Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-10-13


Beauregard have followed up his
victory; captured washington and held 1t
permanently? Would The war just begun
have ended there by compromiseF Or
would the north have continued the strug-
gle for the supremacy Of Old GloryE
which side would have been victorious;
and where would have been the final bat
tleheld7
believe that the questions involved are
so complex and so far fetched, that 1t IS
beyond the power OF Finite Mind TO Of
/ fer a solution that would be generally ac-
copied Yet we must not lose sight OF the
fact that there were possibilities and OPP
portunities so favorable to the Confede-
acy that IL spanned her horizon like an
arch OF golden starsr' All this faded
from view and so the Confederacy died
a cruel death. through the lack OF push
and energy OF the powers that command
ed her armies at list Bull Run"
A contributor to The Journal has said
that the Confederate army was not an
'sarny OF invasion" but Of peace and sep
aratlon, or words to that effect:
Pray tell me, then, by what means olo
Il expect 10 accomplish that much desired
peace and separation? Surely not by
standing on the right bank OF the Potomac
and shooting away all its ammunition and
eating up all its provisions? Not much!
II was an army OF invasion as all armies
are Truly. its proposition was peace and
separation, and II not granted by its an
tagonist IL was there to INVADE her terri
tory and make him fight.
At the commencement Of the war Con-
federacy had full possession Of the south
side of the Potomac from Alexandria to its
mouth. and defended by strong batteries,
In fact the whole coast from Fortress
Monroe 10 Texas, with exception Of Key
West and Fort Pickens. She had also the
Mississippi from Columbus. KY, to the
gulf, the Tennessee. Cumberland and all
other important Nsouthern inland rivers.
All these were defended by strong bat
teries. She had also acquired over S5o,OOo.-
600 in money and valuable war supplies.
Her banks and her people had, also, many
millions OF money, which was given 10 the
cause with loving hearts. She had paid
the strict attention to the preparation or
war, with the exception of one OF its most
potent factors. THE Army" and without
an army at least nearly equal In numbers
to it's antagonist. war on the weaker side
generally is a failure. The bravery and
endurance OF what the Confederacy did
have was sublime. The required 10000
more men than she had JCiy p, 1861, fore
thought combined with energy, could
have had them, and she needed 5000 Of
them at Blackburn's Ford that day.
MARYLAND and Kentucky would have fell
Her recruiting grounds enlarged, also her
foreign credit.
Had General James Longstreet Cknown
/ later on in the war as Lees Old War
Horse'D who commanded brigade in that
memorable battle, been in command OF
Beauregard's army, he would have been
| in Washington two days later. He was
one OF the greatest strategists In either
army. I did not know that then, but to
my great discontinue. 1 learned 1t on the
peninsular in front of Richmond, and
again on this same battlefield at the sec
ond battle of Bull Run.
was only a boy witness. not a soldier.
and escaped capture by a hasty flight to
Washington, via Sendly Springs. At this
second battle was a participant and es-
capped the same fate by just as hasty
flight, via Warrenton Pike and Stone
Bridge, with that marvellous fighter.
''stonewaII' Jackson ripping up our
TANKS.
and every follower of his sword
Could all endure and dare;
Becoming strong In hope
Or stronger IN despair"
Lord Houghton's Verses.
And the "Old War Horse laundering at
our heels.
AS previously stated those two great
generals were present on the field at the
/ first battle. Then they were only briga-
der commanders under Beauregard. Now,
| they each dictate the movements of an
excellent corps, with that general OF gen.
erals, r. E. Lee. at the head. But times
are altered. Washington Is impregnable
/ by fort and cannon, and bone and sinew.
President Davis was compelled to call up
on Lee TO save the Confederate capital
Why had he not Lee with those two ex-
cellent corps at Bull Run, July n, 1861, to
capture the federal capital?
When the ordinance OF secession was
adopted there were fifteen siave-holding
states, three territories and the District
| OF Columbia. representing nearly 100000
slaves. which might naturally be expected
4 TO WELD a powerful influence in behalf Of
! secession, and when II became known ear
" in June that only eleven Of that number
i had fell into line. II behooved the Confed-
crate power that ruled 10 put In the field
an adequate army to bring in those states
/ OF so vital importance to future success,
viz: Missouri, Maryland and Kentucky.
/ knowing that their lukewarmness only
required a little extra fuel to make them
boil. Maryland alone was worth all the
others at that stage Of the game. 1 mean
by that. Western Virginia would not have
i been lost. and northern sympathy utilized
i TO better effect II required a great mill
tary genius with absolute control Of the
Il movements OF her armies, and president
Il and secretary OF war Wiling 70 supply the
sinews Of war. For the former position,
General r. z. Lee; next in line, James
LOngstreet, 7. j. Jackson and Albert Sid
/ ney Johnston, that galaxy of invincibles,
directing with freedom the movements of
an army, all else being equal, there could
not be a suggestion OF defeat. What I
have presumed TO offer In this article
| may appear worthless or of little value TO
the reader. Nevertheless. they are the
honest convictions OF a soldier who served
four years with the federal army on the
battle line for the preservation and integ-
rity Of our great national union and Old
O.ory. not for the freedom of the black
man and suffrage.
Had we been able TO have kept at home
those wild and blear-eyed black abolition
lists that overran the south. tore up their
| so-called underground railroads. sent them
| on missions Of Summing through the cess
pools Of their native cities and towns, we
would have had no war. Their work was
the harbinger Of the state rights. nullifca-
ton, separation, secession, and a myriad
other alarms long before the writer was
born. and in my day the border troubles.
until their holiness led them 10 dare civil
or national authority. and the execution
| OF Ossawattomie Brown served only to
intensity their struggle; then the war
bitter and cruel. the sacrifice of billions of
treasure and hundreds of thousands OF
killed and MANNED white humanity.
| I remember that when the Confederate
provisional congress. which had been pre-
| vio,tslv made up. DELEGATES APPOINTED by