The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1912-05-10

most certainly, have resulted in their
own undoing.
The writer Of this was in the fray
and though he wore no shoulder
straps of authority, and laid claim to
no streak of exceptional military abii-
ity. yet the situation seemed plain
that the Confederates ceased their
a Vance none too soon for their own
safety.
some of General Buelrs troops
reached the sorely pressed Federals
late Sunday afternoon and Sunday
night, and the tide of battle turned
on the morning of Monday the 9Th.
Some spirited action took place on
Monday, but It was tame in COMPARE
son with sundays struggle. The Con-
federates were pushed back toward
their former camps at Corinth, Miss,
and the bloody battle of Shiloh end
| ed.
The two armies had been fairly well
matched in numbers on Sunday, with
some preponderance in the Confed-
crate ranks. The Federa's outnum-
bered their enemies ON Monday. The
casualties in killed, wounded and
missing were somewhat greater
among the Federals than the Confed-
crates. History places the victory
with the army that wore the blue and
the defeat with the one in gray. The
victory was very costly one to the
victors, and the defeat was doubly
grevous to those who sustained it.
The Federals held their ground;
and their campaign to break the Con-
federate lines by capturing the Men,
phis and Charleston Railroad was
only halted but not frustrated Az
ter a rest and additional troops their
plans were pushed forward to sue
cess The defeat of the Confederates
had to be borne as straight and
costly one without any mitigation
whatever, except that they had fought
bravely and inflicted punishment
upon their enemies as severe as they
had themselves received.
General Johnston's plans We're to
push back the Federal lines by de-
feating Grant at Pittsburg Landing
before Buell. could reach him with his
army that was marching across the
country from Nashville to form u
junction with Grant. Success in this
would have left him with "a victorious
army with which TO meet Buell. and
try for a victory over him. Johnston
was without question an able general
and a brave one, and his plans. as to
that battle, had merit and promise Of
success. but it was undoubtedly the
criticism of the Southern press that
constrained him to offer battle when
he did. Perhaps his enthusiasm pre-
vented him from consideration of all
the chances against him. There was
no immediate pressure upon him to
force a meeting with the enemy. His
plans fixed the time for attack 70
be Saturday morning, the 9Th of
April but rains and bad roads and
perhaps other mishaps delayed the at
tack till Sunday. What that delay
cost Johnston's army is an unsolvable
problem.
General Johnston we'll knew that
his unavoidable loss of time very
greatly reduced his chances of sue
cess, but it is not to be conjectured
that there was any wavering or
thought of abandoning or postponing
the attack. His plans had progressed
too far and the enemy was in close
striking distance-too close for him to
allow his purpose to be baked by the
delay. Then with his whole heart in
it, and with great ability, he threw
his troops into the battle that was
lost. He himself did not see the end.
He fell on Sunday while the tide of
battle seemed to be running in his
favor; and doubtless that death would
not have been unwelcome if by
prophetic vision he could have seen
what the end of his army was TO be
next day. G. NJ. ROWE,
Houston, Texas.