Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1893-12-04
10 Johnston.

cIo Oolub VI VluUlCuUo CQclr heroes from
attack. Some fifteen years later the
public called for accurate information
about the events of the war, and the
series of Century articles appeared in
response to the demand. These were
neither history nor biography, but ex-
cellent material for both, being mainly
accounts CT eye-witnesses or partici-
pators. A third class of war publica-
tions is now beginning to appear in
the shape of impartial biographies and
chronicles of campaigns, based in part
on the written testimony of the actors
in the scenes described. One of these
is the life of Gen. 10 Johnston, by
Robert M. Hughes, which has Just
beer published in New York.
10 Johnston was only known to
members of his own profession, when,
at the age of SO. he was appointed
Quartermaster General of the United
States Army before the outbreak of
the war. The post was high, for in
the event of the death of Gen. Scott
the Quartermaster General would nat
urally assume command of the army.
1t is curious to note that the three
competitors for the appointment-Jo
Johnston, Albert Sidney Johnston,
and Robt. E. Lee-all became Gener-
ais in the Confederate Army. At that
time 10 Johnston, though Virginian,
was supposed to be loyal to the flag.
He was led astray, like Lee, by erro-
neous views of state allegiance; but
until Virginia seeded he was trusted
like Scott and Thomas. If Virginia
had resisted the Vaccinations of the
intriguers who dragooned her into Sc
cession. or if Johnston could have been
brought to take sounder view of his
duty, he would in all probability have
taken the place whichMcC lellan filled
when Scott retired.
His career rs Confederate General
was one of singular and undeserved
misfortune. It was he who really won
the battle of Bull Run, but Beaure-
gard got the credit of the victory. His
retreat in front of Sherman in Georgia
was one of the most mastery retreats
on record. If he had been allowed to
carry out his tactics, it is just posi-
BILE that the retreat after Borodino
might have been repeated. But it was
the i'll luck of Johnston to serve under
chief who was not only incompetent.
but was unaware of his incompetence,
and obstinate. He was removed just
as he was going to have chance of
testing his experiment, and the army
he had taken such pains to convert
into a compact machine was handed
over to Hood, who fulfilled his destiny
by leading it to destruction. 1t was
too late to save the totterlng Confetl-
eracy when Johnston was called upon
to gather the fragments of beaten arm
les in the Carolinas in order to make
head against Sherman. The utmost
he could do was to obtain the best pos
sible terms of peace from the victor
that he did: it was not his fault they
were not ratified.
He is one of the Confederate Gener-
ais whom history will treat with re-
spect. Grant considered that the
South had no better soldier than he,
and confessed that no Confederate
General gave him more anxiety when
he was in his front. He was man of
solid Judgment. He never deluded
himself with the belief that the South
could win. He knew from the first
that the Union armies must be sue
cessful in the end He was never de-
luded by the vain boastings of Davis
and his crew. He saw, when none of
his comrades realized the situation,
that the project of a Southern Confed-
eracy was an idle dream, and that
when the awakening came slavery
would go down, with the shareholders
castles in Spain. But he held his
peace, and did his duty in whatever
post his superiors were pleased to place
him.
Captain Chanler.
An old hrOEoD Inxyu NAV &o1.o,