The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1903-01-07
WAR STORIES.
Stray Bits Of Confederate History.

{ soon IN the same neighborhood, and in
close communication with General
Johnston. The last cabinet meeting
took place within his military lines.
1t was finally decided that Johnston
could not hold out, and he was left to
make his own terms with Sherman.
at that last meeting the question
came up, "What shall be done with
the rccords?' One of the parties
present advised that they be burned
IN order to prevent their capture by
the Federal troops. But General
Johnston was cool olheaded, as we'll as a
good fighter. lie stated that when
the war was over there would come a
.'rne when the history Of the events
would have to be written. The United
States would have the reports of bat
ties sent in by the Federal generals on
which to draw for historical material
as we'll as the Congressional records.
The South might want to write its
version o! the battles and siegcs, the
victories and defeats fought out in
the Southern cause. The records Of
the Confederate government would be
OF priceless value along this line.
The South $ side Of the war could not
be written without access to the re-
cords written by Confederate officers.
10 destroy these records might be to
cripple the South, and render South
ern history we'll nigh impossible. He
therefore advised that the Confeder-
ate archives be turned oyer to General
Sherman, with request that they be
sent to the adjutant general at Wash
ington, and there preserved as part
of the records Of the war.
The Davis Bearregard Feud.
The records of the armies under
Beauregard, Johnston and Robert T..
Lee were found among the arcnives.
These were the records kept at the
headquarters of these generals re-
spectively. It is needless to say that
these officers, having had military
edncation, kept their records we'll and
in regulation style. Among the let
ters captured at Beauregard' 8 head
quarters were many letters of politi-
cal character, written by Augusta j.
Evans, the Southern novelist and
authoress Of "St. Elmo" "Macarie"
and "Beulah," books which had quite
run between 1861 and 1865, but now
somewhat out of date, being founded
on political conditions which are now
settled and referred to only as matters
of past history. These letters were
on the current political affairs of that
date. They were in her usual pleas
ant style and breathed G lofty senti-
ment from a Southern etaudpoint.
She was decidedly opposed to the
manner in which Jefferson Davis
treated both Beauregard and "Joe''
Johnston, and denounced the Confed-
crate president for his overbearing
methods and despotio will. She dis
liked Davis almost as much as she did
the Yankees" Beauregard's records
showed the answers to these letters.
They were strictly digni6ed responses
to her views, dwelling on his personal
opinions Of the military situation, and
the way in which affairs were con-
Quoted by the Confederate chief mag
istrate. His criticisms of him were
many and bitter. 1t was an ill-con-
cealed secret in military circles in the
South that Davis and Beauregard
wasted no love on each other, but
hated with an intensity which moth
ing except the danger to their COM
mon cause kept within bounds.
Beauregard claimed that after the bat
tie of Shiloh Mr.. Davis, without
cause, withdrew him from active SER
vice in the field, where he could win
distinction, and assigned him to en-
gineering and defensive duty at
Charleston and other seacoast towns,
where he was practically shelved.
Among other documents captured
with Beaurcgard were several hundred
anonymous printed pamphlets severe
ly criticizing MIR. Davis for partiality,
obstinacy and imperfect knowledge of
the military situation and for, abuse of
power. Under military law Beaure-
gard would have been courtmartialed
if he had publicly expressed senti-
ments which we're thus privately dis
tributed among his trusted friends.
The author was discreet enough to
have printed across the front page Of
each pamphlet in conspicuous type
. ho II ttD.:okoI L.. M D.l1:.l.