Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1924-07-29
Two Bloody
Anniversaries

Two bloody anniversaries Of
tie War Between the States
were observed in July the
Battle Of Manassas and the Bat
tie Of Atlanta. Both lineer in
the minds Of many, though few
remain who participated in
them.
The FIRST Battle Of Manassas
or Bull Run-was COM
plete victory for the Southern
cause-while the Battle of At
lanta was the reverse.
Of the first. fought July 2 | st,
1861, many writer has specu-
lated on what the outcome
would have been if the South
ern soldiers had followed up
their victory on the plains of
Manassas. General E. P. Alex
ander, in his history of that bat
tie, said:
It would be vain to speculate
how far the pursuit might have
been pushed or what it might
have accomplished had all the
available force been energetical-
ly used. We were deficient in
organization, discipline and trans
portation, but these inefficiencies
are not sufficient excuse for not
attempting the game of war. In
that game, to use the slang of
more modern days, it was now
cup to the Confederates" to pur-
sue their routed enemy to the
very utmost. His line of retreat
was circuitous, and offered us
rare opportunity to cut it by a
short advanre from Stone Bridge
or at Centreville; by an advance
of three miles from Mitchelrs
Ford. Johnston and Beauregard
both sent orders to different
commands to make such adj
vances, but neither went in per-
son to supervise and urge for
ward the execution of the or
ders, though time was of the very
essence. Both generals and the
President spent the valuable
hours of daylight still left in
riding over the battle field as
Napoleon lost his opportunity to
crush Wellington at Quatre Bras
by wasting hours in riding over
the field Of Kigny.
Regarding the Battle of At
lanta, fought on the I'D of July,
1864, the Confederates fight
ing under the leadership Of Gen
eral Hood, the Savannah Press
says:
Gov. Joseph E. Brown and Sen
ator B. H. Hill of Georgia, COM
planned to President Davis that
Joseph +. Johnston intended to
surrender Atlanta without giving
battle. On the 18th of July
Johnston S army was turned over
to General Hood. Hood attack
ed Sherman but was defeated.
The attack was iudieiously plan
ned and stood excellent chances
of success. The failure was said
to have been from want of COM
pliance with orders on the part
Of the corps commanders.
And Of this battle, General
Alexander writes:
1t is vain to speculate on what
might have happened had John
ston been left in command. Had
Lee been commander-in-chi he
would not have been relieved, as
was indicated by his restoring
Johnston to command on his TAX
ing that position in February
But it is fact that Johnston
had never fought but one ag-
gressiye battle, the Battle of
Seven Pines, which was phenom-
enally mismanaged,
Our own Iiucian Lamar
Knight, in his "Reminiscences
of Georgia, comments as follows
on the fight about Georgia
capital city:
Nothing could surpass the spir-
it with which the home guard dis
puted with the foe the territory
Of Georgia, Composed largely of
old men and young boys, who
We're not embraced within the
age limits of the conscript acts,
they had nevertheless been drill
ed and equipped in anticipation
OF such an emergency, and they
literally fought like lions at bay.
But all to no purpose. Atlanta
soon fell under the crushing fire
of an enemy whose strength
nearly trebled the force of re-
sistanee.
Of the gallant defenders Of
the days of the Sixties few re
main. Here and there an oc
casional rifle pit or breastwork,