The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-05-23

army VI tuS OHApSu states.
Under the act of the confederate con-
gress of Marcn IA five briSadiers were APP
pointed with relative rank. as follows, viz:
l. Joseph E. Johnston, brigadier United
States army.
2. Samuel Cooper. colonel United States
army.
3. Sydney Johnston. colonel United
4. R. E. Lee, ueutenant-colonel United
States army.
5. G. T. Beauregard, captain United
States army.
On May 16 congress passed another act
declaring that those five brigadiers should
have the rank and denomination of gen
erals, but when the President issued to
them commissions he changed their law
full rank thus:
First Cooper to rank as general May 16;
| second A. S. Johnston from May %: third
Lee from June IA; fourth, j. f. Johnston.
July 5; fifth, Beauregard, July q.
Gen. Joe Johnston filed his
remonstrance against a ruling so
unjust, and then went on do
ing his duty as only he was able to
do it. to the very end.
On July q was fought the first battle of
| Manassas, of which Joe Johnston was
| the superintendent providence He issued
the orders and moved the troops and di-
rected the blows which produced the great
result"
Early in May, 1862 (see page 50, Bradley
| Johnson Johnston had upon the PENN
| sula an army of $1,000 men. Mcclellan, with
! 10000 men, was slowly advancing by reg
ular approaches to attack Johnston, Nc
( Dowell lying at Fredericksburg with 10000
| men. 1t was necessary for Johnston to
| withdraw from the Peninsula and take
position near Richmond, from which he
| could meet the attack of either wing.
In the execution of this movement he
vryo1
who was repulsed with great vigor by
| Johnston.
Johnston captured many prisoners, ten
colors, and twelve field pieces. McClel-
Ian made no further attack.
Johnston held the field, slept upon it,
and next day pursued his march towards
| Richmond. Mcclellan made no further at
| tempt to modest the confederate army,
which marched quietly on to Richmond
| and took position near Seven Pines, six
| miles from the city.
| This battle of Williamsburg has been
claimed by some writers as "a great
| union victory!' Ut was one of those bril-
| liant strokes of battle which Johnston
knew how and when to deliver and an
| effectual defeat of the great federal
| army.
Johnston urged upon the President the
| importance of at once assembling all of
| the dispersed troops of the confederaey
|
| ing upon Mcclellan, whom he had thus
! drawn from his base, and crushing him.
| Neither the President nor Gen. Lee APP
| proved of this, and so the opportunity
was lost of destroying then and there the
greatest and best organized army that
| ever invaded Virginia.
| Mcclellan moved up and occupied the
| opposite side of the Chickahominy. John
ston was reinforced by brlgades from
| Norfolk and North Carolina, and by the
latter part of May his whole force was
| $4,000 electives.
| On the 22d of May Mcclellan did what
Johnston hoped he would do, "straddled"
the Chickahominy with his army throw
| ing the two corps of Heintzleman and
Keys over to the west, the side upon
which Johnston lay with his army, hoping
| for the opportunity thus given him by
| his great adversary. The separated corps
advanced very slowly towards Johnston,
and entrenched as they came. Johnston
knew the treacherous character of the
| Chiczahominy, and hoped from the wea-
Their indications that the stream would
soon be in flood, so that he might destroy
| the two advanced corps before Mcclellan
could get to their help.
On May 2S Johnston prepared to attack
the separated corps The elements. as he
foresaw, help him. heavy rain swelling
the Chickahominy so that all cooperation
| separated
| corps was impossible, when Longstreet
| that Incompatible corps commander, fell
| upon Heintzleman and Keys. Ellis on
slaught drove back the first line, the Sec
ond line, the third line and the fourth
and last federal line"
"They were routed, rolled up, disorgan-
lied. AT nightfall came Sumner, over the
flood and swinging bridge, to the assist
ance of his comrades, but he was too late
| hi I.of
he got up"
About o'clock p. M, May 80, about sun
down, Gen. Joe Johnston records that he
| received "a slight wound in the right
shoulder" The slight wound" had smash
ed through his shoulder-blade, and would
serve any other soldier to talk about all
the rest Of his life, but he says, "and a
few minutes after was endorsed" by a
heavy fragment Of shell, which struck
him In the breast. This fragment broke
three OF his ribs and placed him hors de
combat for many months. These made
eleven wounds the great soldier had re-
ceived In battlel
No commander was ever personally so
daring as Joe Johnston. II was his only
weakness, but most amiable weakness.
| which one commander we can name did
not exhibit in the presence Of armed ad-
versares, but was very brave TO women.
In May, 1868, Johnston was ordered TO
Jackson. Miss, 10 command Pemberton' S
and Bragg's forces. He urged that
Holmes be brought over from Arkansas
where he had 5000 men lying Inactive,
and which, added to the forces In Missls-
sippi could have overwhelmed Grant who
had crossed that river after opening Il to
his fleets and troops, and thus left Vicks-
burg OF no further use 10 the confederate
cause.
Could Pembertons. Holmes, and John
ston's forces have been united they would
undoubtedly have beaten Grant, but this
was not 10 be. The confederate govern
ment disregarded Johnstons advice, Penn
berton disobeyed Johnston's orders, kept
his army In Vicksburg, which had ceased
TO be OF value 10 the confederacy. surren-
dered Il 10 Grant upon the 9Th Of July, and
sealed the fate OF the southern cause.
Soon after this calamity Johnston as
Bumed command OF the army OF Tennes-
see. when, under Bragg. had been routed
at Missionary Ridge.
After many battles. IN which he almost
daily defeated the enemy's attempts 10
turn his flank. he was removed from CON-
mand. The following letter from Gen. Joe
| Tahnafon gives hla own. clear statement