The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1914-04-03

They are very comfortable, though
very rough in appearance. They are
so much closer and warmer indeed
than our tents, that / am afraid they
will prove less healthy as the occa-
slonal severe exposure to which we
are unavoidably subjected is apt to
tell with greater effect upon us. Jack
and l will have a 14x12 to ourselves,
as Dogan has not reported for duty
and this we will have ample space,
etc.
l have not heard from Will in a
fortnight as there is no mail commun-
lcation, and the roads are almost i'm
passable. He wrote to me to make
application for a furlough in his be-
half, which | did but was informed
that he could only obtain one on
Thomson's medical certificate, to IL
ceive which he must first be exan,-
ined. | have written to him to come
In for this purpose, and shall do what
can to run him thro the blockade.
Jack is getting stout once more, tho
rot yet entirely we'll, and your num-
r|c servant for the first time in his
life. weighs 130 lbs.
] shall have to piece out my letter
with such tame details as the above
.or want of better material. You see
that the authorities at Washington
are still amusing the people by prom
lSeS to advance on Jos. Johnston's
lines. 1t is an utter impossibility for
them to do this. They cannot trans
port the material of an army from
Arlington Heights to Centreville.
Rave seen our horse wagons go
f. load of wood in the mornin 2
when the ground was firmer tran
usual from the effect of frost, and
before they could return it would b.
s. thoroughly liquidfed that the
Wagons would with difficulty rcacn
camp empty. The roads which are
congealed hard one day, are so tlawed
as to be impossible the next The
weather is as changeable here as il.
South Carolina, and it would be mad
ness in Mcclellan to risk his whole
army with all his appointments, upon
the uncertain, or rather certain
changes. No advance will be made
here before late in Spring, and no
one here imagines such a movement
possible before. You will have heard
before this reaches you that Beaure-
gard has been removed to the Depart
nent at Knoxville, where the magic
of his name will soon repair the
damage done to our cause on Cumber-
land river. We part with him re-
gretfully. He had our confidence and
an our hearts; Napolean never had
the love of his soldiers in a greater
degree. Our present commander in
chief, Johnston, resides in Centre
VILE, and l see him every day. He
Is medium sized, of active build,
Swartny, animated face, keen spark
ling eyes, is slightly grey and gesticu-
lates IN talking. No one could be
more unostentatious and unpretcnd-
ing; his dress is habitually a plain
grey SUIT without facings; and as he
walks along the street without escort
OF any kind, one finds it difficult in
the absence of all the insignia Of of
rank to recognize in him the acknowl-
edged head of the immense masses
congregated around Centreville and
Manassas.
| see by your letter that you have
imbibed the opinion carefully and la
boriously inculcated by that Thyrsitcs
o. our Southern press, the Charleston
Mercury, that Johnston is not rne
he ad, but only an instrument in the
hards of Davis, whose word is law,
and according to whose plans our
campaigns must be conformed. With
all the lights before me, | believe yo.
to be wrong. Is Gen. Beauregard en-
titled to have his solemn assurance
credited? He published in a Columbia
paper that his aid, Col. Preston, on
emphatic denial of the assertion that
there was, or ever had been, any diff
ference of opinion, between the Pres
iCent and his chief as to the plan
ard policy of this war. Even the
"E,Xaminer', most radical Sheet,
fearlessly denouncing great and
small, now Davis and Beauregard and
Hunter, and now even this brazen-
tcloated sentinel on the watchtowcr,
which lives by outcry, and like Iago,
Is nothing if not critical, though daily
picking flaws in Davis administration
of the Government, while it can we'll
do from its proximity to the theatr,
of it's operations, has never had thv
iron faced impudence to charge Davis
with the design of Reconstruction
And yet the Charleston Mercury,
which ought from sheer good taste to
avoid extreme abuse of this states
ran, simply because to him it attri-
hutes being overlaughed and snubDen
into silence and without the shadow
OF foundation, and in the very face
of his most solemn pledges publicly
made at his Inauguration and charged
this design upon him, and to sup
port this view, wrests every occur
renee out of its natural relations,
painting and inflaming it with livjd
colors, until even you, my cautious
and soberminded friend, have given
way before the reckness and audac-
ious torrent it has poured over on
South Carolina. tell you this mon
sstrous calumny is doing our cause
harm particularly among yoursc ives
by weakening our confidence in each