The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-09-27
THE ARMY OF TENNESSEE

aMMulH lHuNmaHM uhu uHuHu uHmEm waxIAs Johnston's department included Klr- ny smiths small army at Knoxville. brasg's army, about 4o.000. at Mur- freesboro Maury's army at Mobile. perhaps l5,000, and Pemberton's army at vfcksburs about 15.ooo.
 As soon as Johnston was informed or his assignment, he promptly advised
 concentration of all the scattered arr mics. no one strong enough to effect
 result and that Holmes. across the
 Mississippi with full 10000 effectives. Idle. without prospect of usefulness there. be immediately brought to the
 east side and joined to the main body.
 Thus he would organize a force full 100000 strong. He would drive Grant from Mississippi and this success would force Rosecrans to abandon
 Nashville and flee into Ohio. The Con federates would then cross the Ohio.
 If Ohio was made safe against them at all, 1t must be by withdrawal of troops ever fronting General Lee in Virginia. Lee thus freed from pres sure would move into Pennsylvania,
 threaten Baltimore. capture Phiiadel- | phia and altogether. the war would be pitched upon the only plane pos- sible of success-the Napoleonic plane. General G. W. Randolph, then Secre- tary of War most Heartily approved Johnston's plans. The order to Holmes to cross the Mississippi had actually been issued before Johnston unfolded his strategy to Randolph. The Presi- dent now becameAcognizant of what was going on, revoked the order to Holmes and Immediately set out for Chattanooga, where the entire project of concentration was annulled. oncs and forever.
 When the President reached Chatta- nooga, about the middle of December, 1862. General Johnston was absent at Bragg's headquarters at Murfreesboro. If he had been allowed to remain here two weeks longer. there would have been no battle of Murfreesboro" In Confederate history The President | sent for Johnston to appear at depart ment headquarters. He said Grant was
 about to oyerrun Mississippi from
 Memphis, then to capture Vicksburg and on to Mobile. Johnston did not think Tennessee and Mississippi could be held at the same time on the de- fensive plan but that both Grant and Rosecrans could be compelled to vacate their positions by defeating one and | then the other by a combinat ton of all the Confederate troops available for the movement. The President dissent | ed.
 Mir. Davis. leaving the general com | manding at Chattanooga went over | to Braggs headquarters.. In two or
 three days he returned. He instructed Johnston to move Stevenson's Division, 10000 fine troops, from Chattanooga to Vicksburg. Johnston protested and l the President wrote the order himself. | The day after Stevenson moved. Rose- | crans moved out of Nashville with co., 900 men. a splendid army to assault | Bragg.
 Before Stevenson reached his des- l tination, Van Doran captured Holly | Springs, destroyed all of Grants vast stores on which his expedition depend- ed and thus forced him back to Mem | phis in tnglorious abandonment of his
 campaign. So it happened Stevenson in ! a time of great need had no power l to engage in battle.
 The President took General John.
 ston with him to Mississippi and Bragg fought at Murfresboro.
 It was a noble company of soldiers I who commanded. in their spheres. re. spectively the Army of Tennessee at
 it's organization, December. 1862. in | that magnificent farming valley. Mid-
 ale Tennessee. General Johnston had
 fought in several wars and bore the
 scars of all He was by nature a sol.
 dier and had been educated at West
 Point. He was feet 10 inches tall.
 never corpulent but of large bone and | muscular. His capacity for endurance, | physical or mental labor was remark able. He was daring horseman, rid l ing even within his lines at the gallon
 habitually. He was born not far from I Appomattox Court House and in the war time was at the zenita of his DOW | CTS. General Bragg was educated at l West Point, and served many years in
 the United States Army. As captain of
 artillery at Buena Vista he distinguish
 ed himself. He resiened after the Mex | lean war to take charge Of his plaI1ta-
 tion and slaves in the Southern part
 of Louisiana, and was living there when | he offered his sword to the Confeder- acy. Both he and Johnston were ard l ent supporters of the moral and polit- | ical right of the South to secede. These
 two held the rank of General. the high. 1 est rank.
 Polk and Hardee were the two Lieu
 tenant Generals. taking priority of | rank as their names hero stand. Both l were graduates of West Point. Each was tall, commanding. and elegant in
 manners. Polk was Bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Diocese of Lou | isiana and a large slave owner and | planter. Hardee was a professional 1 soldier. dashing and gallant and ef-
 fective. No better officer was known
 in either army and no more inspiring l commander.
 The Major Generals. in rank as their
 names here stand. were Breckinridge
 of Kentucky, the handsomest man in
 the army; Cheatham of Tennessee,
 Withers of Alabama. Cleburne of Ar
 kansas and McCown, commanding Tex
 as and Arkansas troops. None but
 Withers had military education. unless
 1t was McCown, whose antecedents l
 don't know. Withers graduated at | West Point and was in the army for
 awhile in early life. He was also in
 the war with Mexico. Breckinridge re-
 signed from the United States Senate
 to come to the Confederacv. Cheatham
 was in civil life. Withers was cot
 ton factor in Mobile. Cleburne was a
 native of Ireland. once private In the
 British army. but was a lawyer in
 practice at Helena, Ark. when he vol
 unteered in the Confederate army He
 was a great soldier and rose rapidly | in rank.
 Gen. Joseph Wheeler. Chief of Cav. airy, was educated at West Point and in 1862 was 26 years of age. Forrest
 was a cotton planter. about 40 years of
 age John II. Morgan was from pri-
 vate life and John A. Wharton of
 Texas was without military training
 These were the ranking cavalry officers | n