Colonel William Preston Johnston, The Life of General Albert Sidney Johnston : His Service in the Armies of the United States, the Republic of Texas, and the Confederate States.

On the 26th of February General Beauregard asked for a brigade to assist in the defense of New Madrid, in the following terms:

Appearance of an early attack on New Madrid, in force. Position of absolute necessity to us. Cannot you send a brigade at once, by rail, to assist defense as fast as possible?

In his report of the battle of Shiloh, he says:

General Johnston being at Murfreesboro, on the march to form junction of his forces with mine, was called on to send at least a brigade by railroad, so we might fall upon and crush the enemy should he attempt an advance from under his gunboats.

There was, in fact, no enemy there until some two weeks later, and the brigade called for was intended, as is seen above, for a different purpose-“to assist defense,” not “to fall upon and crush the enemy.” The correspondence between General Beauregard and General Johnston shows that the former was advised of all of General Johnston's movements.

General Beauregard wrote from Jackson, Tennessee, March 2d, to General Johnston:

I think you ought to hurry up your troops to Corinth by railroad, as soon as practicable, for here or thereabouts will soon be fought the great battle of this controversy.

Adjutant-General Mackall telegraphed for General Johnston to General Beauregard, March 7th:

The general understands that detachments for this army are coming east. Will you order none to pass the line of road running to Corinth?

This, with the other circumstances already given, is conclusive that Corinth was the objective point of General Johnston's march. While engaged in these efforts at concentration, General Johnston fully perceived the necessity of haste in their execution, and it has been seen that all possible speed was made.

Immediately after Sherman effected his first lodgement at Pittsburg, Bragg conceived the project of striking him a blow at once, which, if it had been executed promptly, would very probably have proved successful, and might have changed the whole course of subsequent events. This bold stroke was, however, prevented by the following orders from General Beauregard, who determined to await General Johnston's arrival: