Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 39.djvu/31

 "Missionary Ridge." 19

so far east, so far from their homes, which half ^ or more of them had not seen for years, that, too, when they knew that all was lost, attests their fidelity, does it not? But does it not, incidentally, do more ? It was a tribute to their unbounded con- fidence in and devotion to Johnston. Men from Texas, Louisi- ana, Arkansas, Missouri, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, etc., went thousands of miles from their homes at the call of their old commander! What nobler, more convincing proof can you give me of a man's capacity to command? Could an "incom- petent" man command men's hearts and wills and actions and loyalty and lives like that?

Second. General Bragg was a stranger to his men to the last. He commanded the Army of Tennessee the most of its corporate existence, viz: from the last of May, 1862, to about December ist, 1863. Kept over us, I have always thought, by President Davis. From first to last he was unpopular with the men and a stranger to them. Soon after assuming command he had a man shot for stealing a chicken. This has been de- nied, but I remember well the report, and that it was believed universally by the men. Austere, morose, rarely showing him- self, known only to his men by his military orders, the feeling toward him grew into positive dislike. And yet that army fol- lowed him, followed and obeyed him, endured hunger, hard- ships, rags and nakedness for him, fought repeated battles for him, and, in two especially, among the largest and bloodiest of the war, Murfreesboro and Chickamauga, that army per- formed deeds of valor never surpassed anywhere, and yet in all and through all, with no love for him and little confidence in him. In both of these battles last mentioned they felt their failure to deliver a crushing blow to the enemy was due to him. 'Tis said the Southern soldier would not take discipline. What was it, then, kept the long-suflfering Army of Tennessee follow- ing a man they neither liked nor had confidence in? If not discipline, it was something nobler, grander, was it not? Yea, verily, it was patriotism I One of the sublimest object lessons on patriotism the world ever saw. It is not surprising when