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EMINIS(,ENCIE OF TIE CIVIL WAR. A SIIVgIW OF ROMS OF ITM PRINCIPAL INCIDETa -THE IOlil IANA TROOPA. ly 14en. HtRchrd Taylor. {Nrth Amorln'et Il,,view I ".eh history ,of lhe IUniteid Htates,, as yet unwllttol., will show th1o cnos1 if he "civil war" to oivtmt hIon in eoist eien during the ciloli.thI cvmi, anoI to have tcolpi"d (tl ino full vi tlw in tlo debates of It i svcrnl Htato atiss.mnbllhs on the adoptbion f the F'odelral c.unti tut.ion, in which lost Rdtlrlent. Lotoher ]Martin, I'aIrick hiery, and otther in sisted they were implanted. African slavery, at tlire tio, was universal, and ets extinct on in the North, as well se its ext(olnlon in the Holth, was (1110 to economic' reasons alone. The first serious difficulty of t heo Fedlral govern ment arose from the attemlpt to lay an excise on distilled spirits. The secon(d, from the hostility o fNew England trad ere to the policy of the government in the war of 1812, by which their special Interests wore menaced, and there is now evidence to prove that, but for the expected peace, an attempt to disrupt the Union would then have been made. The Missouri compromise of 1520 was in reality a truce between antagooistlo revenue systems- each seeking to gain the balance of power. For many years subsequently, slaves-as domestic servants- were taken to the Torritories without exciting attention. The "Nutl liflcation" movement in Hout h Carolina as entirely directed against tlio tariff. he slavery question was agitated from an early period, tbut failed to attract public attention for many years. At length, by unwearied industry, by nlogo niously attaching itself to exouCi lg Itius tions of the duay, with which it. Ihal no natural connection, it succeeded in manking a lodgnment in theo public mind which, like a subjuect exhausted by long effort, is exposed to the attack of some malignant fever. that, in a nornial condlition of vigor, would have been resisted. Hlavery was not the ultimate or proximate causeof the war, and Abolitionists are not jus tified in claiming tthe glory and spoils of the conflict, and i! pluming themselves as "choosers of the slain." The vast immigration that, poured into the country between the years 1844 and 18xi0 had a very Important influence in li rooting the events of the latter year. The numbers were too great to be ab, sorbed and assimilated by the native population. States in the West were controlled by (lerman and Seandinavian voters, while the Irish took ipossession of the seaboard towns. Although it is true that the balance of part y st rengt h was not much affected by these natural ised voters, yet the modes of political thought were seriously disturbed, and a tendency was felt to transfer exciting topics from the domain of argument to that of violence. The aged and feeble President, Mr. Buchanan, unlited for troublous. times, was halloted to and fro by ambitious leaders of his own party, as was the last, weak liapsburg who reigned in Spain by the rival fac tions of France and Austria. In January. 1861, the Assembly of Louisiana met. A member of the upper branch and chairman of its Committee on Federal Relations, 1 brought in and assisted in passing an act to call a con vention of the people of the State to consider of matters beyond the compe tency of the Assembly. The conven tion met in March, and was presided over by ex-Governor and ex-Unlted States Benator Alexandre Mouton-a man of pure and lofty character. I sat in the convention for my own parish, St. Charles, and was appointed chairman of the military and deffnso committee. On behalf of the committee two ordinances were carried through ; one to raise two regiments. one of artillery and one of infantry, enlistments for fivo years, unl,'ss sooner discharged ffiieers appointed by the Governor of the State after ex amination. More would have been de sirable in the way of raising troops, but, the temper of men's minds did not thenl justify the effort. The other ordlinanc authorized the Governor to use a hail lion dollars for the purchase of arms and muni:tions. No such purchaso was made,as t he Governor was assured on all hands there was no danger of war, and *the United States Arsenal at. Btton Rouge, entirely In our power. would furnish more than we could need. It was vainly urged in reply that the stores of the arsenal were ilmost value less, the arms altered flint-lock |mus kets, and the accoutrenlents out of date. The current was too strong to stem. The convention adopted an or dinance declaring that Louisiana ceased to be a State within the Union, by an * immense nmajority of votes, not. more than live metlbeors dissenting. Indeeld, similar action having alrealy been taken or assured by South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, M ississippi, Arkansas iand 'cTx:s, it was ia necessity for Louisiana to accomlpany her neigh honr At. the tillnt. antd sllie. I mar Dor8. At Inuo time, nILut ductI', L uit veled at the joyous and careless temper f in which men, much my superiors I in sagacity and experience, con summated these acts. There seemed I to be such a general 'hil' tle ,e'ur, as M. Olivior claimed for the t imperial ministry when war was de clared against Prussia. The attach- 1 ment of the Northern and 1Western people to the Union, their superiority in numbers, in wealth, especially in me- I ehanical resources, the