The morning call., 1893-10-08
RECENT PUBLICATIONS

GENERAL JOSEPH E. JoHNSTON.-The
latest addition TO the Great Commanders
series is biography of General Joseph
E. Johnston by Robert M. Hughes. Mr..
Hughes has performed the task allotted to
him with impartiality and calmness IN
dealing with those responsible for the
gross injustice beaped upon his subject
that is not often found in biographer.
The father of Joseph E. Johnston served
in the War of the Revolution under Light
horse Harry Lee, the father of Robert Il.
Lee. The parents became warm friends,
and 10 later years their sons entered west
Point together and graduated in the same
class. Up to the time of the death
OF General Lee they were as ar
dent friends as their fathers had
been. When the Civil War broke
out Johnston was Quartermaster-Gener
of the United States, next in rank to
General Scott, and 10 the event OF the
death or disability of that veteran he would,
in the course of things, have succeeded
to the command of the army. Although
opposed 10 secession like many other
officers of Southern birth, his intense love
of duty to his flag, and be resigned his
commission and rendered his services to
the Governor Of Virginia. AT the hrst
battle of Manassas he was the ranking
officer. and to his ability and gallant lead
ership is largely due the success OF the
Confederates on that day. When Nc
Clellan landed on the peninsula In 1862
he was opposed by Johnston, and until the
latter was severely wounded at Seven
Pines he maintained front, which per-
picked Mcclellan, and had Johnston not
been stricken down might have resulted
in serious disaster TO the Union COM
mander. The next service of Johnston
was in the West Previous to the siege Of
Vicksburg he strenuously advocated the
abandonment of the place as untenable.
but the stupidity and characterization OF
PembertO backed up by the concet OF
President Davis, caused his advice to be
set at naught. The story of the series of
magnificent maneuvers by which he
held Sherman in check in the lat
ter's advance to Atlanta and his re-
moval just as he was about to un..
dertake a decisive stand is part OF
the history of the Civil War
with which all military students are
familiar. In the last throes Of the Con-
federacy Johnston was again called upon
to lead a forlOrn hope-to create an army
and face his old antagonist Sherman. Then
followed the dashing affair at Bentonville,
which shed brief ray of sunlight over
the cause that was already lost The
final scene was the negotiations be-
tween Johnston and Sherman. which
were revoked by our Government.
Another plan of capitulation was
arranged and the last of the great armies
of the Confederacy, was dissolved and
following their leaders example returned
TO their homes. The author all through
the work is very mild in his treatment of
the man at the head of the Confederate
Government who never let an oppor-
tunity pass to show his dislike for
J hnston. As jeff Davis was un-
doubtedy the arch traitor he appears to
have been utilized by providence as a
OF the Northern forces was more success
full in injuriDg the cause of the Confed-
eracy anu bringing success to the Union
than he. Dctatorial by nature. malignant
in his dislikes and puffed up by a mistaken
idea of his military ability he appears
to have seized every available opportunity
to render futile the efforts Of abler men.
As Mr.. Hughes very truly says. strong
testimonial to Johnston's greatness as
commander is the fact that since the close
of the Civil War his reputation has been
constantly increasing. The publication of
records heretofore inaccessible and of mill
tary memoirs has cleared up much of the
0bscurity which yelled many of his cam
paigns and has placed him In light
which viDdicates bis operations. The en-
comiums paid him by many OF our own
leaders show the estimation in which he
was held. II have had nearly all of the
Southern generals in high command in
front of me-" said Grant, land Joe john
ston gave me more anxiety than any of the
others. / was never half so ANXIOUS about
Lee. Take it all in all, the South, in my
opinion, had no better soldier than Joe
Johnston" New York: ID. Appleton 81
Co. For sale by the Bancroft Company
On THE OLD FRoNTIER.-There are
few living writers who possess the gift of
so thoroughly interesting youth as Will
liam o. Stoddard. No matter how many
wonderful things his young heroes
succeed in accomplishing it seems
perfectly right and natural. and his
readers never stop to question the pro-
priety of anything these heroes do--for
one reason, perhaps, because they never
do anything but what is honorable and
true. ION the Old Frontier" is Mr.. Stod-
dard's latest and many Will pronounce his
best book. 1t is story Of pioneer life in
Central New York during the revolution.
when that section of the country, now so
wealthy and populous, contained only
few white settlements widely scattered.
What hardships these pioneers under
went, the disasters which not unfre-
Quentiy overlook tDem, can naruiy De
realized by their descendants. The scene
of 1.-THE Old Frontier" is laid not far from
the birthplace of Mr.. Stoddard Cortland
County,, and he doubtless heard when
boy from the lips of pioneers then living
the recital of incidents which occurred to
them as thrilling as those he so graphically
depicts. Within a short distance of his
boy hood home was the great council-house
Of the Iroaunis within whose walls the
plans for the massacres at Wyoming and
Cherry Valley were laid. These frontier
horrors are referred to in the story. The
Cherry Valley expedition was the last of
the great raids of the Six Nations and their
equally bloody-handed Tory COMPANIONS. 1t
was not, however, until the close OF the Rev.
olution when General Sullivan with strong
force moved up the Mohawk Valley and
burned and laid waste their villages that
the power of the Iroquols was finally
broken. The hero of Mr.. Stoddard's
story is boy, of course. Dan Van Lennep.
The adventures which he goes through
and the brave things he Sccomplishes,
ending all by bringing rescuing party to
the settlement when it is about being
wiped out" by the Savages. help to make
a story which will not only prove entertain
ing to the average boy. but will stir the
blood of those of an older growth as well.
New York: ID. Appleton & Co. For sale
by the Bancroft Company.