The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1891-04-09
BILL ARP,S CHAT.
Bill Arp Makes Public highly Sensation
al Interview with the late General john
ston,
atlanta Consultation.

atlanta Consultation.
The volunteer soldiers of the army Of
Northern Virginia knew but little OF
General Johnston until after the first bat.
tie of Manassas. Why should they :?
War had not been much of a business for
many years and our. people knew no great
warriors except Scott and Taylor. and
Jefferson Davis We dident take much
stock in military men, especially the
lieutenants and captains and majors. We
had majors and colonels all over the
State. They were as common as pig
tracks. I vas colonel myself-a peace
colonel. But Old Joe had been fighting
Indians and Mexicans for nineteen years,
and hadent got any higher than lieuten-
ant. colonel. he started out in 1929
lieutenant and fought all over the South
and West, and aas wounded ten times
and had thirty bullets holes in his clothes
in one battle; but promotion was slow
then, for there was no room at the top
no yacancies-no designations, and but
few deaths. JEFF Davis knew all about
these men, for be had been Secretary of
War, and had fought with them in Mex
leo; but ne dident know Joe Johnston
from Sam or Andy or any other Johnston.
1t didn't take long to find him out, and
then the boys began to call him "Old
Joe," and to love him. "He is the gamest
looking man ever saw" said one. "A[y
rooster always crows when Old Joe is q
walking by" said another. "But can't he
ride though, and can't he mount horse
easy" said a third. While in winter
quarters at Centerville the boys saw him
every day, for he was most always on the
60, and they got to idolizing him and
would have followed him to the jaws of
death. It is a great thing in war for the
soldiers to worship their general, and
that is where the mistake come in when
Old Joe was removed and Hood put in
his place. The talisman was gone.
It is astonishing now to think what
low rank these great men had. General
Lee was only a lieutenant colonel when
the war began. Albert Sidney Johnston
vas the colonel of the regiment that Bob
Lee and George H. Thomas and Hardee
we're in. When the var with Mexico
was declared, civilians were made gene
rails for political reasons and nothing
else. President Polk made Franklin
Pierce q. brigadier, Notwithstanding he
had never been educated at West Point,
and that appointment made Pierce a
president. I remember when he was
nominated at Baltimore in 1852. The
news came by stage to our little town,
and strong Democratic partisan threw
up his hat to the ceiling and shouted
"Hurrah for him hurrah for him. He is
the very man-the best man of them ALL"
Then leaning over to friend, in the post.
Office, he said: "And what did you say
his name was?" The common people had
never heard of Franklin Pierce. He
reached Mexico with his regiment just in
time to fight little in the last battle,
and his horse fell down and broke his
leg-the horses leg-and. the rider hurt
bis knee-the riders kneeAand it disa-
bled him enough for politicians to take
him up aud make him president. That's
sill. But he made good president, and
so can most anybody who has good sense
and good principles. Sometimes / think
that I could run the machine for four
years and nobody be hurt.
But if military heroism is the best
presidential timber, just think how Al
bert Sydney Johnston and Joe Johnston
and Robert E. Lee were defrauded.
When the last war broke out these men
were wanted and were wanted bad, and
they rose rapidly in rank. Those three
and Beaurega,d were soon made full
generals, which was step higher than
the rank of major. general. Their calvary
regiments in the old army had ffty-one
officers; thirty six of these we're from the
South, and twenty.six of the thirty.oue
resigned, and cast their fortunes with
their States and their people. George
81. Thomas was comrade of Joe John
ston, and was major in his regiment,
and WAS Virginian, and it was expected
that he, too, would go with his people,
but unfortunately he wasent offered
good place, for there wasent room at the
top for everybody, and 80 be took his
chances on the other side. There is a
great deal ofunwritten history that would
be intensely interesting if it could be re-
vealed. was talking one night at my
OWE house in August '66, with General
Joe Johnston aud be spoke of Thomas as
very able soldier and said be tried very
hard to get him q good position on our
side but failed and hence we lost him.
"Of course" said he, southern West
Pointers naturally sided with their Sec
tion, but soldier is soldier-war is his
profession and promotion his highest am.
bition. Most of the professional soldiers
will fight anywhere if the inducements
are inviting. In this respect they are
like lawyers who will take either side of
lawsuit for pay. In all war the profes.
sional soldiers are more or less merce,-
nary. Baron Steuben and Lafayette and
many othors came over here and fought
for US in the old revolution, but patriot
ism was not the motive But General
Thomas did not do right. He should have
waited, but he was restless and ambitious
and punctilious. I know whereof I
speak-that he never would have left uB
if the Confederacy had offered him the
position he wanted and deserved"
This was revelation to me and I was