command of the sea, the lust, of rule and territory always 1 felt by a democracy (a passion we fully shared in the South)--all these facts were laughed to scorn, or their men tion was ascribed to timidity or treach ery, or both. As soon as the convention I adjourned, finding myself out of har mony with prevailing opinion as to the certainty of war and necessity for pre paration, 1 retired to my estate, deter mined to accept such responsibility only as came to me unsought. The inauguration of Lincoln, the confed oration of South Carolina, Georgia and the five Gulf States, the attitude of the border slave States hoping to mediate, the assembling of Confei crate forces at Pensacola, Charleston, and other points, the seizure of United States forts and arsenals, the attack on Sumter, war-these followed with be wildering rapidity, and the human agencies concerned seemed as uncon solous as scene shifters in some aw.ul tragedy. I was drawn from my retreat by an invitation from Gen. Bragg -a particu lar friend-to visit Pensacola, where he commanded the Southern forces, com vosed of volunteers from the adjacent States. - Full of enthusiasm for their cause, Ad of the best material, officers and men were, with but few exceptions, without instruction, and the number of educated officers was, as in all the Southern arme, too imited to satinf wondher of the staff, TWas tev at the drill msater. c. .j 4~0 service struck at the very root of that stern discipline without which raw men cannot be converted into soldiers. The Confederate government--then seated at Montgomery--resisted the enlistment of regiments for the war, preferring to engage themn for twelve months. The aine s blindness smote the questionl of flnano,',. Instoad of laving taxes, which the general enthutsiasmi wouili have chertfiully e'nduredl, the (Cofederate an lhoritie pl, edg t heir credit, andl that, too, f"r an aimnint whictlt might have itipliet, a istl. with Mir. Sewerid. Should war unihapply Ibreak out., its dtwlatlio t was t inhe seiieltly limnitel to six'y days. 'The euffit. of t heseo cardinal errors was fellt t thl ri' gho, lt t.he e ruggle. (lon. iiiagg 'arepied lPensi.ola, the nitied Statest'S navy yard Ian( I rt. limr ranins, on the main land. ort. i['ikens, opposite the latter places, on Santa IIlsa 1Iland, was held hy Unilted States troops, commandod by Mlnj, llarvy Brown. Several Uniited States war ves sels were anchored outside the haribor, with the un(derstanling that no hostile movement should heo made on either side without notice, Consequently, Blragg worked at his hatteries. bearing on Pickens, while Brown strengthened with sand bags and oarthworks the weak landward bastion of his fort, and time was pleasantly passed bIy both parttles in watching each other's occull pations. Lome months before, when F'ltiida enforced her assumed right to exerwise exclusive control over all poillnts within her limits, soIme fifty I nited States artillerlests, under Liout. SIenwn er were stationedi at .Barraneas, where they were harmless and help less. After mnlch maneuvering, the Stat!e forces of Florida induced Slemrner to retire from ]Barrannas to Pickens, then garrisoned by one o(rlinl ance sergeant and at the mercy of a corporal's guard in in row-hoat. Fort Snniler, in Charles ton harhor, was in a similar condition before Anderson retired to it with his company. The early seizure of these two fortresesoe woulld have spared the Confederates many serious ert.barrass nienlts; hIut such smlll details were much neloet ced at that, time. M y visit 1i.o liiPensaco(l was tbrotught 1t. a close by in formlat ion froml the (lover, nor of Louisiana of my appointmlent to tihe coloneley of Ilho Ninth Louisiana Infanltry, aI regiment jlust f iormedi at campil. on the railwway, somWil miies north of New Orleans, and(J iunder ordners for RliuchminlI. Ac cepting the appointiment, I hast ened to thit catlll), inslpec't'ed the co.lli maind, orideredI thei lieutiinant c(.(l,ionel, IfRandoliph, (lan iincomnionllly well in forilieti ofilMer for the time,a to move to Rlichmond by rail, via Chattanooga and Lynchblurg, as rapidly as transpoit)rta tion was furnished, alnd went on to Now Orleans, as well to procurn eqlipinent in which tI e regiment was celilcient--als to give somie lihours to privateitffatirs. It was known there wais a searcit,y of small arm anunlniitilion, owing to tIhe rapidi conontratliion of troolps there hin Virginiai), and 1. was fortuiinate in ob taining, fr in the Louisiana e.uthoitites, one hunlldred thoulsalind roinll-s, with wiich, together with somile flhid eiip mlent, I pr1 (ioceded bty express to ltich ''oni. Thero 1 founl my cormland, about a thousanilI strong.j ist arrivued andl pireparing tio go into cantil at the Fair (Grouinds. The town was tilled with rumor of blattle away north, at Matnas sas, where Bleauregardt corintanded the Confederate forces. A thousand wild reports, all equally inllaimed, reaclhed my ears while looking after the trans portaltion of Iny ammunition, of which I did not wish to loso sight. Reaching camp, I paraded the regiment, stated tie necessity for pirompt action, and hoped it would approve an applicat liln to be sent imlntldiuately to the fronit. Offlicers and muen were delighted with tllh lprosplect of active service, and largely condoned their exiperi',n o with theilr zeal. Ammunllition was served out, three dai ys' ratioins ordetred 1tio itcooked for haversacks, antd all e('Imnlip (quip "ge, not aUlisolticely e.Centitl, stor.'