t of the service." Thus our troops
prided themselves. Under such feelings and enthusiasm, it is little
wonder that they were anxious to meet Sherman, and had circumstances
permitted and a battle fought in South Carolina, these troops would
have come up to the expectations of their countrymen.

But here I will state a fact that all who read history of this war
will be compelled to admit, and that is, the department at Richmond
had no settled or determined policy in regard to the actions of the
army at the South. It would appear from reading contemporary history
that Mr. Davis and his cabinet acted like Micawber, and "waited for
something to turn up." His continual intermeddling with the plans of
the Generals in the field, the dogged tenacity with which he held to
his policies, his refusals to allow commanders to formulate their own
plans of campaigns, forced upon Congress the necessity of putting one
at the head of all the armies whom the Generals, soldiers, as well as
the country at large, had entire confidence. General Lee filled this
position to the perfect satisfaction of all, still his modesty or a
morbid dislike to appear dictatorial, his timidity in the presence of
his superiors, often permitted matters to go counter to his own
views. It appears, too, that when General Sherman allowed Hood to pass
unmolested to his right, and he began tearing up the railroads in his
rear, it was a move so different to all rules of war, that it took
the authorities with surprise. Then when he began his memorable march
through the very heart of Georgia--Hood with a great army in his rear,
in his front the sea--the South stood stupified and bewildered at this
stupendous undertaking. It was thought by the army and the people that
some direful blow would be struck Sherman when he was well under way
in Georgia, and when too far from his base in the rear, and not far
enough advanced to reach the fleet that was to meet him in his front.

How, when, or by whom this blow was to be struck, none even ventured
an opinion, but that the authorities had Sherman's overthrow in view,
all felt satisfied and convinced. But as events have shown since, it
seems that our authorities in Richmond and the commanders in the field
were as much at sea as the soldiers and people themselves. It was
the purpose of General Beauregard to collect out all the militia of
Governor Clark of Mississippi, of Governor Watts of Alabama, Governor
Brown of Georgia, and of G