The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-12-13

in command in Central Affssissippi. Walker wrote to President Davis. en- closing a copy of Cleburne's paper. Walker first requested General Jchn- ston to forward the copy to the Secre- tary of War, but the commanding gem eral declined. The President took the matter seriously. writing fin reply to Walker to have care that the news papers should not get hold of the paper. and writing to General Johnston 1nti- mating his apprehensions from it The day after the meeting In his quarters, General Johnston submitted to the Sec retary of War an independent 0roposi- ton looking to the employment of ns- groes in the armies of the Confederacy. {. He said in his department about 10, 900 soldiers were detailed as clerks roy dpartermasters and commissaries, as teamsters. as nurses at hospitals, etc. He would put negroes in these places and pay them one-han the wages while the masters received the other half. The general suggested that by this device. which might be instantaneous of use, the effective strength oS the active army might be increased in perhaps A0.U0o men He had nothing to say about the Cleburne paper or the meeting at his quarters. The government took no no> tice of his letter. General Lee finally advised the enlistment Of slaves for the army and Congress passed a bill provids ing for slave volunteers. At the fall of the Confedertcy Brigadier General John T. Morgan had recruiting station near Uniontown. Perry County, Ala, and received there many slaves There weer certain conditions of liberty att tached to the status of the volunteers. The experiment. had already proven the success of the policy when the end came.
 When General Bragg retired from command as soon as possible after the disaster of Missionary Ridge. Lieuten- ant General Hardee as next in rank took his place. The President insist ed on bestowing permanent command on Hardee but the chivalrous veteran declined. He confessed his mind was not comprehensive enough for such responsibility and moreover General Johnston was the proper commander for the occasion. Bragg was called to Richmond immediately and was vir- tually promoted over all field com manders by the appointment conferred on him of Chief of Staff to the Presi- dent
 Grants successes at Vicksburg and Missionary Ridge were the only suc- cesses of the army of invasion in the last half of 1868 and they created an unexpected favorable estimate of his capacity. General Lee seems to have considered that had he won complete field at Gettysburg. the life of the Confederacy would have been assured. Be that as 1t may. he came within a hairs breath of a great victory. so near that Meade rendered his resigna- ton. or threatened to do as the result of the battle. At any rate. after Mis- sionary Ridge the promotion of Grant to command of all the armies in the field was joyfully received by the politicians and the soldiers. He has, tened directly to Meade's headquarters in Northern Virginia without even pausing in Washington long enough to call on the President, whom he had l never seen.
 Grant succeeded Rosecrans soon after Chickamauga and now after Mis- sionary Ridge sherman succeeded ] Grant. Grant and Sherman were in- timate friends and fortune had placed them in direct command respectively | of the two great mobilized armies of conquest. They were very different even in temperament and mental struc- ture yet they worked together with | perfect harmony.
 J. W. D.