, Of neglect, 10 20: having captured
| Washington City, BY DC ad7aDoo with lis vic:
| olious troops. af;et tie battle ct MaDsssis,
Ju'y 2lst, 1861. As an cye witocss. ani,
staff officer With The General 90 that occasion,
claim 10 have been ID posili2n which enabled
ms to Doe critically tho eadiog Incidents aud
events that chsrlciotz,d the occasion, and with
your permission, | no| propose giving you my
reasons (for what thoy arc worlb.) Tor Offering
10 toto celO from your oo1o'uiiOui, ss draWo
from your statement 'ttat thouiat ! Of ve;e
RAGS Of the Army Of Northern Virgiaia, never
saw ttGt army 10 better condition than it was
90 tic evening of the DIST OF July, 1861. nor
nor, eager 10 advance. 10 less di:p)sed to halt
than i; was then" God forbid, iust | should
iu any degree appear TO d!sparase. 10 efforts
made by the gallant m2p, who hid assembled
themselves hurrisdy on the Ilacs of Manassas,
st their oouatrS'S clll, to oppose DC VI asst and
wicked invasion frcm the Ncrti; out, it must
be borrc 10 mind that these men were not yet
VETERANS; Tor, Indeed, there wtrs but com
plratvely lew such, ct that early date. ca
either side. Bat tGviog rlmMked this, CD
ftss, to blank aEsZameut aud horror, when L
Gi,nosscd the almost complete demoral=ation
! Of tic larger proportion Of the Confederate
troops engaged even at SO carly an hour as .
O'Clock. p. m., ct which time, hundreds 1ctrc
lfecing III disorder, that were tsr tho NEST part
nerer Talhcl uotil they either reached the
Ju1oicr, CT their homes.
um Dos likely 10 forget inarts liens which
induced me theo, 10 draw q comparison between
tho scverti modes OF fighting in the oroo field
Gpd behind tho puWArks, nod between tho suas
Of man OF var Hhero be advantage was m sde
to appear altogether in favor OF tho position
tho! htl! moo, ln very spite CT themselves TO
drht AID FROM rEctGs they o0uIi not escape,
even momen;aril!, AID leaic TO the u1disnap-
o. lew, tbs "hoa, sod tutlhen Q! the day." as
was oonsricuous!Y the css,, 10 this battle. aud
Ghci, | am told, WAS more CT lnss tho case 10
most OF tho battles Of the war; Please remcm
Der. that am merely giving Sou ny inprcs-
tious and that WAS al ID aRhaI scqlsloted with
the coaduc: ct nen, usdsr fire ct tho enemy.
though, far more a: hon, On deck ;haa sshor, :;
in short. that | vas far more OF sailor than a
} solder, Which may srve 70 cyrlaio, Why i. vas
that nj O'Clock, | firmly belsved, from all
. that witnessed, that W. we're badly whipped.
Nos, rCsptG lug the readiness OF the troops to
. adValco, und their splendid condition alter The
baltic CO The evening OF the els. There would
i. seem to be from the foregoing statement, very
vide Givers'rc, Of tSpMienc> !ron which 10
form c'rrtc: es;imstU Of tho morale OF The
troops. (9u toabtlcss thought. rs | kaow
some other aou military critics said Ih,t an Ct
!eclve pursuit could ha7c been nada By those
truors, which had 20. eugagcd AID becu do
motalz!t, 10 lie isht, by suco,ss, AID ono
lhirs AID sooIhtr. Tho l7,h Virginia + vi
meni, believe 10 considerable extent
made Up, Of gsllsrt EltS,ndlisrs. did not par
tlc!pa!e 10 the baltic; but whether il did or
Lot. lcti Justified 10 saying that, nine tenths
OF that entire aruy. alter that fight, and siuc,-
uhA.hcr A!eXlddrinns or Others were perfectly
satisfied With tho r; sull; and. were confident,
10 tho so.dlcr;S co1duo: which WAS ojntro!Iiog
aod dlrec;lcg their every movement, and espe
claly,ll ne wisdom which governed in totbesr
! ING 10 push the trtWy 70 extremes, CO the cvo.
Ilag alter The tG'tlc, That ell tho military
,, coalitions. forbade 90 attempt 90 Westin
tor am quite prepared TO accept, u5ou The
, TCri ct the Commander; That The Coufedo
rate srmy YVES moro dISnrgin;Zod by vic ory
thsn !hat CT tho Ulited States ty defeat" /
bGiicva, from what came under my observation,
That Exaggerated ideas Of the victory prevail
l1g srloDg our troops cost Us more men than
| the Federal ermy lost by defeat" AID. because
OF the lSnoraaca, OF their duty and obligations,
, prevailing upon tho part o! tho many, who,
upon one rroteXt or other-professin 10 believe
, that their success had closed tho war-strsg-
gled. hlthcr aud homeWerds. l know, tf my
! own knowledge, 10 be true.
! These facts adduc:d, ana elaborated with
| Iffp alltto -
Cd by Goa. Johnston in his Narrative of Mill.
tary Operations wi |, have no shadow of
doubt, DO quito conclusive OF the QUESTION,
wholly irrespective cf what Mr.. Davis and tuch
amateur pGetcnaers in military scienc,, msy
profess to beileTo, to the contrary.
Knowing. tho exc,edog raw condition OF our
army, art tho absolute desIitu.iop, 10 the mat
Ter CT AMMUNITION and supDiie5 that prevailed
win a.; nod. 10 short, knowing IS did then,
hno 90 now. that our victory was very much of
HdSo -snd cauo to Us IS q Providential
lntcfp1sluou-aS It were, to Cnsbls us 10 con.
tlnuo our armed protest oGaiGs! usurpatious,
have not yet seen or heard from any eource q
sinaio TACT stated to mate me question the pro-
pfltty or the lnsclion. which was impoeed by Alb
fo.u:e disabilities sufficient in my Judgment to
Justify ard sustain tho course pursued. And
J !uTtncr, believe thst nino out of every Ten
; Gcmpolo1t military critics will, altor reading
JOHNSTON narrstlVo or That occurrence AID The
outI1W!nE lies. omphai, Ally endorse his rca-
sons and npprova his course.
II MIR. Davis has charged reglect aud sttempt-
Oh 10 st!sch b!amo to the commanding zo.cral
Tor failure, hen am quite prepared 10 believe
that 1t is instead of lhs second sober thought
on his pirt malignant nrricrc pcnscc; quito in
character with tho man, whose pre,enlious self.
eutilcency sad arrogant lntsrmoddling, short
si2h.cdnesT, had. in my opinion, moro 20 do
Win whipping mo conle1eracy than every BODY
snd all things else besides.
CuAs nj. FAUNTLEaoY.
| l('oNu1rNrr,rrn