The sun., 1884-02-10
SOME NEW BOOKS.
General Beaureenrd.

Beaurognrd was summarily removed by Mr..
Davis from the command Of the Western Do
partmcnt. The author OF this narrative Is JUS
tined In subJectlng to careful and impartial
rcvtcw tho extraordinary circumstances IN
which this afYront was put upon hard work
Ing. solf-sacri1cing. and meritorious com
mander. The facts are those: On June IL
1862. Cen. BeaurcRard. who. Notwithstanding
severe illness and suffering had maintained
his lines at Corfnth for eeven weeks. and finally.
IN the facc OF forcee outnnmberipg his own
more than two to one. had safely Withdrawn
his army to much stronger position at Tupelo.
notl0ed the War Department at Richmond OF
his intention to take brief rest from tho
fatigue incident to tho inccssant labors OF the
campaign. Thoro was no probability that his
presence would be requisite for some time at
Tupeio. and II II wore he could easily roach
headquarters from Bladon Springs. tho place
to which he had been advised by physicians to
repair. AS q matter OF fact his health Was
In three weeks sufficiently recruited to
admit OF his resum'ng active service. and
It was not until two weeks after his recovery
that tho personal supervision OF the depart
mont commander was needed Mt Tupclo.
Nevertheless on Juno 20 Mr.. Davis sent an
order assigning the command OF the Depart
mont OF the West to Gen. Bragg. not to or
through Gen. Beauregard but directly to Gen.
Bragg. the Inter being thus constrained to
convey tho unwelcome tiiings to his old COM
mander. Three months after this not OF
ofncial discourtesy and gross injustice had
been committed. some sixty members OF the
Confederate Senate aud House OF Representa-.
tives called upon Mr.. Davis to urge the reap
pointment of Gen. Beauregard to the control
OF the Western army. in whose creation he had
tho largest share. II is noteworthy that on
this occasion Mr.. Davis had not word
OF criticism to offer on the manage
mont OF the battle OF Shiloh on
the strategic propricty OF the withdrawal from
Corinth to Tupelo. Tho ground on which he
defended the removal OF Beauregard was that
the latter had left Tupeo mithom permission
on surgeons certificate Of four months. and
Githoa stating uhithc' he mds going. But the
truth is that not only when these assertions
wore made but whom the order appointing
Gen. Bragg was issued Mr.. Davis Ind in his
possession teegrums from Gen. Beauregard
e stating explicitly whore he going and
that he did not contemplate an absence from
headquarters OF more than ten days. The
words four months did not occur at all in Gen.
Benuresard's dispatches on this subject. eX-
capt whore they were used to measure the period
during which his physicians had been enioin-
Ing the necessity OF little rest but during
which he had boon unable to comply with their
advice. AS to tho absence being without per
mission. it is absurd to suppose that the COM
mander OF a department was not at liberty to
transport himself anywhere within the limits
Of his command as long of course. as the pub
licservice could not suffer by his movements
and as long as he kept the Richmond Govern
mont acquainted with his whereabouts. With
regard to the pretended difficulty Of communi
cnting with Gen. Bcauregard at Mobile or
Badon Springs it will suffice to say that when
Mr. Davis saw Mt to send him n copy Of the
order supersedinG him by Gen. BraGg-which
was done three days after the original order
was forwardcd-the dsagreeabie message
reached him with unimpeachable direct
ness and rromptitude. The harshest view
thatcould ba taken of Gen. BeaursGard's action
In Withdrawing from headquarters for q short
rest would only make Of 1t an irreguarity. and
Mr. Davis profcssed in his interview with the
deputation from the Confederate Congress to
have overlooked tho Irregularities OF Beaure-
gards conduct in leaving the army at Tupelo."
disavowed its influence upon his own course.
aud declared that he had based the displace-
ment Of that General by Bragg exclusively on
the public interests. Remembering what Bragg
did and what he failed to do. the reader Is Mt a
loss to divine what were those momentous pub
lie interests which caused Mr.. Davis to rebuff
an imposing array OF Congressman with the
averment that he would not reassign Gen.
Besuregard to the Army OF the West. If the
whole world united in the petition"
At the time when tho above recounted ap-
peal on his behalf was made. Gen. Beauregard
was ON his way to Charleston in obedience to
orders assigning him to duty in South Carolina
and Georgia. From September. 1862. to April.
1864. he continued in command Of the depart
ment thus allotted to him. and large part OF
Col. Romans second volume is given to de-
scripton OF the defensive operations carried on
by the Confederates in this quarter. In pre-
pairing this portion Of his narrative the author
encountered. he tells us. a serious obstacle in
the loss OF almost all Gen. BeaureGard's official
papers relating to the period now under review.
These documents were left. it seems. at Macon
in the spring Of 1864, and after tho surrender
OF Gen. ]. E. Johnston's army in April. 1865
their owner teegraphod un order to forward
them % Atlanta. But they never reached tina,
place. having been seized IN Eamsa. with some
of Gen. Beaurcgards personal baggage. by
Gen. Wilson. commanding the Federal cavalry
in Georgia. The papers were finally placed in
the War Records ONice at Washington. and Col
Roman hns been able. by paying for them. to
secure copies OF such were absolutely inds-
nensablc to the composition OF this history.
1t is certainly n curious fact that MIR. Davis
in his book ON the Rise and Fall of tho Con
fedorate Government" should find space only
for the most cursory allus0n to Con. Bcauro
CARDS defence Of Charleston. including. as II
did. the repulso OF tho formidable assault. IL
tho summer OF 1863. by combined land ane
navni forces under Gen. Gilmore and Admira
Dahlsren. Abont all that he can find to say Is
that the holding OF Fort Sumter reflected ustrt
on the city OF oiChareston-' that fort. located IL
its harbor. having for four years defod tlt
army and navy OF the United States" II woult
certRinly have been relevant, MS Col. Roman
suggests. for Mr.. Davis to mention. In conncc
tion with this subject. who commanded tho de-
partment and who planned and executed tn,
defence. The truth obviously Ii that to Gen
BeaureGard belongs the crodit OF having ron
dered Charleston mpregnable until. on tn
approach Of Gen. Sherlnai's Il army. Tire city wa
Voluntarily evacuated in order to permit II
garrisOn TO oo6porate with the forces Of Cor
J. H. Johnston in North Carolina.
From the latter part Of April. 1864. whe
Onn Ranurncnrl Mag cnllad unox, hx III