Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 22.djvu/17

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As the whole includes all the parts, so the discussion being on Folk's and Hood's lines in their intirety, the parts were embraced therein, and not specifically referred to, being minor considerations.

General Johnston argued for the maintenance of his plans very firmly. When a silence occurred in the discussion, I arose and asked permission to leave, stating that I wished to go to my line and fortify it. On reaching my division I set every one to work strength- ening the line, and getting ready for the impending battle that I felt sure would begin in the morning. While we were thus busily at work, and at about the hour of u P. M., an officer riding along my line stopped and told me the work would be useless, and " intimated " (that is the word written in my diary) " that the army would be withdrawn or fall back to-night." Soon after the order came to move back on the Cartersville road. The receipt of the order was a surprise to me, notwithstanding the intimation that had been made to me.

Fifth Towards the conclusion of the article it reads: " General Polk had so little confidence in the representations of the weakness of the line at the point referred to that he did not go there in person. But for Hood's invitation General French would not have been called to the conference, and, consequently, when General Hood urged the untenability of his line, and supported it by bring- ing one of Polk's division commanders, French, to confirm him, General Polk could only rely upon the report of his chief engineer, Captain Morris, and Major- General French, and sustain Lieutenant- General Hood in his opinion that the line could not be held after an attack."

This paragraph is adroitly constructed, and apparently not intended to be clear. It first accuses General Polk of having little confidence in the representations of Sevier, West and French, as alleged to have been made to him; but when General Hood brings French to the conference his testimony is so potent as to make Polk change his opinions and sustain Hood, who urged the untenability of his (Polk's) line.

This is all wrong. Hood did not take me to the conference. I did not support or confirm Hood in his representations. I have never said I could not hold my part of the line, and it would have been presumption to do so. The commanding general would see that the line at that point was defended.

This paragraph also represents General Polk as going to the con-