MANASSAS TO SEVEN PINES
By Joseph E. Johnston, General, C.S.A.

ALREADY in this work [Vol. I., p. 240] I have discussed Mr. Davis's statements in his "Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government'" so far as they bore upon the responsibilities of the First Bull Run. I will now consider his remarks upon the operations following the withdrawal from Manassas and including the battle of Seven Pines.

As to the question of the forces on the Peninsula Mr. Davis says: "Early in April General McClellan had landed about 100,000 men at or near Fortress Monroe" ["Rise and Fall," II., 84]. According to John Tucker, Assistant Secretary of War, 121,000 Federal troops landed before the 5th of April, Mr, Davis further says: "At this time General Magruder occupied the lower Peninsula with his force of seven or eight thousand men" [II., 84]. General Magruder reported that he had eleven thousand men. Mr. Davis also says:

"After the first advance of the enemy, General Magruder was reenforced by some troops from the south side of James River, and General Wilcox's brigade, which had been previously detached from the army under General Johnston."

These reinforcements, 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 about 12,000. On that day General Early joined with his division from the Army of Northern Virginia. This division had about 8,000 officers and men on 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 divisions from the Army of Northern Virginia, and they were transported as fast as the railroad trains could carry them. The two latter divisions had together about 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 on the Peninsula, General J.E. Johnston was assigned^ to the command of the Department of the Peninsula and Norfolk, and directed to proceed thither to examine the condition of affairs there.

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^ That assignment was made after the conference at Richmond mentioned on page 203. -- EDITORS.
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