Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-10-07
FASHION w1ru THE Girls.

AANilOUtu WAY IL EOOQ Az thho
Office. and that's what young ladies must
put up with. You have no idea of the
number-o of applicants there have been for
this sort of thing lately. l believe It's a
rad, nothing more"
jefferson Davis and His Southern Enemies
mo Name Msgazine.I
Byron SAYS "he who surpasses or sub
dues mankind must look down upon the
hate of those below" Even Washington,
the most peerless public character the
world has ever seen, had enemies. Caesar
had his Brutus. Napoleon bis Berna-
dotte. and Jefferson Davis his John
ston and Beauregard. Mr. Davis ex-
pressed himself pretty freely as to
his opinion OF these Confederate gem
erals in some private letters TO one of his
most confidential friends-letters which
we have been permitted TO make public.
II is from such sources that we some
times derive the most valuable historical
information. Jefferson Davis was q per-
feet master of an easy and flowing style of
letter-writing. We will lay before our
readers the cream of this interesting cor
re5pondence.
Johnston sought in various WAYS TO
evade orders and cater 20 the reported pre-
ferences of the men, the repeated instruc-
klOnS 10 save NKOTtN Ntit kIONriN uiStf-
garded on his needless retreat from Manas-
sas Careful to make a record and gain
popularity but careless as to the public
interest. and seeking like a dema-
gogue TO ingratiate himself by throw
ing on the Administration blame for
every real or fanciful discomfort, it was
part of his remembered career to
encourage complaints against the comis-
sariat by canvassing among the men as 20
- e -
inc they preferred bacon TO beef. what is
to be said Of the burning of your packing
establishment, when that flight was COM
menced in which no man pursuedp
MANY silly people talk of the mistake
in not sending ont the crop of cotton, and
having funds thus in Europe. Johnston is
not the only ign0ramus who does not know
that the crop of 1s60-'61 had mostly gone
forward before the birth of the Confede-
racy. that il all belonged 10 individuals and
the Confederate States Government had
not money TO buy IT nor ships to transport
it. The next crop was imprisoned by the
blockade. and much of 1t in the interior,
closed by want of land or river transporta-
ton.
The number Of troops at Manassas was
about 81 900. new arrivals covering the
losses in battle. There was nothing said
e. me after the battle about want of sup
plies or transportation as preventing pur-
suit. Then il was Notifications, with gar
risOns on the south side of the Potomac.
Twill here confess that ] lave never read
more than detached pieces Of the mallg
pant and false work which Johnston has
nut forth as a narrative. have always in-
tended TO read 1t as n necessity, but have
put it of as one does the taking of n nau-
soOus medicine"
One of the reasons given by Beauregard
for not advancing on Washington after the
rout at Bull Run was the want of pro-
visions. We find in this correspondence
the following documents bearing upon this
subjects: a.,
CANT PIcKENs. July %. 1861.
HIS ErceHepcy the President Of the Confederate
/ am commanded by General Beauregard
TO inform your Excellency that the stock OF
provisions has become alarmingly reduced
in consequence of the non-tultlment of
acquisitions by the Commissary-Gener
The General directs me to say that unless
immediate supplies are forwarded In con
formity with these acquisitions most seri-
Gus consequences are inevitable. win
much respect, your obedient servant,
Chief Commissary, Army of the Potomac.
The next day General Johnston wrote TO
| the Commissary-G
! HEADQUARTERS. MANASSAS. July q, 1861.
General.-I beg that supplies OF proyl-
sions may be sent TO us immediately: We
are almost destitute and III danger of abso-
| lutte starvation.
Your most obedient servant,
j. l.. JOHNSTON. General, c. 5. A..
The same day Colonel Lee telegraphed
| to Major Thomas G.. Rhett. assistant adj
iutant-general: 1T is with modification
and regret that the supplies OF provisions
at this camp lPickens) will not permit OF
the fulhlment of the order of the General
| TO cend 1000 iations 20 the troops at Fair
rations intended to be sent To LOUIS Sta
! ton we are entirely without flour, bread,
sugar, coffee, candles, and soap"
On the 2gth of July, 1861, General Beau
regard telegraphed from Manassas TO His
| Excellency, President DAVIS. Beg TO sug-
| gest not to send any more troops here until
| provisions can be had. Some regiments
nearly starving. G.. Il. Beauregard." 10
| this. was an addendum from Colonel Lee:
" Hard bread and bacon most needed. Six
| hundred barrels of -four purchased 10 be
| delivered tomorrow, beef cattle abundant,
a regular supply of flour may be had on
| favorable terms from neighboring mills"
| No one can fail to notice the inconsistency
| of this double telegram. Beauregard de-
/ clares his army TO be III starving condl-
| ton, his commissary says that beef cattle
are abundant and six hundred barrels OF
-four will be delivered on the next day.
| The natural question seems 10 be, what be-
came of the immense supply of provisions
and Injuries of all kinds captured at Bull
| Run, for it il well known that the Federal
army moved "oD to Richmond amply
| supplied with every luxury IN the shape OF
| food and drink.
jefferson Davis naturally felt indignant
at the unjust and ungenerous treatment
| he had received. and in a letter dated
/ March 3. 1885, he uses the following PLAIN
| language:
II do not believe that knayes have en-
| tirely the advantage over honest men,
/ because il is only truth which
ls consistent and knaves are always
| LAYING traps which discriminating minds
| readily detect and expose themselves
/ by INSTRUMENTATION. This is striking
| ly illustrated in the case of Beaure-
| gard and Johnston. Beauregard's excuse
| that he did not advance on Washington
| for the want of provisions and transporta-
/ ton is unfounded in fact and untenaDle IN
I argument. The reasons he gave, as stated
| i'm my book, on the night of my conference
/ with Johnston and himself after the battle
were the strength Of the Notifications on
| the sonth bank Of the Potomac, and the
allegation that they were garrisoned by
troops who were not involved in the panic
caused by their defeat at Manassas. As 70
transportation, he had more than was
necessary for ammunition and hospital
stores. and with county then teeming
with supplies required nothing more.
Again, if he had not burned the bridge
across Bull Run. the railroad could have
| been NJ his service all the way TO Alexan-
dria. il having been repaired by the enemy
as they advanced, and left in good con-
ditiOn.
when Lee marched across the Poto-
mac. though the country had then been
denuded. he went without train TO carry
commissary stores, so that whether the
railroad to Alexandra was IN condition
70 be used or not, the plea cannot be sus-
l.. I'D ,rt have tpfQpiaH 10