.MTc3.MjM2

[?]
July 16th 1874
Gen’l Johnston
Dear Gen’l
Your letter of the 13th
ultimo was received some two
weeks since, but frequent ab
sence from home has prevented
a reply until this moment.
While I regret there should be
between Gen’l Hood and yourself
any [issue?] upon the [?] in
dictated in your letter indeed
that there should be any matter
in controversy between distinguished
Confederate Gen’ls who each under
the great difficulties surrounding
them discharged each to the


best of their ability the high
trust imposed. I feel it
my duty nevertheless to add
my testimony if necessary
in vindication of a truthful
history of your campaign from
Dalton to Atlanta [?]
And I answer emphatically
that the circumstances of
the campaign did not render
it possible at any time that
any considerable number of small
arms, prisoners or munitions
of any kind could have been
captured from your Army
or lost in the retreat
from the simple fact tho
retrograding all the time the
discipline and morale of the
Army was better than at anytime


during my connection with
it, and in every skirmish and
fight, in which [Cliburn’s?] Div.
was engaged (and indeed the
wha whole Army so far as I
know) we always maintained
our position inflicting heavy
loss on the enemy with com
parative small losses considering
at least five to one from
the best data we could get.
At New Hope Church, where one of
my Regts. suffered more severely than
in any other engagement you will
recollect from personal inspection
of the ground after the fight
what serious loss was inflicted
on the enemy and that enough arms
and ammunition were cap
tured to furnish a [Brig.?] or two.
Your whole Army Gen’l can bear
testimony to the orderly and well conducted


manner of our retreat and the reasons
for our retrograde movement was well
understood to be due simply
to the fact that Gen’l Sherman’s su
perior numbers enabled him to
threaten you in front and [maneufer?]
your line of communications at the
same time. If our Div. lost a
single prisoner or gun I cannot
now recall the incident during
the entire campaign from Dalton to
Atlanta.
After the lapse of such
a length of time it is almost
impossible to recall Gen Shermans
exact language to me while a prisoner
in Atlanta. but it was exceedingly
complimentary to you. He said in
effect that his largely superior numbers
ought to have enabled him under
ordinary circumstances to have
crushed your Army before it reached
crossed the Chatahoochie river and
it was due to the able manner in
which you conducted your retreat that
he was not able to effect that result
and that you never left a prisoner in an
[?] way for him to pick up.
Very Truly yours
D.C. Govan