Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 16.djvu/318

 312 Southern Historical Society Papers.

hand of their proper commanders, from corps to companies, as is not honestly deniable. We must now see, however, from the reports of his several division, brigade and regimental commanders, as to the condition of their respective commands, whether there were really any rational grounds for General Folk's belief that his troops were capable of the vigorous assault that was essential to make the Con- federate operations at that late hour a triumphant success. General A. P. Stewart, a professionally educated soldier, who fell into com- mand of Folk's first division by the disablement of General Clark, reports that after the capture of Prentiss, in which his immediate command had no part, under the orders of General Polk, he moved toward " our left to the support of some Louisiana regiments" (with the Second and Thirty-third and Fifth Tennessee regiments.)

" In passing through the woods," Stewart continued, "the Fifth Tennessee became separated from us. The other two moved for- ward to a road, and thence by the left flank along the road to the camp where prisoners were captured. We finally took position, under the orders of General Breckinridge, to aid in the pursuit of the enemy, which was checked by the fire of the gunboats!" Nothing here assuredly indicated the existence of that ardor of which their corps commanders say so much in reports which they avoided to dutifully render to General Beauregard, while calling so promptly for those due from their own subordinates an avoidance of duty in which, I take this immediate occasion to say, they were favored by my illness and absence from the duties of my office from about the middle of May up to the very eve of Beauregard's separa- tion from the army. But for this casualty I am very sure the reports in question would have been elicited before the close of May, and I dare to say, moreover, they would have reached my office at least those of Bragg and Hardee essentially free from, or not stuffed and effusing with that suggested and directed blame of their commanding general, which have made the reports subsequently transmitted with- out even approximate similars in the whole round of official military literature. How little prepared, after the surrender of Prentiss, three of his regiments, the Twelfth, Thirteenth and Twenty-second Ten- nessee regiments of Stewart's division, were to vigorously assail the enemy in the manner so sanguinely fancied by General Polk, is shown by Colonel Russell, their brigade commander, in these definitive words :

" The prisoners being disposed of, I made preparations to move the forces under my command forward toward the river, but Colonel