.. Sp1. Im. I reache(d the WV Var (tl'he, lprsidedl over by (elil. . P. WValker, of A latirintI. W hen the o..i'et. of my viit, was stalted, the eneretary ex pressed ueilh ,leasurs, as he was most IIXnioius to sent troops lolrwarl, hut hadl few in readineess- to mIlove, ('owin" lo the I laek of tixed anttuniltiion, ete. As I had t been in Iticllnmond ul I, it jeow bhour, my desire, soIcondlld by thatt of my meon, to nuove. and ade, IatelV y letloied to (do S0, galineld trme suoio "red-letter" 5marks at the war ofllie. The soeretary thought a train would E hl in readiness for me at I that night., Accordingly I he regiment was narched ( to the station, where we remaiinei v- I sY erIl weary lhours. At lengt h, long after i midnight, our train made its appear- I ane'. As the usuall tilme to Mallassas wa some01110 six hours, we conlilently expectedl to arrive in the early after nn110011. This expeltationI our engino i brought to grief. It proved a machino i of the most wh el-zy and helpless eh,(r actor -erceping smnil like on levels, and I rel uiring the meln to leave t lhe carriages to lel|p it upl grades. As the ilorning W(ore oil, the sounlld of gunlls--re-echoed I from the Blue Ridge mountains on our 4 left--blecame loud and constant. At every halt of the wretched engine the noise of hattle grew more intlense, as didt our imnlatience. I hope, that. day, the attention of the recrd ring angel was engrossed in other directions. Later, we nmet men, single or in ll;uads, Sollle with arms, some without, moving south, in which quarter they all an pearel to have pressing enuragenlents. At dusk we gained "aMantisas June tion," near the field where on that day the battle of first Manassas or Bull Run had been fought ani won. Blivouacking te men the men the roadside, 1 - souaht through the darkness the head quarters of (ien. Beauregard to whom I was instructed to report. With much difficulty and delay the place was found, and a staff officer told me orders would be sent the following morning. By these I was directed to select a suitable camp, thus indicating that no immediate movement was contem plated. The confusion that reigned about our camps for the next few days was extreme. Regiments seemed to have lost their colonels-colonels their regiments; men of all arms and all commands were mixed in the wildest I way. A constant fusillade of small arms and singing of bullets were i kept up, indicative of a superfluity of - disorder, if not of ammunition. One of 1 my men was severely wounded in camp by one of these strays, and derived no i comfort from my suggestion that it was a delicate attention of our comrades to 9 mitigate the disappointment of coming - too late for the battle. Things slowly t got into a better condition. The elation r of our people at their success was nat s ural. They had achieved all and more than all that could have been expected I of raw troops, and many commands had s emulated veterans by their constancy f and valor. Settled to the routine of camp duty, I found mnay opportnices to go over the 5adjacnt battle-. witald who ºd,&are4 te s the great privilege of so doing in the company of Gens. Johnston and Ieaure gard. I will now give my opinion of this action, as I purpose dolng of such subsequent actions, and commanders therein, as came within the range of my personal ex perience during thn war. Although sineo the ldays of Nimnrod war has been the e(nas.tant, o'oupaltion of men, the nllgers of otle hand m lll,'r, to nlllber th(e gtreat corllml!manders. No "nlllhnrerl" peolIle think of < twrping TvIIIhll' s pince in the lctu're roton. or fn tlaking his ulnlleiformii hricks froml Itawlins.,n; :,to tile Wwoltl hites ben muih tlore prlili' of learned sienteist's a.ld phillolgers thoun of all'' geti.nial. Not witliistinliig, the averlag'l Almertica'n, ,wl.. judging front th dietatorship l il, of -Maltro I nlmbetta, the Frenoeh nan. wouill not have hos iatled to su(lprsedOl t Napoleon at Alisterlit z, or Nelson at Trafalgar. 'True, C(hon captured the Spartan garrison, and Narses gained victories. HM diid lin uyan write the "Pilgrim's Progress; " )lbt pestilenlt Sdtnagogells and imutilated guardilans of l:;Attern zmnanas h.ave not always been s.incessflll in war, nr. the great and uSe ful profession of tinkers written alle I gory. As men without knowledge have 1 In all timnes usurped the right tI critleise I the ('onduct of (mlminlnlnlers andi cam 1 paigns, they will doubtle-,s (ontinuo, - dlspito the protests of professional sol i1 iers, who dliscbharge this dulity in at rev erent spirit, knowingt hat the gretest is I he "who commits the fewest, blunders." r Gen. MoDowell, the Federal command er at Manassas, and It trained sollier ,of unusual re rlirements, wts so houllned and worried by ignorant aI.ll impatient politicians and newspapIers, as to he > scarcely responsible for his acts. This I may be sntli of all the corn landers in h the heginning of the war notab1ly of the I Confederate (Genenral AIlbert Sidney - .Johnston-whliOs eatrly loss one tIle i feld of Hhiloh was irrleparable, and, myp,iayhl, detletn inilli thlo fate of the Southll. Mel owell's plan iof ba httle was excellent., and its eenul -l fln' by his mob no worse than might. I have been con thlent. exp!e'ted. T'he ltat, (Governor Andlrow; of Ma nilalusettsi. observed that h lmen tlhoulghtl they were going to a town lleeting. This is SexhaRiusltive oriticism. Wit l sclliers at, i. ls diliosal, MlcDowell wouIIIl tIhave .' 