Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 1.djvu/685

 Rh States government, until relieved by General Sumner. From Washington he was sent a major-general's commission, and confidential assurances of the highest command, but he declined to fight against his own people and retired to Los Angeles with the intention of farming. Soon he found that the call from his friends could not be resisted, and he made his way overland to Richmond, on the way assisting in the organization of the new territory of Arizona for the Confederacy. He was met with great enthusiasm in the Confederate States, and was at once given the rank of general, being the first Confederate commander to wear that honor. On September 10, 1861, he was assigned to the command of all the Confederate territory lying west of the Alleghanies, except the Gulf coast, and powers of commensurate range. Though very weak in men and munitions, having, in fact, available but one tenth the number in opposition, he threw his force forward under Buckner to Bowling Green, Ky., and appealed to the governors and Richmond for assistance. But the magnitude of the struggle was not then realized. He was never able to assemble more than 22,000 men at Bowling Green, while the Federal strength was increased to 100,000. Early in 1862 all the resources of the Northwest were turned against him. To meet Grant with 28,000 troops he left 17,000 at Fort Donelson under Floyd, Pillow and Buckner, while to guard Nashville from Buell's army, he fell back to the Cumberland with an effective force of about 9,000. When he received the news of the surrender of Donelson, he began a concentration at Corinth, Miss., and was able to assemble an army of 23,000 by the latter part of March, which was now strongly reinforced by the Confederate government, until he had about 40,000 effective soldiers. At this period he was bitterly criticised, and deputations to the President demanded his removal, to whom Mr. Davis replied: "If Sidney Johnston is not a general, I have none." But Johnston bore himself with serenity and