Year: 1863




last, Mr.. Foote of Tennessee submitted the follow
ing remarks on that part of the Presidents message
in which he ascribes our defeat at Chattanooga to
the want of courage on the part of our troops Tho
President, In defiance Of the wishes of the whole
country, retains favorite in command who has lost
Tennessee, part of Georgia, and part of North.
Carolina and when inquiries are made as. to the
cause of the late great disaster at Lookout and when
every is looking to the President for the truth
on the subject, he tells the country that his favor.
ite is not to blame but that the responsibility for
the loss of that battle rests on portion our brave
troops. But to the remarks of Gen. Foote:-


"Mr. Foote moved, by way of amendment, that
the committee to whom was referred that portion
OF the Presidents message relating to military af
fairs be instructed to enquire into the cause of our
late disastrous defeat before Chattanooga and as,
certain whether 1t was owing, is formally stated
by the President in his message to the want of valor
on the part OF our army, to other causes


Mr. toote read from the Presidents message that
portion which alludes to the late battle before Chat
tanooga. He said he took issue with the President
or with any one else who would charge our army
with want OF Valor.- more valiant body of
men the world never saw. He charged the Presi-
dent with the responsibility of that defeat and he
could prove It When Bragg was in Kentucky he
said then he was incompetent and should be retired
from the army. AT the battle of Perryvile, when
he proposed to divide his army, military council
was held and all his officers protested against it
More than nine months ago he had with number
OF his colleagues, the whVle delegation from his
State-waited upon the President and respectfully
entreated him to remove General Bragg and place
Joe johnson in command. of that army. What was
the answerG 1t was not for him to say, but the
country knows. He had been through the army in
THANKSGIVING had visited all the camps-he had
talked with all the oficers-and he found nothing
but feeling of distruSt with Bragg His army
had no confidence in him. He had driven all his
officers out of the army. He had made martyr of
Polk-he had illuminated the gallant Breckenridge
He was so constituted that he could not agree with
ms officers He was on bad terms even with Hardee
This was well known. He had seen letter from
Bragg to a member of CongresS-a fact which could
not be dISproVed-in which he said that he could
not command that army efficiently unless he could
get rid of twelve Brigadler. Generals and regiment
of deld officers.


The President had persisted in keeping Bragg in
Office against the protest of both the army and peo-
pie. So he did with another faVOrite Of bis-Pem-
berton. Although the Mississippi Legislature re-
pudiated PembeTtnn and charged the loss OF Vicks-
burg to him. all the President ever did was to order
court martial, which never did any thing but meet
for two days. Pemberton. was still dear to the
President. He was his bosom friend. While he
was here the President had entertained him in his
mouse. NOR was this all. w hat must ne do when
be goes South, but to take Pemberton along with
him. Wherever he went, Pemberton was with him.
When he visited the army in Tennessee, and re.
viewed ii, he passed before our men with Pember
ton on his side, but he was glad to know that
passing portion of the army, murmur rang along
the lines and the men pointed at Pemberton saying,
There goes the traitor that sold Vicksburg"


Just before the battle before Chattanooga the
President agreed to dividing ard weakening the
army by detaching LongstrectS command, although
the enemy i'll front Were before LOngStreet was sent
off far superior in numbers to our army. Our army
had been left but forty thousand men, as he learned
officially at the War Department. while the enemy's
force was estimated at one hundred to one hundred
and ten thousand HO Longstreets command not
been sent away we should in all human probability,
have the battle. The Presidents visits to the
army had never brought out any good. They had
only been productive of disaster. Had he never
have gone up to the army after the first battle of
Manassas our troops would have taken Washington.
The President ordered Bragg to fight the battle of
Marfrees6orO, and here again was the result of his
military counsels. Would to God he would never
visit the army again.


The President had charged the army with want
of valUr, but he charged the President with gross
misconduct in retaining his favortes in Office and
with partaIiteS and prejudces, which, if persisted
in longer, will prove fatal to cause.
Mr. FGote said that the President had charged his
(FOOtes) constituency with want of valor, and he
wanted the facts IN the case If he was the only
man in the House who had the courage to cast a
vote Of censure the President for maligning oar
brave army he should at least exercise that privi
lege.


Mr. Miles, of South Carolina, suggesting that the
subject had best go to select committee, for en-
quiry, Mr.. Foote withdrew his resolution"