1 .o(ded in turninlg tI ill Iiverwhllming lBauregard's Ineft, driving him from hist 1 rail comnllllniatlllions with itichnlllnd, - ]and preventlin. the junctioln of John - st.i from lthe Valley, it appearl s that |Iloalluregalrd was, t 01110 s e xtent, slr prised by the atltaei, clnt('miplating - tvemIents by his c(entre and right. HIls exposed( anl1 weak left, how I ever, stubbornly resistedl the shock oi the ,oppoing nmsells. Ibitiaure v gard, whose IIpersonalnl daring anad - (colness were most inspiriting, a brought, lit assistaflec from the co'ntIre and right, atud the grounlld was htel un f til Johnston, wh) hal skillfully eluded Pat.terson, arriv Id, and begaln fooling I the tlght witlih hi people, wihen the affair was soon IIdcidel'1. Thelre can be little ,qlostibn thallt, with a strollg brigade (if si dlliers, ,J.1nsl,on cou111l have go()nl to - Washington nal Baltinmore. Whither, with his lleOns, ihe should havt e aLd vanceld has been too n1much an(l angrily I discussed alreadly. Napoleon held that, r no matter what the confusion and ex 1 haustion of a victorioIus army, a defeatenl - one was a hundred-foldl worse, and action Stlshoull be based on this. Assure~dly, if I there be justili.cation in disregarding an :I axiom of Napoleon, the wild (ontfusion of the Confederates after IMaltlnats. , to 1 which I have allulleld, wouldltl Ilffrl it,. The first skirmlshes an(d actiolls ofr the war showedI tIhlat, untlrined, the Sont h t ron was a better illghtr than the North erner, not because of more co()lrage,, but, of theim cial and Oeollnli cton1itions Sby which he was surrtun rtulehl. Itvotil 1 to aricllture, in a sparseI'ly-populatit .0 iutiry, tihe .out ll ron wVts selfr rI-li:tlt, IL Spracticed hornman.;udue skiUl,,d in tIho, 1 no, o)f atrmn. r. 'lir ho r ] I pilo lation or tie Nolth, the hb.bit, o, a n:.,,,i i. n f+(r '. ll rllon r 'l ial and m;Lan lufal, til i ll, ilnl'l". ter; anrd rs o pimL ln l Reot m th i - . . ( leonts. T'Ihe raoid dlv!(lov(mlnl(t of rail-i wVys anId tlinanufaelll in tll' West. lnd( assimulllllate(d tho people of ,that rgilll Itoi their LEast'ernli neighbors, 11and1 the iI 1 race of frolintier ril1 ,tnen hal waltndered to the far interior of the elntinent. Instruction and dis !iplin,' soon eg(tu:t ized differences, aIl bathtl's wret d,1I ,ided by gOeneralship anl nmber.. This was the exlperilnrcof our kinsmnt I in their great, civil war. Thn country I Squilres who followed the bannerlls of ( Newceastle and ltuport at first swellt the oeastern (ointies yeltnltry (LIdll t ihe l. don trainlh nds frolnl the li.ll ; ut,t tliry t and impetiltols v'Llor was at last1 ovl'r matched by the disciplined rllmnrt-s, and I stubborn const.ancy of Crotow(l'l's I rorn sides. The value of thei "initiat.ivet in war calnnot be overstated. It, siur.Laslse I in power Imere al'ccsill of o llnllll'ers, ias it requires no tralnsplort nor (:I,(ll li . i iL riit. lIolding it, a cotIltnauder liays Ihis planis deliehorately. a.lln excuteit's I thern at his own allintlltel time ( and in his own way. Tho "iec fellsive" is weak, lowering the t((irt1'il(' of tlhe armny rlodIlueed to it, enforIingt constant watc(hfutllness lIst thrleatened' attlacks )becolme real, and knopiung I',om lander atld t.roopsll .i sta te ofI axio- ull tenion. These truisms womtli not de serve meIo nens did not the public mind ignoro the fact that their appllication is st rictly limitted to t.rained soldiers, awl often becomne imlipatient for the emnlloy ment of proved ability to sustailn ,iges land hold lines in off, nsive movenments. A collection of untrainedl men is neither t more nor less than a mob ill which in cdividual courage goes for nothing. In movement, each person finds his liber ty of action merged in a crowd without - instruction and incapable of direction. I Every obstacle creates confusion - 1 speedily converted into panic-by oppl)o 3 sition. The heroic defenders of Sara 3 gossa could not, for a moment, have faced a battalion of French infantry in I the open field. Osman's solitary attempt to operate - outside of Plevna met with no success, I and the recent defeat of Mukhtar may s be ascribed to incaution in taking posi ) tion too far from his line of defense, r where attacked, maneuvres, of which I his people were incapable, became nec t essary. After the action at Manassas, I the summer and winter wore away with out movements of special note in our f quarter, excepting the defeatof the Fed f erals at Ball's Bluff, by a detached bri ) gade of Confederates, under the com mand of Gen. Evans, of South Carolina, s a West Pointer enjoying the sobriqliet of "Shanks," from the thinness of his legs, I and the original reconnaissance of the g Federal General, Schenck, on the line z and in the carriages of the Hamp - shire and Loudon Railway. In a the organization of the army my I regiment was brigaded with the Sixth, i Seventh and Eighth Regiments of v Louisiana Infantry, and placed under i the command of Brigadier W. H. T. SWalker, of Georgia. Graduated from SWesetPoiat the summer of l1837, this ~o~esr 8 01 against the Seminoles in Florida. On Christmas Day following was fought the battle of Okechobee, the severest fight of that Indian war. The savages were posted onJa thickly-jungled island in the lake -through the waters of whichb, breast-high, the troops adlvanced several hundrerl yards to ~,te attiack. The, los on our side wits heavy, Ibt. tlie IrInliair were oe c'omtplte ely rir'lot'l tiq to break their spirit. UC,l. Z1clt bhry Tay lor commanded, an there wolv his yellow mPah anl granle. Wa:lker was So desplera.lly woullnrld thitt the, molteitlI people gave hilt up. It" laughel at, their iproliotionls, ale l e vlereld. In tIto Mlexiclan wsar, n..