The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-06-22


exhibited his highest talent that of surpretsto rert In
what have written have briefly stated why select
ed you to be Commissary.General,A and why thought
the results proved the selection to have been judciouS
and think the hrst complaint against you from
Johnston aud BoaureRard at ManassoE and follow
your orders to Lee and Fovle remember that whom
Gen. Leo when supplios wero short. looked to you;
that you insisted he should the power tho law
conferred upon him but withheld from you-the power
to Impress Later in the members of Congress-
notably Mr. Orr of South Carolina complained OF you,
aud he probably used the idea which you refer that
you were soldier and not n merchant as RfterwHrd
heard that no perverted my answer to represent
wishing to put you In command of the army. did
tell him substantially that had known you soldier,
and good one and that but for your physical dsabi
ity should have preferred to give you q command in
tho held rather than at tho head OF bureau knew
then as we'll as now, that trading n very small
part of tho qualifications required In q ConmissAry-
General and that Military training was essentially
necessary.
In his lettor OF Oct. Is, 1882 Jefferson Davis
takes up the question as to why tho Conted-
erate Government did not buy and ship to
Europe the cotton crop OF 1901:
Isent to you few days since An article from Q New
Orleans paper called forth by tho nhne declaration Of
STEPHENS that his idea after tho organiLa of
the Confederate Government to buy ana ship tho cot
ton crop Of 1901 to Europe and thus have fund
abroad to purchase arma &c The article sufficiently
1t might have on to show that our difficulty in
getting arms and munitions Of war from abroad was
not the want OF money The supplies we collected In
England not allowed to be shipped and that st
Georges the principal port at which such supplies az
We got were collected, was blockadei more closely
than either Charleston or Wilmington.
It appears TO be enough to disprove n falacy as
every vain glorious empyrc can announce some thing
as proposed or possible, however empty It be,
and I'M people who will accept evidence OF great
thar, ,dnrn al
few things people further wrong than the
agcment Of the commissary department have been
hoping hear that you had compile ed history OF
that department. and then t ould constitute record
for a generation whose cars moro open to truth
than tho time servers Of to day The deserves
much credit for the manner In which It. overcamo
traordtnary difficulties and was DESTROYS to give IL
but wanted such exact Information as tho Chief of
Ordnance furnished in regard to the working of that
department
self going down hill my mind uray inquiries how It
fares with you, my dear friends
Among tho documents In this interesting
correspondence | find tho following:
CAMP PfcxKSs. July 81. 1861.
Hs Ercsiency the President or the Consderdte Stdes:
am comm anded by Gen. Beaurcgard to inform your
Excelency that tho stock OF provisions has bee ono
aarmingly reduced in consequence of tho non fulhl
OF acquisitions by the Commissary-General Tho
General directs me 10 say that unless immed sup
stious serious eGuences are Inevitable With
much respect your ODE iient servant II. B LEE,
Chief COMFY Army Of the Potomac
The next day Gen. Johnston wrote to the
Commtssary-General:
lIEAnauARrKRs MANASSAS July "a 1851.
GESrRALi beg that supplies Of provisions may be
sent Immediately. We almost destitute and In
danger of absolute starvation Your most ooedient
servant J. f. JoHS'ToS General C. $. A.
The same day Col. Lee telegraphed to Major
Tnus. q. Ehett A. A e..
1t with modification and regret am compelled to
confess that the supplies OF provisions at this camp
(pcken will permit Of the ful6ment Of the order
OF tho General send 5000 ratons to the troops
Fairfax Station With tho exception OF 5000 rations
intended to be sent to Louis Station, entirely
without -four bread, sugar. coffee, candeA aud soap
On the Goth Of July, 1861 Gen. Beauregard
teleRraphed from Manassas:
HIS Esc>''tncp PRESIDENT Davs:
Beg suggest not to send any here until
provisions he had. Some regiments are nearly
starving q. 7. BEAUREGARp
To this was an addondum from Col. Lee:
Hard bread and bacon most needed. six hundred
barrels OF flour purchased to BIO delivered tomorrow
beef cattle abundant: regular supply Of -four may DO
had on favorable terms from neighboring mills
No one can fail to notice tho inconsistency OF
this double telegram. Beauregard declares his
army TO be In a starving condition. his Com
nissary says that beef cattle are abundant and
on the next day. The natural question seems
to be- what became OF the immens supply Of
provisions and luxuries OF all kind captured ut
Bull Kun. for II Is we'll known that the Federal
army moved "on to Richmond" amply sup
piled with every luxury in the shape OF food
n his letter Of March 3. 1885 Jefferson Davis
Whites to Gen. Northrop:
Yours OF tho 18th ulto has been received and tho
rerusa of 1t intensae' the have long fe that
so far apart We might not talk as joyously az
usei 10 do when encamped at tho Creek Nation but
there many things We could consolinRiy discuss
that shadows have heightened to the near ap
proach OF eyentde.
do not believe that knaves have entirely tho advan
tage over honest men, because 1t Is only truth which Is
consistent and knaves always laying traps which
discriminating nds readily detect and expose them
selves by self.contradicton This is strikingy Illus
trnci in the Of Beauregard and Johnston Bsaure
CARDS excuse that he did not advance Washington
for the want OF provisions and transportation is un.
founded in fact and untenAbe In argument Tho rea,
sons Ito gave, stated In my book, the night
CT my conference with Johnston and himself
tho strength OF tho fortihcations on
she south bank of tho Potomac. ami tho
allegation that they were Rarrisoned by troops who
not involved in the panic caused by their defeat
Manassas A to transportation, he had. you say
than necessary for ammunition and hospital
and with country then teeming with supplies
required nothing more, Again II he had not burned
the bridge Bull Run tho railroad oud have been
his all the way to Alexandria It having been
repaired by the enemy as they advanced and left In
good condition. When Leo marched across tho POto.
mac, though tho country had then boon denuded.
he went without train to carry conmissAry
sorcr that whether tho railroad to Alexandria was
used tho plea cannot DO Bustaned for no could
have intended TO have crossed tho Potomac hi gher
than Leo did Modern ideas, to which you aIlude
have made soldiers very eiIeminae II they could
march through country full of beef cattle and fields
grooming under tho weight OF gram When Leo made
his march there were drOves OF beef cattle to follow
his army. and the mainly Bubssted upon tho ears
green they gathered in the heds Your position
cannot be gatnsaii and your experience Of living
poor buffalo is conclusive TO what could done by
army having fat beeyeI and helds Of grain. When
Santa Anna advanced TO attack den TAYLOR his troops
were supplied only with herds OF cattle having
been gathered at point his march, some nifty
sixty miles from BueuA VISTA where beef WAS given
as an issue.
As to that contemplate fellow. Jordan, VIII lss mea n
ness was exhibited In his malignant publication AGAINST
us when wo In prison Con Cpoper's endorsement
confirmed by the fact OF the action o. the ScnAo
concerning which imay be well that should give you
minute account, Appeals were IN ado TO mo that for
tho good OF tho service JORDAN should DO separated
from BeAuregard whose friends were most earnest