Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 09.djvu/59

50 General Polk, after stating the measures taken to place his corps in position in line of battle during the afternoon of the 5th of April, continues as follows:

"By this time it was near 4 o'clock, P.M., and, on arriving, I was informed that General Beauregard desired to see me immediately. I rode forward at once to his head-quarters, where I found General Bragg and himself in conversation. He said, with some feeling, 'I am very much disappointed at the delay which has occurred in getting the troops in position.' I replied, 'So am I, sir, but, so far as I am concerned, my orders are to form on another line—General Bragg's left wing—and that line must first be established before I can form upon it.' (See report, February 4th, 1863.) I continued: 'I reached Mickey's at nightfall yesterday (the 4th), whence I could not move, because of the troops which were before me, until 2 P.M. to-day. I then promptly followed the column in front of me, and have been in position to form upon it so soon as its line was established." [I have to regret that I have not General Polk's report before me, nor those of the commanders of visions and brigades of his corps.]

It is to be observed, that General Polk was not only a high dignitary in the church, but a scholar and logician, of recognized ability. He states previously, in his report, "I had not advanced far before I came upon General Ruggles, who commanded General Bragg's left, deploying his troops"

It is to be observed that, in General Bragg's presence, he did not assume the responsibility of charging the cause of delay of the movement on my division directly, or other troops of Bragg's corps, and it is evident that had he done so he would have met with a peremptory rebuke!

The General (Polk), as a logician, dodged the rebuke intended for him, by ignoring the facts connected with the obstruction at the commencement of the march of the troops during the morning, and thus, by implication, designed to throw the blame on my division!

In Colonel W. P. Johnston's life of his lamented father, General A. S. Johnston, on page 562, we find "Ruggles's division did not come up promptly, and Polk's Corps was held motionless by the delay."

This clause in the text is apparently the basis of an inference to my disparagement.

On page 568, we find "Munford tells as follows of how the morning passed." (Major Munford, of General Johuston's staff.) *   *   *  "About half-past nine General Johnston sent me to General Bragg to know why the column on his left was not in position. Bragg replied: