The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-02-03

General Grant had warned sherman of the danger of Lees sending troops from Virginia to attack his rear while Johnston assailed his front at Atlanta. So, as soon as sherman got McPner- son's and Schofelds troops over ne Chatahooche, about two- thirds of his army he hurried them of to Decatur and Stone Mountain to tear up the ran. road to Augusta. While these ps sro0ps was preparing to cross Peachtree Creek by pontoons Wheeler had reported this scattering of Sherman's troops on the early evening of July 1T and Gen eral Johnston issued orders to his corps commanders at 9:3o o'clock that
 ready for instant movement. His purpose was to attack Thomas. deteat him before help could reach him and attack other parts of sherman's army l in turn.
 About an hour after this order to l the corps commanders had been issued. | a telegram came to General Johnston | from the Secretary of War. Seddon. directing him to turn over his command q most of the day of the 18th trying to | induce the President to revoke the or der and trying to induce General John
 ston to pocket 1t and fight his battle. Thus time passed. It was late In the afternoon of the goth, nearly three days after Johnston had planned to fight Thomas crossing Peachtree Creek, when
 Hood got ready to fight on that plan Even then he only got Stewards corps formerly Folks. into action. By this time Shermans troops, who had been o fftowards Augusta. tearing up the
 railroad, to prevent Lees troops IT any, to come up. Stewart met a bloody re- pulse after most heroic fighting.
 General Johnston had 20 effectively l fortified Atlanta that although sherman strong Hoods assaulted the works from July 22 to August 31. he never took the place until Hood. September l. evacu-
 tsd it and nd farFisG ca Psmstto she stnten The Dalton Atlanta campaign con" tinued from May until July IT. in- elusive, covering over ninety-six miles to Iohnston's IS ii to {. When John atom was removed, he stood to Sherman
 as to Il. sherman had conquered no territory except ten or fifteen miles overrun on either side of the railroad Johnston's plan of operations would never have allowed the enemy to do the country any harm except the mar row belt along his line of march. Ger tairly sherman could never have turn. ed back. Johnston believed he could hold Atlanta forever" as he put 1t. Certainly sherman could not pesiege the place. Johnston had his base. Ma con. safe in his possession. Sherman's base was Louisville Kentucky. Gen
 eral sherman says his army 100000 men and 35.000 horses. required 13O
 loaded freight cars daily. Johnston from Mississippi to break the railroad
 south of Chattanooga, and keep 1t broken for some days to stop Sher-
 mans trains. The attempt was not made.
 No army of invasion ever did the.
 invaded country so little harm as
 Sherman's. while Johnston confronted
 a remote prospect of capturing Atlanta from Johnston as long as Johnston
 chose to hold the place.
 General Sherman was out-generaled
 and his army had become useless to
 the cause of the invader. as long as Johnston confronted him. Hood says Johnston intended to retreat to Ma
 con. 120 miles further. and there fight.
 Was not that strategy of promise of Sherman'S ruin.
 General Johnston was relieved from duty until. on the application of Gen eral Lee. he was restored to command the fragments of his old army. in
 North Carolina, late in February.
 He surrendered this small force to sherman at Greensboro April 2s. No commander ever lived who ros- sessed more of the confidence of his troops than Johnston. Polk. Hardee.
 ever- officer as far as known and every private as far as known. trusted him explicitly without reserve or qual-
 ihcation. General Lee thorouRhly
 trusted him. General Hood wrote @ book after the war. The President
 wrote a magnificent hook after the or Petersburg was never stratAfic
 rositon to save the life of the Confed-
 eracv: that Atlanta was not a strategic position t0 save Richmond.
 Under conduct of the Army of North ern .VIrripia adverse to the opinion of Lee. that glorious army was de-
 strnyed. finder conduct of the Army of Tennessee fixed bv the government against the views of Johnston. that
 splendid army ignomniously perlshed