The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-06-21
AN ADDRESS DELIVERED
TO BEAUREGARD CAMP
Colonel ChninrOn Pnyn Glowing Tribute
TO Military of Great Confed-
crnte General. Joseph T..
.JolDktnn

Mr.. President and Members of Beau
regard Camp L. s. G. VI appear
before you tonight AZ the request OF
your president TO speak something Of
, one OF tho foremost OF those great gem
erals who commanded on the Conted-
crate side In the War Between 3the
states. l mean, Joseph +. Johnston
However much may appreciate the
honor OF the request. have been
moved TO comply very much also by
the desire that the centenary OF his
birth should not pass unnoticcd IN Il
city that Is so devoted 20 Confederate
memories. and that so splcnd!dly cele-
DRAFTED the centenary OF Lee about a
month preceding that OF Johnston
which occurred on the lIth OF Febru-
airy. 1907. In the Concentration a,
thought and endeavors 10 honor Lee
the centennial anniversary of the birth
or MS great compeer was overlook ed :;
yet the memory of the great soldier
Joseph E. Johnston, stands no less dear
10 the soldiers who followed him than
is that of Lee TO those who marched
al his command. On both the South
bestowed her treasures OF admiration
and of love. and the fame of both IS
the dearest heritage she can hand down
10 posterity.
do not propose TO enter upon any
panegyric of Genera! Joseph e. John
ston's military career, but will restrict
myself 10 that part of it in which I
followed him. His method of warfare
seemed 10 diner from that OF Lee, and
d!d not meet with the approval OF the
Confederacy's President; and the con-
hdence and assistance that was never
Withdrawn from Lee was too often de-
MED TO Johnston, and led to his re-
moNal from command at n ,noment
when the fruition OF his tactics was
anout to be accomplished. and one OF
MS subal,erns was charged with carry
nj 4,
ms resulted In failure. Generals
differ in their methods of attaining
success in war. Their conception ~
plans Is based on the nature OF the
held or operation, the numerical
strength OF the opposing sides the re-
sources OF each. their state OF prepara-
tion' their supply of men, the spirit OF
their people, the solidity OF their ex
chequers and the prevailing condition
or aHairs at the stage OF the war when
called upon 10 act. From these. ac
cordins to the bent of his genius. each
draws his conclusions.
The restricted circle NJ oror..;o
around Richmond necessitated the
yielding of no ground: the Capital Of
the Confederacy could not be aban-
doned TO the foe, however sure: its re
covery by some decisive battle in tho
held. Lee had to strike at any cos,
When the circle was invaded, and his
ClOGa
at hand, fortunately.
Johnston's field OF operations in the
Georgia campaign, the one of his cam
paigns to which Will particularly adj
dress myself having participated in
IL, was more extended and at its OMEN
ing his base OF operations was 40
miles away. He had assumed com,
mand of the Army of Tennessee after
its defeat at Missionary Ridge. when
already the Confederacy had realized
mat It's last man was at the front and
that the ranks could not be replenished
unless negroes were brought into
rcquisition.
The captured Federals gave evidence
that their ranks were being recruited
from the whole world, and that the
enormous bounties to such recruits
We're deserving all and more than thew
needed Of soldiers.
Before the opening of the campaign
the question of enlisting the negroes
had been brought forward and adyo-
Gated by General Patrick r.. Cleburne
and others. so impressed had they
become with the exhaustion of the
Confederacy's field of enlistment. The
general objection to the enlistment of
negroes led to the abandonment OF this
idea, and the necessity of warfare
as little destructive rs possible of our
remaining forces became apparent to
all. Territory could be regained: an
army destroyed would leave us HELPLESS.
Such ideas seemed to prevail with
General Johnston. The vast superiori-
ty OF the Federal army he had to con-
tend with, and the excellence of its
troops left no other alternative to him
but to compel them to attack our en-
trenched lines and to strike theirs only
when the advantage was on our side.
The army that he was called on to
command was as fine and true n body
OF Southerners as ever shouldcrcd q
musket. At Shiloh they had fought the
bloodiest battle, until then, on record,
OF volunteers against volunteers; at
Murfrcesboro they had doubled up the
foe and nearly driven him from the
field; at Chickamauga, they had won
the greatest battle of the war. driving
the enemy completely off the field of bat
tie where $500 men (27 per cent OF the
combatants) lay dead or wounded.
making 1t for numbers engaged, the
bloodiest battle OF the war. AT Mis-
sionary Ridge. It had met with dis
astcr. attributable to the stringing out
OF one-half Of Its line for miles, with