-Sbllt iog l Ilino del I.Yy, ho rieivwl sieveral wourndis, ttall prornounori.ld fatal, and seltcone tholght it was aveon g'.. II', got, well taga in, as Ile said, to spit, the d.oe. tors. All his life he was a martyr to I asthna, and rarely enjoyed sle,ep ibut in I a sittling polstre; yet tin was as eheAr fill and fiul of r.stlo.ss aitivity as the (,elebrated Earl of Peterbhoougih. After Sthe peace with Mexi'co, Willl(er was com.lmandant of cadlets at West I'tnt. Ills abillty as an instrutctor and his lofty rimartial bearing deeply inpressed his now brigarlo, and prepared it, for thin Sstern work before it. HMubseqioently, Walker died on the field itar Atlanta, ilefenling the soil of his State - a leath So all others he would have chosen. I have dwelt, somewhat on his character Sbecause It was one of the strangest I have imet. No ento.rrirst was too rash - to r awaken his ardor if it necossitet ted f lIaring, courage anit ielfilevotion. I Truly, he might have cnrnre fiortlh out of t the riages of old EIrc.issart. It, is wi!ith unaii.ffielted fooling I r.cll I his meornory, and(I hang before it Imy hurbihlo wreath tof "irtnmortllles." In ctarilp oiir army exlperioneid muchlrl, Muff rT-rig ailn InisM of stre'ngt I. I)rawn alirost exc.lItsively fronti riiural dlistriets, where fatintliiqs livodl isldated, the riien woern scourgel with nttiltM, whoopinii g f moultf Soil measles, listeasos which it) i- ur;ii. l)popilittions ore reladily ,velr cotrnii t. by chililhitil. ti'as-les priveid as viri S lolt ais siall-llpox or, cholrT,. Hurl( l,in tchantges of tinnpirattirn drove the o eruptit ol from thle Miirfamr to the 4 intlerlna.l orgltans, anrdl fi.vers --lung anti t. typhoid nl idl lysnernterios followeid, My Srhegilent was fearftlliy ilsittion, .iI I l Passer! mIany dlays it ia .hospitatl, nursing l thi pick, awnl trying to clomfort It t· last. lniiients of iman.y por hits, dyintg si -far fromt hlome aind frirl'is. 'Time aili t fritent. cthaniges of camllp brought. ,i - pr.oviiorent, biit lily owin hea.lth gve SwIty. A plersistent, low fevor Ralled my strengt.th antl itnlairedi the le of . uiy litit s. (ilnl. ,Jihlinston kindly or l el',rcd Inte off to tllhe I'qtiir Springs - - sillphlur watersL-- lin twenlty rlil.s to I theO Muilt h. 'lTher I wias jinetl 1antd ciarofiilly rlllr.rel by a devotied sister, atIl, i.ftlr iornll weeks, slowly regainlle he all ln st reingt Il. ( li tn thev of re I turning to lle ariy I learntet of tn.my Sprorittion to brigad itr. .to relieve r (;Gr. W\alker, trtansftrrod to thn ' cOlinanllll.i or (Gorgia trIoplsM. T liis f ptitttliotn serioitsly eittiarre.l et'l rile. SOf thi foutr icolonels, whotise reogi.nent , onstitiituei thhe Ibrigaild, I was the juliior Sii tcotntissioni, arol tho other lithr..ee hiad b ,een present tand " won their spurit " at, , the late batltle, so far the only imnpor tanft, onli of thet war. Ios:ides, llmy known I friendship fr 'r Prsill nt. Davis, with n whom, by hlil first Imarriage with Imy el it or sister. I was nearly connllect led, wiou il l juIstify the iopinio)n that mny pronmotion n was duie to fatvoritismnt. ArriveI atl, hlaii , iullltlrter, I obtainrlIe lea.ve to go tio Rich , li)tnd,where, after an alic'i', itoate reioep e tion, the l'res.llont listnl t. i tIhe story o-f my foolling, the reasons on which they were bashed, and tlIo request, that. . the promotioni h retvokei, iel, rplied s that hie wouldl take a.iday for rtt-.,tion ' b ,foro dniciding the nlttl"er. Tut, ful I. lowing lday I was told tlie raswer Ito Ily a aplieal would .e forwtarlile to thei itrrly, to which I imnimldi ,tjly rtul' rn di,. Thin ir.'n !siirtnt l~at etiptloyied thie 1lt.ay in r titing ia lett,r t Iio itt'4 sInirtr aiflh, ure of tl e iriizilo, JIto tiloeiti l by statii; tI hat . pr not,..ns to ithe g Iln of gtnl ral1l ofli i'f torM worni itirli te'i to- huit, atrid well l tno t isottili oi that. ti-tlinwhoetiooH y I ofitll f with a tld'rneof ani d.ieili.ai y o t- loch wIrtIhy as wor thai trnl, and Yo iffti tally its to s aircllo g th, I.,o rty Support. iof thwo ptatriots and .li,.i rs, tesny of o whit; attain We r, tri lltllo in f the war. SNo, wollter that all who; einjity the n friind:dhip of IJeffiersn tii, lvit lovo y hiln as Jonathan d(i D)arviI. Stv at' al wtoks, wit hout, tiotabl in'idtlnt, ' w.ro devort ted tio instruct iotn, espo S COmpanII, Ii(;s f'rm I|L., isi'rni, IommI an deId#) by ]',.ior w eiates. 'IhIs,, dtt tioil comn1.narine. had beeln thrt'wn together previous to the light, at Mmlnaosss, where Wheat was s(ever(ly wounded. The strongest of the thrtee, and givitng chara..ter to all, was cal led thte 'Tigers." Itsernited on the levee an:l in the alleys of New O(leans, the men tmigiht have corn. out of "Alsatia," where they would have been worthy sulbjects of that illustrious potentate "Duke Hil debrod." The caiptin, who had suc cecded to the immediate command of these worthies on the atvancement of Wheat, enjoying the luxury of many licrs'.;, called himself " White," per haps out of respect to to the purity of the patriotic garb lately assumed. 