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War Pictures From The South

War Pictures From The South image
Parent Issue
Day
7
Month
August
Year
1863
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

B. Estvan, Colorml in ihe Confeder nte nrmy, a man who, though committed to the rebel cause by êervico in ils nrmy, has undertaken the diffieult task it iiuparlially describing its events. - Tbat he ehould have succeeded to the extent of eliciting the admiration and praise of Northern journalists, is a tribute lo din candor. He has not been sparing of censure where censure was npplicable on either side, nor has he been niggardly of approbation even wtiere his praise was likely to prove diatasteful to thoae with whom he had professionally associated. Here ig a charaoteristic descriptinn of a man whose name and nature wooid seom to be in remarfcabltí aocord, and who has again recently distinguished iiimself by the swift use oí his beels. GEN. DRAGO AT PENSACOLA. The impressron he made upon me was precisely that of a etrolling scrobat standing: outside his booth announcing the wonderful things that were to be teen wiihin. It must be admitted, however, that his reports and bulletins were calculated to produce u telling effect in exciting Ihe masses, Here is n specimen ot the style of these preoious effusions : ''Prepare your cannon to destroy the world! 1 will disperse the dogs to the four winds ! Not one stone of the fort shall remain upon another! " In short, by sueh laconio proclamations he successfully courted the approvtd of the mulüttide, who began to fancy that Bragg was the only General in the world worth having - a pecond Alexander the Great. Indeed, i-i big words uffieed to inake héroes, there would be no lack of supplv in America; but as a makeweight they have huppüy a local proverb which teaches them that "words ure not cents ! " Bragg would not allow me to open my lips, but, n wild excitement at cnce launched íbrth a va nglorious, boast that in loss than four weeks he would capture Fort Pickens, put the garrison to the sword. and blow it into the air. "All this is very well, General," I (uietly observed, "but what mensures have you taken to cariv out this great plan ! " On this point, however, the galFant general declined to enter into any explanations. It was his.wish, he said, (puiling up his shirt-eollar at the same time, as il ti give weight to his words) to astonisb the public by his success. After this ruther uníalisfuctory interview, I proceeded along the shores of the bay o inspect his camp and the condition of his anny. The defensiva Works were of the most primitivo kind, and consf'rueted with a carelessness whicl) might have led to the supposilion ttint we were ifl A state of peace had t not been that a hostile fort opposite stood where the vigilant aciivity of the ene■niy was evident enough. The fullovving is as honorable to the writer as it s to tho distinguished subject of hi.s panegyric : ll'd.ELLAN AlTER THE S1EGI5OF VORKTOWN. The humanity displayed by the General commanding the e.ietny's forcea created a feeling of warm admiration among our troops, great numbers of whoin hii.l near relalives among the woundód e had been compelled to loave behind in tho denso woods and sickly swamps, and who were out of the retich ot any succor from us. In noli'-mu; this conduct of Gen. Modellen I ennnot rcfrain from remarking that botli Otir officials and our newspapers had all along beon holding forth about the cruelty with which the enemy treuted the prisoners in their hands - charges entitled, must likely, to about s mnch credit as those attribiiting to sume of our officers the atrocity of ihrovving torpedoes into the wells when w evacuated the towus. " It has seemed 8trange to some amongst the numerons enemies of McClellan in the United States that I and others serving wilh the Confedérate itrmy should eatertain so great a respect for him, and be so cundid as to freely expres it. That esteem, as far na I am ooncerued, resta on the knowledge I have had many opportunities f öcquiring of bis straightlorward, soldierly conduct, and especially of hls humane endeavors to protect the enemy's property, and liis care for the welfcu'ö of' the w.junded and other prisonèrs who feil into his hands." Ie il to bo wondered at that a man like thia should coinmand the unboundod admiration and devotion of ui! tiio.so who served underhitn, as well i.s the respect and esteem of the enemy? Tiie following impressive scène was witnössed by Colonel Estvan the evening béfore the battle of Seven Pines: PARTINO OF GEN. JOUNST0N AND IUS SON. Seated near a camp fire, General Johnston was thoiightfully oooupibd in studying a ranp that lay before him, a knot of officers standing in a group eïise Vy their chief. The oritical stato of affaire was inlly understood by al! present, and every eya was anxionsly turned npnn our beloved commander. Presentí y the Genend asked for his son, Cnlonel Ji'htiston, vvlio was one of the A.ids-de-Oamp of President Jefferson Davis. As soon as the Colonel seated liimself by his father's sida the latter tore a leaf of paper out of his pocketbook, and, ilter wriiing on it a fuw line?, he hnn-led it to his son, with the u'ord-, " fíive that to your mother" IIo also wrote a fow words upon aoother leaf; but this he foldod and sealed, and then handing to his son, said, "Duliver tiiis to President Davis. You c;u nuif xi," he added, bidding hitn adieu, cordi;lly( '' and let me see you tfvmotTow." When just about to mount his horse the Cotonol hastened l;ck to my u lew mora parting word to his faltuT, who had now risen to watch hi.-t departuro. The Genera flded his son in his anus with ill-concaled emotion, and then repeated it ohopring tones his direction that he would he sure to co::ie to seo him on tlie-mwrow. " Yes, yes, father," replied Colanel Johnston, in i voice lioMi'se wilh einolion, as he tore himself nway. He then mounted his horse and in a few moments was lost sight of in the durkness of the r.tght. For some time after bis son's deparfuro the old General stood with outstretched arms, as motionless hr a statue, staring fixediy at vacancy. Not a word had been ti pul hy tbc Señera)) and othr ' chm-h prepptlt n) tbis afft'Cting interview. At lengih thoir chief turned rouud, abroptly exelaimine-, " Now, getillemen, to business. '■' This scène, implo as it may seeni in deeliption, win in reality most impressiye. Oould tbo j General have had sorne kind of foreboding of what was to beful! bitn on the following day ? CAUSES OF OUR NOT CAPTOUIN'G IUCI15Ï0ND. Col. Estvan wind up his account of the investment of the rebel capital and of the seven duys' butilos on the península by the following conclusions : "I rray venture to soy that, if McClelluu had reoeived the support that bad been protnisd him, ho might have given a crushing blow to tlie Gonfederacy. But it was only after his army had been routed thut Burnide made his appearance wiih his corps. M7hat inight not the result have been, if that Gener] had unived a fortnight sooner, and if McDowell had not been virt ual' y ! isolated f'rom McClellan ? As General McClellan withdrew his shattered forcea through sivamps, forests, and a.l sorts of difficult ground, he could weli exclaim, likb Frapcis I, after the battlo of Pavia, "All is lost except honor!" Stiil uodautited, he retreated to the James river, to iind protaction -under the guns of his flotilla. The tribute of admiraüon we here venture to pay to General McClelian 3 conscientiously bes'.owed. .There aro few, f any Generáis in the Federal army who can bear compaiison with him. Abandoned at the most critica! moment by McDowell; left to his iute by the Secretary of War, Stanton, frum party pique; cütoii t'rom hia line of retreat, he adopted a basis of operations on a plan cf his ovvn that puzzled the comprebension of less abie uien and iu lts execution he defended every inch of ground with hravery and skill. His last halt at Malvern Hill is a proof of his military talent, and he is entitlrd to as much credit for his able combinations as for the deterniined stand he there mnde. But his trcops had, at the close of these fierce conHicts, becoti.e much demoraüzed by the effects of the previous six days lighting, and had lost heart, bitst mary of hia Generala, having failed to comprehend adequatelv the ideas of their Commander-in-Chief, gave him little or no support."

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus