Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1891-04-16

sral charge at 5 o'clock and seattle +
the force 10 front of him and ow
somewhat dsmorslizsd. But it takes
time for such an order to be through.
" understood and by the time it was
understood on this occasion it was too
near dark to be attempted. DARK.
ness saved Sherman. The other part
of bis army. about twelve miles away.
started to bis support when the bat.
tie began. They Travelled during the
day. the whole of the night and ar.
rived just in time to prevent the
catastrophe to the union army. Had
Johnston been able to make his
charge in the evening. as he hoped to
do. he would have scattered one part
of Sherman's army and would have
been ready to whip the other part
when it came up weary and broken
in the morning.
1.-THE union generals recognized his
soldierly qualities and therefore were
glad when he was superseded by
Hood. This latter general was a
fighter. We knew that. We know
ne would give US trouble, but his
game was bound to result in swapping
off men, as in checkers. when we had
two.to-one men to start with and
were able to ELL up gaps made in our
ranks by confederate bullets"
Gen. Rosecrans, in an interview,
says that az a strategist Johnston had
no equal. With the few men at his
command it took Sherman eighty
four days to drive Johnston eighty.
four miles, which is the distance from
Resaca to Atlanta"
DR.. ]. L. McCurry. who was at.
tached to Johnston's ssaif, throws new
light on an incident Of that campaign.
DIR. McCurry says that near Carriers
vile, Ga, Johnston resolved to give
Sherman battle and selected bis posi-
ton. He knew that Sherman's army
would be divided into two columns a t
this point. and he proposed to attack
and put one to route before the other
came up. He divided his command
into three divisions, with Hood in com
mand Of the right, Polk of the center
and Hardee of the left. When the
time came Johnston gave the order Of
attack, but it did not begin. Hood
was to lead the onslaught, and
Johnston paced up and down i'm
patiently not knowing why Hood did
begin the fight. Aids had been sent
to find him and ascertain what was
the matter, but they had not returned.
Finally Gen. McLaws, who had been
sent out to inquire the cause of the
delay, returned and stated that Hood
said he had been fanked and that he
was doubtful if he could hold his
position. Johnston said this could
not be go. as his cavalry, under Wheel.
er, had made reports to him that
showed it to be impossible.
at turned out" said DR.. McCurry,
"that Hood was deceived, for a great.
er soldier than Hood never lived.
The onslaught was not made and at a
conference that night Hood said he
was afraid he was not able to hold his
position, and Polk said the same.
Hardee thought he could hold his.
Johnston afterward told me that Har.
dee had the weakest position of all"
Whatever may have been Johnston
ideas of the military characters of the
men with whom he was associated, he
never criticised them after the war
was over. He was as modest in con.
gress as he was in the army. In this
body his judgment and foresight
was confded in. He did very little
talking here as elsewhere. He did
not seem to like official life aud was
content in his simple home which he
had fixed up to suit his tastes and in
which he peacefully passed the last
days of mos. eventful career.-THs
Republic.