8o vil lainous was the reputation achieved by the battalion that every commander de sired to be rid of it. At last, (ern. J ohn ston assigned it to me, dispite my efforts to decline the honor of such society. He promised, however, that I should be sustainedi in any measures to enforce discipline, and but a few hours elapsed before the fulfillment of the promise was required. For some disorder after "tattoo," several of the " Tigers" were arrested, and placed under the "bri gade-guard." Their comrades at tempted to force the " guard " and release them. This attempt failed, and the two ringleaders were captured and put in irons for the night. Next morning an order for a general court martial was obtained from army head quarters. The court met at 10 a. m. the same day. As there was do doubt of the facts, a finding was speedily reached the prisoners to be shot-time fixed by r brigade commander. I selected sunset, and directed the "firing party" to be de tailed from the prisoners' company. Major Wheat and his officers begged to be spared this hard duty, fearing the " Tigers " would refuse to fire on their r comrades. I insisted, for the sake of the example, and pointed out the fatal con sequences of any disobedience on the part of their men. The brigade, under arms, was marched out, and as the news had spread, many thousad rom otho>h command up fifteen paces from the prisoners, the brigade-provost gave the command to fire and the unhappy men fell dead without a struggle. This account is given, because it was the first military execution in the "Army of Northern Virginia," and the punishment, so closely following the offense, produced a .iarked effecot. The "Tigers" gave no furtlher troutble, and proved lhardy, ex cell 'nt. r, li , re. Mrij ir IPR ert Wheat detsrvoe it. metre f'CLI"luif'id notli'n, aitnil t t 1o iit,1i, it, 0.mo ie anticipaltion oIf events is riencfssary. Inr tie earuly summorer of 1t1t; after the lirst, atlirois of the war with 1lexi,)o, l'ro A Ito and I ,esa.t do ll Ia lrmi the I nirr il ;t.tins t ,e rnmy, ndefr (tin. I ZYrharfy Taylor, l.y nler the town lof Alatamrros. Visiting the hes pIitl of a rteorntly ji 1riel vl il ntlor corpj.s from the Statt's, I ro 1 mrke.d a I earutltifll, firight.-oyel b 'y of scelnt eight.,een years, ilown wilth i flislft'ma, but, cloory withelu . 'imhe inter est, he' inspireit l'di to hih retrioval to 9 arry iehad'rrrIinters, whorr he scoon ro covero.fl health. ad heifcarm it pit lt,. This , w.s Iihtert, Whatit, son of an Episcopal ii,-rlgyna ran, from thre ol town of Alox : i.rdriia, onr the 'toittoir, who had rill ,a. '.vway from .cihool to comiae to the war. ,le next, went to Cubla with Lopez, wIas Sworunded and captirred, hut scael i f the [ ,'irr irN' to follow Walker to Ni'ar,irgue. r iExha; strig the capacitied of Hrnith [ Armirica, n lt itots to prorino:iiie', he 1 +lutteo theIr society in disgust, arri Sjorined (Garitbaldi in lItily, whence his keen scent oif crrmbriat w'rn f hiRtn int !R t lrne in cbonivetlnient Stime to receive a blllet at. A ll etrsaR. The most completo "J)rg;id i al)getty" possible, hie hliad all the "ie fecits 'of the good p tirfitis" o1f that, i diuighty warrior. Kioile irmonths f raftei r a ti0 e t of which I garl now writinir,, it I,'u y of hoirso was cr:ptfiurrid in the VaI Sf'y of Virginia. 'the colfnel ,r comrnaril ing, whio hlal boenr disii.rmnte, in thei fray, r pproachid Ioe -a stalwart Ia n, with Iiigu i ilustache r , (Lcavalr y-bo t tdlorn-1 with spur's worthy iof uii 'llr-i', I Ulol.llhed hllt, anlid plrune. lo10 strl 'rt i i aluig with the nnlih'larit air of one e who hail woicd )uro i, Firt ine too lirng I to ie cfst down bfy her frowns. Muf v dlenily, Mijor \V ht, oer by, isprai, I froitr hits hor'se with ei cry iof "',rev, old bhey! ".. Why, Iifi?" wals 'ch'oio t. hack, idit a w iarnri erinra'e was lx i- hangei . Col. iPercy Windlham, an I Ernligihmar n iL thfe n Fe ittral scirvi',,, - hil It part'd fromrn Wheat in Itf, y, or sorn''' other count r'y whii'ri tihe 1 ideasnrt f,'siness of "killing" wes go f log on, eri now fraterniz, d with hirs Sfrie Lin thlle lhianirner describedl. P'oor - Wheat! A irmontrh later, anld he slept I his last sleop oen the bloody 1ielf1 of ( Cold Ilar ior. Ieo lins there in . sol dier's, grave. G(atlarnt spirit! Let, llu I hope that, his rearliiets to dfi for his ia- ll(se has tniaLd "the scarlet of his sins y like unto wool." e As the autirlrun of the year (lR'i) lpassed n away, thle lOestion of army organ iation Sprelt,,'le for solutioln. JDivergent, opiin i ions wre 1forled y the gi ov.,'irrillut at. h itch;rmontii anil (evin. .JohinstoIn tiand r lleauregardi. IThe former slit, mlie to 1 'President I, vis to explain his views .r and urge their adoption. My rnission imet with nrio success; but, in dilicharg n ing it, I was mele aware ofr the It estrange lient growing ilp betwren - these eminentrit persons, whicih sIh , saibseqient ly iecamre the "sprinig of r woes lltunn iubernfed." An earnlest effort I- marde by rlre to rerilove the clod., then Sno "greater than a lran's hfandi," failed, thiirgh the oievationr of character of the y two men, which made them list.H r pa , tiently to my appeals, ijustified hopi, ,t Time but served to widen the bi reach., I Withotut the knowledge and dlespite the n wishes of Gen. Johnston, the desceond I. ants of the ancieoit dwellers in tihe ce. y of Ad'llamin gathereod themselves f he hint his ,shild and shot their arrows at Presiiden, ]Davis anid hits advisor. ta weakenring thie inllience of the heat) tiI i, the cause for which all were strug t glirng. .frrrnnediitely attr tho lbirtl if thte C.i.Cfeftiricy, ai ris,, vlufion w;I e ali'fptld by the "Provisional Co.igri'ss,' I, dieitlaring that rrmilitatry an.rd' nava ,offie''rs reisigninrg thie ,.