RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE FIRST BULL RUN

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are most required. . . . If it is proposed to strengthen us against the attack I suggest as

soon to be made, it seems to me that General Beauregard might with great expedition furnish5000 or 6000 men for a few days.”

Mr. Davis says, after quoting from this letter:

“As soon as I became satisfied that Manassas was the objective point of the enemy’s move-ment, I wrote to General Johnston urging him to make preparations for a junction withGeneral Beauregard.”

There is abundant evidence that the Southern President never thoughtof transferring the troops in the “Valley” to Manassas until the proper timeto do it came — that is, when McDowell was known to be advancing. Thisfact is shown by the anxiety he expressed to increase the number of thosetroops. ]) And General Lee, writing [from South Carolina ] to Mr. Davis,November 24th, 1861 (“ Official Records,” II., 515), says in regard to GeneralBeauregard’s suggestion that he be reenforced from my army:

“ You decided that the movements of the enemy in and about Alexandria were not suf-ficiently demonstrative to warrant the withdrawing of any of the forces from the ShenandoahValley. A few days afterward, however,—I think three or four,— the reports from GeneralBeauregard showed so clearly the enemy’s purpose, that you ordered General Johnston, withhis effective force, to march at once to the support of General Beauregard.”

This letter is in reply to one from Mr. Davis, to the effect that statementshad been widely published to show that General Beauregard’s forces hadbeen held inactive by his (Mr. Davis’s) rejection of plans for vigorous offen-ive operations proposed to him by the general, and desiring to know ofGeneral Lee what those plans were, and why they were rejected.

“ On the 17th of July, 1861,” says Mr. Davis (“ R. and F.” I., 346), “ thefollowing telegram was sent by the adjutant-general” to General Johnston,'Winchester, Va. :

“ General Beauregard is attacked. To strike the enemy a decisive blow, a junction of allyour effective force will be needed. If practicable, make the movement, sending your sick andbaggage to Culpeper Court House, either by railroad or by Warrenton. In all the arrange-ments exercise your discretion. S. Cooper, Adjutant and Inspector-General.”

Mr. Davis asserts that I claim that discretion was given me by the words“ all the arrangements.” I claimed it from what he terms the only positivepart of the order, viz., “If practicable, make the movement, sending yoursick to Culpeper Court House.” Mr. Davis adds:

“ The sending the sick to Culpeper Court House might have been after or before the effect-ive force had moved to the execution of the main and only positive part of the order.”

“ Make the movement ” would have been a positive order, but “ if prac-ticable ” deprived it of that character, and gave the officer receiving it a cer-tain discretion. But, as the movement desired was made promptly, it wassurely idle to discuss, twenty years after, whether the officer could lawfullyhave done what he did not do. At the time the decision of such a questionmight have been necessary; but, as Mr. Davis will give no more orders togenerals, and as the officer concerned will execute no more, such a discussion

i See “Official Records,” II., 924, 935, 940, 973, 976-977.