Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 20.djvu/107

 President Davis and General Johnston. 101

threatened point might have stopped Grant and probably held the line of Kentucky many months longer such as characterized the movement of Joe Johnston in the previous July to the battle-field of Bull Run, which stopped the Federals in Virginia. But after idly observing the battle from afar, with troops enough to turn the scale, when all was over he calmly marched away to the southward, seek- ing a new line of defense.

EXAGGERATING HIS GRIEVANCE.

But whatever Davis' motive for overslaughing Johnston with his juniors, the exaggerated importance the latter attached to what seems at this distance a secondary matter is surprising and gives one a bad impression of this otherwise admirable character. He mor- bidly dwelt upon the President's injustice with the feverish pertinacity of a crank, wholly unobservant of the fact that notwithstanding his technical loss of rank he was actually in command of the chief army of the Confederacy at the post of honor arid danger, the cynosure of all eyes.

But Johnston regarded his own present interest and dignity as paramount, unlike Lee forgetting that time and success would rectify everything. When they were touched he became sour, even sullen, and watchful and suspicious of those he deemed his enemies. His mental vision was conspicuously practical and far-reaching in all other matters except those which concerned himself. His nature was positive ; he was an unbending, unyielding personality. This was the rock upon which he split.

The foregoing statement of the original casus belli incidentally affords the reader a view of the characters of the two men involved in the quarrel. After the acrimonious correspondence concerning the question of rank the belligerents settled down into a stately atti- tude of jealous and guarded hostility, suspected but not fully known to the public.

About this time there was also some friction concerning the organi- zation of the army into brigades by States, which Davis favored. Johnson's delay in this matter irritated the President, and the Gen- eral in turn was incensed by the irregular interference of Secretary Benjamin with army movements, who sent orders direct to subordi- nates, ignoring the commanding general. Notwithstanding Johns- ton's protests, the Secretary continued this indefensible course.