-rvicoe of the iii t tell S. tl,- govirrimrlla'.nt., to' r.intr that o Sthe (Coifetderale, worurt piit -mrviw theii Iirank. [ ltter on, the 1'I ilit'nti, was i air . trhoizted to truk livr ie laptoililtmints t,i h, tie grade of g-neral. 'Those tappoint, if trents wore announcld rile.r t.he aidtior r. at Mianasstais, arn, in the following ordcii e of seniority: armuel Cooptter, Albi ri ni Sidney Johnston, iteort K. Le.,, e,.tpt E'. Jobh.isto'n, anli G( T. T1'. ";liregard. Near the c(.lose of I'reldent inilch.ianLri SAdnmilnist.rtioni, in 1860, died ton''. .Is. - sirp, the Q,.iarteramrter-leneral of thai i Cnited Si.,aties tnrmy, and ,Joseph E. , Johifston, then lioutimnant-i'tionel to Sitrvalry, was a.pintl d ,tl tire vaanncy - Now, the (tquarl,ermtiaster-U'ent;r'l of tier United States anrmy fiwl fh,, ran k, pa' fand crue irOlime.ts of a tiitri ilier-gorrlral y but the rnaik wats staff, rtwl by law thiC oflicor could exercise rio caionrtarifld orver f troop.-s tin lfss fiy specital -tssigra 'I rnriil of his govftrlrnmret. When ira tit - cupring of Isil tfre ofiheers in quisri, or T, iff'rrd their services to thoe Codr-,h re I. cy, Cooper was rldjutant gentril, Initll g States anny, rank of colonel; Al fnrl Sitnev ,Johrrston, colonel, brigadlier - general by b[rvet., arni! on duiy as s-loh o Lee, littenriant rolonrel of cavalry, si y ior tto Jouie'ih E, Johnston in lie 1 lira f befort the latiti;r's apiuointari'nt abhov Srmentionfd; Beau r.gard, raraj'r of ran ginrisers. Prestidintt Davis treld to thi f suteriority of line to staff ran'k in air f ranging the order of seniority of gen y orals. Ger. Joselfh E. Johnston toot rh the (noi)oaito view, anal sincerely ieo ,e lipvcd that injustice was done him. I- After the grave and wondrouls scenes y through which we have passed, all this seems like "a tempest in a teapot,' p but it had much influence at the ts time, and deserves attention. Gen. y. Johnston has published his account .,I e the war, and it is understood that Mr. ,e I1vis has a volume in press; and such d of the public as may feel an interest it 3e the subject will doubtless find all the r facts pretented. Gen. Beauregard, whe re about this time was transferred to the i- Army of the West, commanded by Al t- bert Sidney Johnston, was also known to have grievances. Whatever their I, source, it could not have been rreel., as ;d this did not affect his position; but it is tt due to this general, a true patriot and t- gentleman of excellent taste, to say that d. no utterances car, e from him. Indis ie creet persons at Richmond claiming the ie privilege, and discharging the duties o - friendship, gitve tongue to loud and fre y quent plaints, and much increased the t, confusion of the hour. e- As the year 1862 opened, and the timm y. for active movements drew near,weight( to cares attended the commander of tht ie Army of Northern Virginia. The follj ir of accepting forces for the short perioe ie of twelve months, to which allusion ha a- already been made, was now apparent ie Taking service in the spring of 1861, the e, time of most of the troops would expire d just as the Federal host in their fron Smight be expected to advance. A larg S Ority of thiamen were willing an( gY e04mi{ Fortunately, the fearful condttton of tb country permitted the granting of fat loughs on a large scale. Exoepting 0 a few pikes, movements were impOi ble, and an army could no moar have marched across-country thei across Now York Bay. Closet wU 1 riors, in cozy st,utiles with smoof MI'lr.ant roadways before their dooi rsneer it the l'ea of military movement being arre'stdi by nmud, I apprehen t Iio .,-rl t lbnmrt have never served in I h:Il tnrI ry lururing the rainy season n.l oro i'gnorant of the fact that in hi RIuse Ritn 'ml.!p,tigol the elements prove to) strong f)r the gonlus of Napoleon It n), ,1b i,)iton rl"t the difficultiee a Shi , 'sitin with great coolness, tao ant illnrloltt., but his burden was b, nio meanr li tghtetnted by the interfereno of certain politicians at liiohmond I'he los t getlInto were perhaps It Ilamedrl by th suaccess that had attende t.ho tact .itral roff'i ,l. of their Washlngtot pe,r,. At, all events, they now thre tientR lves upon military question with tiitc!1l ardor. The leader wa s Mr. Alexatrlrer H. Stephons, of Geo gia, Vice l'residlnt of the Cot rfedera.y, who is entitled to I Iplans, by himnislf,. Like the celebrate i. ohln I 't trltlph, of Roanoke, he has a. s autitbt intt,,llect, Ittached to a frail an e ntagro lt'ttiy. As was said by the witt D. an of St. Paul's of Francis Jeffro h his mirul itn in it state of indecent expc e utre. A tratnrlul and skillful politician ii hi, w'ts .lor matny years before the WI r returl.t tto the IUIlited States Housel. - llproeitiative's from the distriot i I which he resides, and his "deviag , Rotms always tto have been "Flat jtt