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LREADY in this work [Vol. I., p. 240] Ihave discussed Mr. Davis’s statementsin his “ Rise and Fall of the ConfederateGovernment,” so far as they bore upon theresponsibilities of the First Bull Run. Iwill now consider his remarks upon theoperations following the withdrawal fromManassas and including the battle of SevenPines.
As to the question of the forces on thePeninsula Mr. Davis says : “ Early in AprilGeneral McClellan had landed about 100,000men at or near Fortress Monroe” [“Riseand Fall,” II., 84]. According to JohnTucker, Assistant Secretary of War, 121,000Federal troops landed before the 5th ofApril. Mr. Davis further says: “At thistime General Magruder occupied the lowerPeninsula with his force of seven or eightthousand men ” [II., 84]. General Ma-gruder reported that he had eleven thousand men. Mr. Davis also says:
CONFEDERATE SHARP-SHOOTER.
“ After the first advance of the enemy, General Magruder was reenforced by some troopsfrom the south side of James River, and General Wilcox’s brigade, which had been previouslydetached from the army under General Johnston .”
These reenforcements, together, made about five thousand men [II., p. 85].He says, on the same page:
“ On the 9th of April, General Magruder’s command, thus reenforced, amounted to about12,000. On that day General Early joined with his division from the Army of Northern Vir-ginia.This division had about 8000 officers and men for duty. General Magruder’s
force was thus increased to about 20,000.”
The same order detached Early’s, D. R. Jones’s, and D. H. Hill’s divisionsfrom the Army of Northern Virginia, and they were transported as fast asthe railroad trains could carry them. The two latter divisions had togetherabout 10,000 men, so that Magruder’s army was raised to about 33,000 men,instead of 20,000, as Mr. Davis said.
Coming to the plan of withdrawal Mr. Davis says :
“ As soon as it was definitely ascertained that General McClellan, with his main army, was onthe Peninsula, General J. E. Johnston was assigned j to the command of the Department of the jPeninsula and Norfolk , and directed to proceed thither to examine the condition of affairs there.
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