Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-06-29
WHAT BEN. HILL THINKS
ABOUT CONFEDERATE HISTORY.
An Interview with Jehr. Davis Com
hdentia1 Friend In the Confederate
Senate, in which Recently Raised
Issues are DIscussed-The Atlanta
Campaign
Special correspondenoe of the Philadelphia
preeo ..+stt..

ISSUES are DlscusSeo-The Atlanta
Campaign
Special Correspondence of the Philadelphia
Press. ssist.st /.
ATLANTA, June %. - An hour after ]
reached Atlanta this morning / sought
the house OF Mr. Hill, and found its pro
prietori In his cozy office. He was loupg
ing IN an easy chair, with his coat off, intently
reading General Joe Johnston's story of the
war, as told the readers of the Press one week
ago. ,.ltssss
Senator Ben Hill looked up as approached,
and cordially welcomed me to his home. For
time the chat was of a personal character,
but it finally drifted to the object of my. visit.
81 see Mr.. Davis does not agree with your
orally"
Certainly not. Mr.. Davis and me never did
agree as to the character of our government.
De looks now, and always did, upon John G.
Calhoun as the great light of the South upon
these problems: was a Whig and never had
any use for such doctrines as Calhoun taught
and Davis adhered to before the war and still
maintains and have infinitely less now"
!, What effect will Mr. Davis book have upon
the South?'a - fist
None whatever. The number of people in
the South who agree with the view of the war
and its results as expressed in Mr. Davis work,
IS too limited to have the slightest influence
1t was very proper for Mr.. Davis to write the
as well as to them and the cause he represent
ed to put ON record his view of the war He
has done it ably and honestly, but the book
treats OF theory of our government which has
passed away. 1t will be read as would be any
other account of a great historical event, but
1tS theories can never again have q practical
ly pure man, brave and generous The view of
the war and of the causes which created it, as
expressed by Mr.. Davis, are naturally temper
ed with his idee that the war did not settle the
Ion NIF1T ~kf.
in the South who tax about our contending for
the principles which Lee and jackson fought.
but most of them unlike Mr.. Davis do not know
the significance of their words tf
'As have said the principles for which the
South fought have been settled, and no people
on. earth recognize that fact more decidedly
than our own people, and no section of this
land is so thankful that they have been settled
as the South Much as they abhor the methods
by which these questions have been settled,
they would prefer TO have had the war settle
them than to have had them etill pending with
out the war. In other words, we should prefer
the war without slavery than slavery without
the war r., A. A.. D.,., ,,,,.
as to secession, and his constitutional discus
sion of it in his work, does the historical any
more nearly meet your viewsSn
Il have not yet read the historicsl portions
of Mr.. Davis work. have never taken ang
psrt whatever in these controversies between
different military commanders, and do not in
tend to between Mr.. Davis ard them"
Il see sMr. Davis quotes you in his controver-f
Sy wi h General Johnston"
Yes. / see he does And also see in Gem
eral Johnstons interview printed in the Press
that he says was Witr ess for Davis. This is
a very, uncalledfo remark. because / have
never been a witness for Mr. Davis or anY other
man. / suppose the petnlaRt statement YVES
called out by the fact that General Johnston
regarded me as in some way responsible for
his removal from his command after our inter-
view at Marietta, near Atlanta"
.sWhatl were the circumstances of that infal-.
view % Iarl.l -li171s
General Johnston, Governor Brown and
Senator WigfalI had had a conference, think
on the 9th of June. 1854. in relation to the i'm
pending crisis before Atlantis. A messenger
came to me from these gentlemen. as he said
urging that write letter toJeff Davis asking
that Morgan or Forrest be sent with some cav
airy into Sherman's rear to cut of his commu-
mic ztions and harass his fanlSs. I thought il
the facts were as stated to me
there was no necessity for influence upon
one would gain his hearty cooperation. There.
