The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-05-30
GENERAL MAURY's BOON.

In "Recoliections OF ,,.oa
General Dabney II. Maury mas CUM
one Of the most delightful Doors ~
.o,,,hern literature that II possesses
- 49,, <,,u ~ the tenderest feeling. the
-. aa,,ca,e tact and delicious aroma
.ou,harn home. We do not think
~, better picture OF southern life has
ever been drawn
W. have an idea that We have seen
the following letter from General Joseph
= Johnston 10 General Maury pefore'
hut IL is worth reproducing. even II IL
has been already published, and we
transcribe it from page l46 or MS doom
Macon, Ga. Sept. /. 1864.
NV Dear Maury: , x,v
/ have been intending ever si -
arrival AZ this place TO pay a part OF
the epistolary debt i owe you. bu' sva
know how lazy II makes one 10 nave
nothing 10 do, and so with the not we atmo
or we have been enduring mere, \ nav
absolutely devoted myselI ~ r,ore mar
have been disposed TO write more pa
ticularly of what concerns myseuE.o 81. ~
Main 10 YOU. as far as practieaoie. the
operations for which | was siu om ho &c
shelf. for you are one Oh o, ,h he wiling
unfavorable opinion "oN
You know that the army COM
manded was that which. unoer " p,ana
Bragg. was routed at missionary Me-
routed II. reinforced by the s ixteeneaa d Ior
'rwenty-third corps. am censureu roi
not taking the defensive az Dai.o ,'ro
where the enemy II beaie IN n at RInggold.
or IN the fortress Of Chattanooga, anu
where the odds against us were a,fhost ..'
Of four. At Resaca he received nve p zoo
gades, at Kingston three ana aoou' ali
esvalry. at New Hope church one-in an
abont 1900 infantry and artillery me
Enemy received the Seventeenth CORPS
and a number of garr,sons anu pIiu n
guards from Tennessee ana hehtusky
that had been relieved by huno'e '-u"'
am blamed for not lighting Opera.
lions commenced about the otn OF May
I was relieved on the 18TH OF ou'y. IN
that time we fought daily, always u,,ot 90
circumstances so favorable 10 us de ~, ~
make IL certain that the sum OF me
nnemv's losses was five times ours, whlch
was 10000 men. Northern papers nsp' 80
sented theirs up to about me emu o os
Jupe at 5000. Sherman's progress was
Mt the rate of mile and quarter d
day. Had this style of 1ghting peen ar
Iowed 10 continue. is II not clear that We
would soon have been able 10 give oa..is
with abundant chances OF ., W. s,de 90" ~
that the enemy. beaten on this sue 40
C,hattanooga. would have been destroyed
II is certain that Shermans army was
stronger compared with that or Ten
nessee. than Grants. compared WIN 'na'
serts that Sherman's was anso ,;,
Stronger than Grants 1t rs we'll known
that the Army Of virginia was mucn
VII then should I be condemned for
tho defensive. while General Lee was
sdding to his great fame by the same
! course General bragg seems 10
earned at Missionary Ridge his present
high position. People report a. C prano
| bus and Montgomery that General stage
| ia that my losses had been frightful |.
| that I had dsregarded the wishes anu
instructions of the President; that ne lau
| in vain implored me TO change my coui -, &c
| by which / suppose Is meant assume 'he
AS these things are utterly untrue ~
Is not TO be supposed that they were said
by General Bragg. The President gave We
| me no instructions and expresses M
wishes, except just before we reached
| III Chattahoochee warning me not 70
! fight with the river behind us ana
against crossing It,. ana previously d he
tacb 10 Grants aid. General Bragg pass
| ed some ten hours with me just peioic
I was relieved, and gave me the lhpres-
| sion that his visit 10 the army va
casual he being on his way further wes !
,o endeavor to get us reinforcements
iron, Kirby Smith and Lee. j thought
| him satisfied with the state OF tnihs ~ ,,
hut not so with that in virginia, ne
49,, -, thai he Dad eiwavs man, aI =
Cd IN Richmond that sherman,s army
yas stronger than Grants. ne saiu
nntb,ns Of the intention to reneve me.
| but talked with Genera nouu ren,ovat
s''hiect as / learned after my remoVai.
IT. is clear that his expedition had no
| other object than my removal, anu tie
| s,vug proper direction 10 PUBIC opsli' VI
on the subject He couia nave nav "a 4
man of honor In his place would nave
communicated with me, as wei as WIN
| Hood on the subject. Being expected 70
nth sd and 2sth of July. disastrously.
| iosinc more men than / had done In
seyenty-two days Since then ms de-
sensive has been at least as quiet as
Rut YOU must be tired Of this. We are
| u,ing very quietly and pleasantly here.
| THE Georgians have been very hospltaple.
| We stopped here merely because IL was
cordially 10 Mrs. Maury. Tell her the
| g.oves arrived most opportunity: Mine
| had just been lost, and II wouln nave
| been impossible TO buy more. ana they
| are lovely. Just before ] left the army
we thought the odds against us had been
! reduced almost six to four, | have not
| supposed. therefore. that Sherman could
| either invest Atlanta or carry II by
| assault.
J. L. JOHNSTON.
Major-Generai Maury.
This is a very remarkable lette- and
there can be no question that history
IL beginning to do General Johnston JUS
| tire and Is fast inaki~r nn 49," Fo'l'
thai Mr.. Davis greatly injured the cause
~ the Confederacy when he removed him
from the command of his army Opinion
Is fast coming to the conclusion tha'
Johnston's retreat before sherman was
wise, and one OF the greatest peiio'-
mances In war. and that he would have
destroyed him and his army If Mr..
Davis had let him alone. MIR. Davis was
not only a patriot but good and. in
deed a great man. but his mistakes were
also great: and coming from one In his
position. their consequences were most
serious.
EnVTnRIAI, COMMENTS