The National tribune., 1906-04-12

keep them from piling up on one an
other.
Starting from Nashville with Nc
Cooks Division, March 16, the army's
march was arrested at Columbia, Tenn,
by finding the bridge over Duck River
in flames and the river at flood stage.
Gen. McCook Immediately began build
ing bridge, but McCook was not dis
tinguished for energy or resourceful-
ness, and the work went on very slow
ly-too slowly for the hot-tempered
Nelson, and even for the methodical
Buell., who arrived on March 26 and
Immediately ordered the construction
Of a bridge of boats. Even this went
on with what later in the war would
have been considered objectionable
slowness. for 1t took four days to COM
plete. In 1864 an engineer who could
not bridge a stream the size of Duck
River in the afternoon and evening, SO
that the army could be across the next
morning, would have been summarily
dismissed, as mot the man for Gal
way"
The chafing Nelson was watching the
river with restless eyes, and as soon as
he saw ii had fallen sufficiently to al
low fording, begged permission to cross
with his division and take the advance.
Probably not unwilling to rebuke the
too leisurely McCook. Buell. gave Nelson
liberty TO go ahead, and on the after
noon Of March 20 and morning OF
March 80 Nelson managed TO get his
division across and strike out for Sa-
vannah. 80 miles away. As the bridge
was now ready. the other divisions fol-
lowed, with their intervals OF six miles.
McCook seems to have been quite indif-
ferent about the advance. Buell. sent
messages to Halleck and Grant that his
army would be at Savannah on Sunday
and Monday, April 6, Z.
rI Nvnlz
from Gen. Grant. telling him not to
hurry his march. as he could not be
ferried across the river before Tuesday.
April 3. Nelson went on, nevertheless,
and arrived In Savannah April s, where
Buell.. who had ridden ahead OF the
rest OF the army. found him I'm camp
that evening. Gen. Grant had come
over to see Nelson. and said that he
would send boats for Nelson Monday
or Tuesday, some time early in the
week." He also said:
There will be no fight at Pitts.
burg Landing; we will have to go to
Corinth. where the rebels are fortified
LIZ they come to attack US we can whip
them. as l have more than twice as
many troops as / had at Fort Donel-
son."
Grant made an appointment to meet
Buell. the next day.
Albert Sidney Johnston's Movements.
Gen. Beauregard claimed that he
raised, concentrated and organized the
army which fought at Shiloh; that he
persuaded Gen. Johnston to turn aside
from a retreat to Stevenson. Ala, and
| join him at COrinth, and that he sub
stituted an offensive campaign for the
defensive one planned by Johnston. and
| that he likewise planned the battle Of
Shiloh, executed all the general move
| ments on the field, and that Gen. John
ston was merely the nominal command
! er. This claim has been bitterly dis
puted by the Dayis-Johnston party
among the Confederates and by their
greater official and press facilities they
managed TO drown out the Beauregard
party. Both sides were notably fine
| fictionists, and, after all, the exact truth
J is Of minor consequence.
II Is not to the credit Of either that
! the attack on Grants army was not
made sooner. From the day that Gen.
C. F. Smith made the first encampment
| at Pittsburg Landing the number Of
| troops at Corinth greatly exceeded those
at Pittsburg Landing, and as the dis-
tance between tho swo pIaeez was only
20 miles. u would have been possible
] at any time for the Confederates by a
prnu.Dt movement to have annihilated
the Union force AS early as March %
Johnston had $4,000 men at Corinth.
Bragg brought UP 10000 well-driiled.
well-disciplined men from Pensacola,
Pope Walker brought 1000 from Mis-
sissippi, and Ruggles 5000 from New
Orleans. The Governors OF Southern
States sent forward regimeu1s In re-