Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 20.djvu/114

 108 Southern Historical Society Papers.

day and labored at night," retreated for seventy days without fight- ing a general battle, and yet lost about one third its original number. Davis makes pretty much the same statements. It is susceptible of proof that at New Hope Church Johnston must have had fully seventy- five thousand men in line or at hand. When Johnston read Hood's report he notified the adjutant-general that he would prefer charges against the officer, but the war ended ere he could execute his threat.

Davis indorsed upon Johnston's official report of his Atlanta operations :

November 12, 1864.

The case as presented is very different from the impression created by other communications contemporaneous with the events referred to. The absence of the reports of subordinates suggests a reason for the want of fullness on many important points.

JEFF'N DAVIS.

General Johnston was permitted to see this indorsement and com- municated a reply to the adjutant-general, closing as follows :

RICHMOND, December 21, 1864.

General S. COOPER, Adjutant and Inspector General:

GENERAL * * * I regret the want of fullness in the report, but am gratified that the President understands the cause of it. Most respectfully your obedient servant,

J. E. JOHNSTON, General.

These two indorsements furnish a fair indication of the characters of these two great players on the world's stage and of their attitude toward each other. Always polite and dignified, but always bitter.*

LESLIE J. PERRY.

too ultra to be pleasing to any Southerner. The author is a member of the Publication Board of the War Record Office. ED.
 * This review, whilst it explains in some degree an unfortunate variance, is