messengers through the surrounding
country, urging citizens to hire their negroes as cooks and teamsters
for ninety days, or even sixty days. But the messengers returned with
the answer that the planters would freely give their last son, but they
would not part with a negro or a mule.

General Bragg, on arriving at Corinth, wished to attack the troops as
they were beginning to land at Pittsburg and Crump's landings. General
Beauregard forbade this, writing to Bragg: "I would prefer the
defensive-offensive--that is, to take up such a position as would compel
the enemy to develop his intentions, and to attack us, before he could
penetrate any distance from his base; then, when within striking
distance of us, to take the offensive and crush him wherever we may
happen to strike him, cutting him off, if possible, from his base of
operations or the river."

On March 25th, Johnston completed the concentration of his troops. Van
Dorn was in person in Corinth, and was ordered to bring forward his
command. Johnston determined to wait as long as practicable for it.
Meanwhile, to hasten the organization and preparation of his army, he
appointed Gen. Bragg chief of staff for the time, but to resume command
of his corps when the movement should begin. Of him, Colonel William
Preston Johnston says, in his life of his father--a valuable book,
prepared with great industry, and written with an evident desire to be
fair: "In Bragg there was so much that was strong marred by most evident
weakness, so many virtues blemished by excess or defect in temper and
education, so near an approach to greatness and so manifest a failure to
attain it, that his worst enemy ought to find something to admire in
him, and his best friend something painful in the attempt to portray him
truly." A thorough disciplinarian and a master of detail, his merits
found full play, and his defects were less apparent in his position on
the staff.

Johnston was organizing his army; Grant was assembling his twenty-three
miles away. On the other side of the Tennessee, ninety miles from
Savannah, Buell, halted by Duck Creek, was building a bridge for his
troops--a bridge which it required twelve days to construct. Johnston
having completed his concentration, it was his obvious policy to attack
before Grant should be further reinforced. General Beauregard, in his
letter of March 18th to Bragg, said: "While I have guarded you against
an uncertain offensive, I am decidedly o