tI titl:e., ruat, oItlr l .." "When, inl I),ecmber, 1819, the Co I. gross of tlth, I tileil StHates assemble. r t.rc wts Wit a Whbig Administration, an aIt thIe satl part;y tihatl a very small majao I- iy int thti lower house. Mr, ift I- ,phon wa.s n.rt ardent Whig, an e a ntrwber of the House; but b c,, I c nltot, see his way to support hi S~party candlid at for speaker, and thi irnability to Iintl a road--plain, mayhal to we*aktr organss--secured the contro orf t.ht, lHlut to his political riva g uring thgit exc'ited period justpreoed '.ut"tn+it," Mr. Stephens held an r avowel wise anil moderate opinlonI tt., swepl.t tlong by the resi8tless tOl ,I rent stmrruttntling him, he discovers - arid ,rocla.itmed the fact that "elayel i wa thle corner-stone of the Confeder ,y." (irantitig the truth of this, whbt SIF by no mltlans ad iitted here, it was, t, the Mtr',ng vernacular of the Ws "rathelr piling the agony" on the Ti s rtttntattriats, whose sympathies were m. r tllhih yntitktlendl towards us therebj t. A- t hIts ,trtggl progressed Mr. Stepheo f with aIll t.he, impartiality of an equft I.jitge,, markeil many of thevirtuesotft i govern ment north of the Potomao, Ii is all the vices of that on his Own MI is if the stretn. Regartding the milit; qupast.ion, s in hand, he entertained, an d plllicly expressed, original opiniQt n wit ,h I will attempt to convey as - t- crrately as possible. The war Was ; ,t, princilels. and rights. It was in the dd i fo.se of these and of their property Ch ,o tho pieopl had taken up arms. T. s 0coulii always be relied upon WhenP t Ibattle was imminent; but when thel - was no fight.inc to be done they l et best be at home attending to their fah n li .ne and interesta. As their nlatll g- gonce was et tutal to their pattioti )f they were as capable of judging Of t. nce'ssity of their presence with n "colors' as the commanders of arnd i, who were Ibut professional soldiers, fg Sitng for rank and pay-most of w- withoult p'roperty in the South. . may be observed that such oplni t. are inore comrfortably cherishedi by o litical getntlmernn- two hundred mil - t way--than by commarndersi mmedirt 'e ly in front of an enemy. .- At thi cloiie f the great war, in J. t~t. I:, I visitorl Washington, in the sO hi)pea of effetiing some change in t ,f crotlit.if,n of .JeffeTrson D)avls--then ,- italt' a prisoer at Fortress Monroe. M a Hteal hlaalitpiren'd to visit Washing' IA I .. fo am;trUl ti e,r anrd was the objecO to mich attention on the part of pel ,1 ,ontrolling the Congress and SItry. l)wsiriing his co-operation, I soln T La'l foudral himn, sitting near a fire, 01 tr hi is of a chilly nature, smoking I- i"'. H11, heard itoo in severe po , oeliq, galn;, without unnecessary eX t- litrai of cen thusiasm, promised .rf aiita 'rL . f , Sinlce the war r St'-thins his again been, . rt is now, a TjpIresentaltive in Congra 'lie i:ha t.hA satisfitation to know tlh i. lir Ike th-If "rfebel brigadiers," his pri - erne i.s rot a rock of offense to the loy S iniul. N, gallery of portraits, howeve SIa urn bIlo, buit ahifuld include that of thi 'i. innt p,,arso, who, for a quarter of aaf rcentury, lhi, titll l an importantp . ini t ar: rounicils ra f his country. PU Sig "thfe evenr tetnor of his way," JO s-toun rapidly increasaed the effclien.cyf his army. Ful.rloiug lld men returned. 6 large I arn ilaHrs,:4alml before their "leavs Shad terrirti,mirl, many bringing new .- cruits with tthem. S jaole islands of to land appeatrted amid the sea of m in when the miovement Of the Fed a- forces inr our front charngedl the theatr a war, and opelea the important rt pa.ign of I1HG2. r h Wtrer ovaertaken by unexpected cala ity, African trie tes de:stroy the idol viaoisly worsahiped, and, with m t(e noise', siaak finllta nraew "fetich," inwh ta they ina;trnaLte their vanities and ho - Stulnned tby the rout of Manassas, a North pull Itl down a great old Ye - Scott, aind his lieutenant, McDowell~ s- t up McIClellan, who caught thep ik eye at the morment by reason of minor success(es in Western Vir a. where the Cornf;derate comm ,:a (n. ItOert Garnett, a prom is officer, was killed. It is but fair to " mit that the South had not emulated te wisdomr of Solomon nor the modes n. (Gdolphin. The capture of Fort of ter, with its garrison of fifty-ail r. was hardly Austerlitz, yet it w ;h put the grandiloquent hidalgos In Spain on their mettle to ea more clatter over the downfalli 10 the Cross of St. George from ie raltar. McClellan was "the yob .1- Napoleon"- the very god of war, Ia an latest avatar. While this was a ir and in the end injurious to Mc is it was a service to his government is it strengthened his loins to the taes ad fore him--a task demanding the j at est order of ability, and requiring :- influence of a dbmigod. A great se was to be carried on, and a great a of the most complex of machines, was e- cessary. The cardinal prinelp se which the art of war is based are and unchangeable-resembling in re the code of morality; but their a ty tion varies as the theatre of the ae the genius and temper of the iy engaged, and the kind of arms id ployed. The United States had as possessed a great armty. The it. tire force engaged in the war he Mexico would scarcely have made,. re specta'le corps d'armee, and, to nt the organization of great ar .e campaigns a recurrence to the" d lqonic era was neessary. The d menats of Europe had, forabalf