fore, determined to visit General Johnston at
his headquarters and place myself at his dis
posal. went, [ think on the 30th daY of June
and found him at Marietta, and for more than
half day converse with him upon the situa-
tion. Almost all the time General Hood and
General Hardee were present. The confer
ence was free and full, and even the details of
it have never escaped my memory began
my remarks to General Johnston by saving
that regarded the fate of the Confederacy as
in his hands; that thought the fall of At
lanta would virtually be the death of the
Confe1eracy. said that regarded it az of
more importance to hold Atlanta than Rich
mond. | gave him my reasons in great
detail which were, in short, that the loss Of At
lsnta would enable Sherman to cut off the
supplies to Lees army as well as his own
General Johnston acknowledged the gravity
of the situation, but thought there was no
necessity for concern. He said Sherman could
never take Atlanta by assault. replied (and
it was the first and last military opinion ever
gave) that he would not take it by assault, but
that he would move his forces around to the
roads which were then furnishing supplies not
only to Johnston's but TO Lees army.
General Johnston replied. I hardly think
he will do so; but, If he should attempt that
plan of attack, there will be very bloody
battle before he succeeds
This expression of General johnston g inCi-
Gated to me that he intended to fight to hold
Atlanta, although there has been good deal
of talk to the contrary. AS soon as this con-
ference was ended. 1 repaired at once to Rich
mend and laid all these facts before the Presi-
dentin great detail / believed that Johnston
was mistaken as to the length Of time he could
hold the Chattahoochee river. He was holding
the line of the KenneSaW when we had this
interview, and thought he could hold Sherman
north of the Chattahoochee river nearly sixty
days, but when arrived in Richmond he was
already crossing the Chattahoochee.
'iAfter my interview with Davis there was a
great deal of discussion in the Cabinet was to
what should be done, the majority favoring
the removal of Johnston. Finally it was de-
cided to send Johnston categorical question;
"'Will you surrender Atlanta without a
fghtg'
'sGeneraI Johnston replied. Shall garrison
Atlanta with State troops and attack Sherman
on his fanks.' s3sd
This answer was not satisfactory to the
Cabinet, although never said it was not salts
factory to me, or that it was evasive Mr.
Davis was very much averse to removing
Johnston. and was the last member Of the
Executive Department OF the government to
consent to it.
"Were you consulted as to his removal ~
Yes, sir. Dir. Davis earnestly asked me for
my opinion, but declined to give it. SAID
was not military man and under no circum-
stances should assume the responsibility of re-
commendiDg the removal of military officer.
did say that regarded it a very serious mat
ter to remove military commander like Gen.
Johnston, who had both the confidence Of the
people and of the army. as / knew General |
Johnston had, have understood that General
Johnston thought was reponsibIe for his
hut give you the facts =
did General Lee recommend Johnston's re-
moval ~ 4. @
mo. sir; General Lees opinion was asked,
but he made no answer. Lee was man who |
never assumed any responsibility outside of |
his own command. He never hesitated, how [
ever, when it was asked about any matter |
Affecting that" 6ss,..a3s /
How did Hood happen to succeed john
ston?'' siss ,zfs 80 5sz ss' ---ssT
when it was decided to remove Johnston |
here was great d cal of discussion as to who !
should succeed hing, and again both Gen. Lee /
and myself refused an opinion. Gen Hardee |
ranked Hood. and when Bragg resigned as /
of the army of Tennessee at Dal- |
ION he refused the command of the army and /
5old Mr.. Davis that he had no ambitions above |
4 corps comm ander, and that his military l
capacity, in his opinion, did not extend to the I
of an army. Gen. johnston was 1
then appointed, and when he was relieved Gen. |
Hood was chosen to succeed him, although |
Hardee ranked him because of Gen Hardee,s |
refusal to take the command at Dalton.''
Did Hood follow Johnston's plan Of battle /
with Shermanf''
THAT do not know. General Sherman un- |
dertook to carry Atlanta by assault from the |
north, as General Johnston had anticipated. /
This resulted in the battle of the 22d Of July. /
in which Mcpherson was killed, frora which 1
deld Sherman was Obliged to retire =