est, he replied: "I know Johnston well. If he is not a
general, we had better give up the war, for we have no general."
Johnston found the Tennessee, running from Alabama and Mississippi up to
the Ohio, in the possession of the National fleets and armies. The force
under his immediate command was therefore separated from the force under
Beauregard that was guarding the Mississippi. Unless they should join,
they would be beaten in detail. To join involved the surrender either of
Central Tennessee or of the Mississippi. Johnston resolved to give up
Central Tennessee until he could regain it, and hold on to the
Mississippi. But to hold the Mississippi required continued possession
of the railroads, and such points especially as Corinth and Humboldt.
Corinth, both from its essential importance and its exposure to attack
by reason of its nearness to the river, was the point for concentration.
Johnston moved from Nashville to Murfreesboro, not on the direct route
to Corinth, to conceal his purpose. At Murfreesboro he added to the
forces brought from Bowling Green between three and four thousand of the
men who escaped from Donelson, and the command of General Crittenden
from Kentucky, quickly raising his force at Murfreesboro to seventeen
thousand men. Leaving Murfreesboro on February 28th, marching through
Shelbyville to Decatur, he arrived at Corinth, on March 24th, with
twenty thousand men. General Bragg, with ten thousand well-drilled
troops from Pensacola, had preceded him. General Ruggles, with a
brigade, came from New Orleans; Major-General Polk, with General
Cheatham's division from Columbus, with the troops that escaped from
Island No. Ten the night before escape was cut off, and various outlying
garrisons under General Beauregard's command, swelled the concourse. Van
Dorn, having failed to drive Curtis back into Missouri, was ordered to
come with his command to Corinth. A regiment arrived before April 6th,
the rest later. Detached commands guarding the line of the Memphis and
Charleston Railroad were called in. The governors of States were called
on and raised new levies. Beauregard made a personal appeal for
volunteers, which brought in several regiments. Johnston had before
called for reinforcements in vain. Now every nerve was strained to aid
him. An inspection of his command satisfied him that if all the soldiers
detailed as cooks and teamsters were relieved, he would have another
brigade of effective men. He sent