Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-03-26
BILL ARP'S VIEWS.
HOW ACCOUNTS OF THE OFFICERS
OF TWO ARMIES DIFFER.
Gen. Grants Article In The Century -
William Preston Johnston's Account
I'm the Same Number - Story
About "Old Hickory"
lBin Arp in Atlanta Constitutional

lBin Arp in Atlanta Constitutional
Men Of Massachusetts,, you have con
guered everything else, now learn to con-
cuer your prejudice" Daniel Webster said
that or words to that effect. and il he was
alive to-day be could say it to all OF US for
We are the slaves OF prejudice l was think
ing about this while reading the last number
Of The Century. In the December number
Gen. Lew Wallace wrote an account OF the
battle Of Shiloh and l thought it was
very fair and considerats. consider
ing that he was q Federal general l. be-
heved him TO be sincere. And now comes
Gen Grant In the last number and says that
Lew Wallace did not obsy orders and
bungled up things terribly. he says that
the Confederates had over 1000 men the
first day, AMI he had only p 900 in line; but
he never had any doubt about whipping the
fight. he says further that Lew Wallace
came up after the first days fight with 5000
men, and Buell. came next morning with
20 900 more, and this made total OF 50, OOo
for the second day. He says he did not
need b uelrs force, but was glad to see them
and they did all that there was for them
to do.
Well, now let us look at William Preston
Johnston's account in the same number he
says that Grant had an army Of 5000 men
in camp, nearly 80, 0Oo OF whom were effec-
tives Buell. was near at hand with 81, 600
more, and Mitchell not far distant with ls,-
CO., In all Grant had los, 600 effective men,
and opposed to him were less than 40,OOo
effective Confederates-
So it seems that Grant was to have easily
whipped the 10 900 Confederates with his
Eel IL hal yf
And on the other side it seems that Grant
had I05, 90 men pitted against 10000. Ev-
erybody is at liberty / suppose to believe
either one or the other; but reckon most
people will do like the juries do when the
lawyers get them all befoidled-just split
the difference and find verdict
Beauregard and his friend Jordan make
up pretty good story for their side, and
William Preston Johnston handles them
without gloves and makes up better one
for Gen Albert Sidney Johnston, and 81
it goes, and nobody knows just how it wa
| exactly, and never will know l reckon
don't believe any of tn .se writers can tell II
| lust as it was for they all just human
and have prejudices, and it is impossible fol
| them TO see il from the same standpoint.
| And We their readers will believe or not To-
| lieve according to our preJudices, Tor We
| can't help it We inherit q love Of "ouI
| side Just like we inherit our politics or ouI
religion. 1t is u trait in human nature thai
contributes to our good and makes us hap
pier, but like all other good things 1t can be
INDUCED in To extremes, and then II make,
US selfish and conceited and uncharitable.
l know that the truth Of history ought Il
be vindicated if it can be, but l don't SEX
| that all this wrangle about the battle o.
Shiloh is doing any good 1t is pretty wei
settled that We got badly whipped somehow
or somehow elSe and the Ifs" and the per
adventures are too uncertain to make vi
history They remind me OF an article
read about Gen. jackson at New Orleans
| The writer said that odd Hickory" was tn
second savior of the world for if he hadn'
commanded at New Orleans and killed oil
Packenham, Old Packenham would hav'
whipped that fight, and then gont
back to England and taken charge
of the English army, for he ranked Well
ington and Napoleon and would hav'
whittei him at Waterloo, for Packenhan
was a poor general, and then the French
would have whipped England AM all the
rest OF mankind, and the whole world woulc
by this time be under the French empirs
and b, eating frogs or catching than for 4
! living.
There is just abou: n; mach jealousy
among military commanders as among
doctors in q one-horse town and ii Is OF Q
worse kind, for doctor can die ont II 1t ans
get rid of it, but general can't idey VII
rake him up and slands Linn after he ha'
been dead and buried for twenty wears