From Beauregard's Army

The Missouri Army Argus is published at Camp Churchill Clark, near Corinth, edited by no less a personage than the pious and erudite J. W. Tucker, familiarly known as Deacon Tucker, who would be noted as the proprietor of the Missouri State Journal, of St. Louis, the first paper to be suppressed by Gov. Lyon, were it not that he won still later, a brighter fame as the author of Gen. Price’s famous call for “50,000 men.”  Deacon Tucker in his paper of the 14^th, sees in the profanity of the rebel army a treason for the divine judgments that have followed their arms.  He asserts that they ought to seek to propitiate the Deity.  He says:

The Confederates are God’s Chosen people. – * * * * God has often fought battle for his people.  In the commencement of the revolution, God evidently was with us.  A causeless panic at Manassas made our enemies, whose force was double, and whose equipments were far superior to ours, turn their backs and flee in wild disorder.  This great victory made us vain.  We boasted we were the greatest fighting people in the world, and that it was no trouble to whip the Yankees.  Doubtless, the Almighty just stepped aside to let us see how great we were without him.  Since then, how many battles have we won?  All of us know Hilton Head, Port Royal, Henry, Donelson, Island No. 10, Nashville and New Orleans have fallen.  Our people are beginning to see that vain is the strength of man.  They are taking to sackcloth and ashes.  God is being entreated to turn away his wrath and look kindly on us again.  Our loved mothers, wives, daughters and sisters, our aged men and young men, morning, noon and night, in closets and assemblies, offer up earnest prayers for deliverance from our foes.  And earnest are these supplications; for if our enemies succeed, we lose life, liberty and property – we are enslaved, we and our children, for all time to come.  Now, under such circumstances, ought men in the army to take God’s name in vain?

This is followed by an article headed, “Who wins the battle?” which asserts that unless God be with them they cannot succeed.

The following communication, from the Commander of the forces is published for the information and guidance of the rebel army:

HEADQUARTERS WESTERN DEPARTMENT

Corinth, Miss., May 10, 1862.

Immediately after any engagement with the enemy, [you] will require each regimental commander to forward to these headquarters, for publication in order[s], the names of those officers and privates of his regiment who shall have distinguished themselves most; as well as those who have misbehaved or abandoned their colors on the field of battle.  Regiments whose gallantry and bravery shall have been most conspicuous, will be allowed to inscribe on their banners the name of the battle field in which they were engaged, but regiments misbehaving in action will be deprived of their colors until they may have shown themselves worthy of defending them.

From the difficulty of communicating orders in the country in which we are operating, it is necessary that each division, brigade and regimental commander should clearly understand that, when without orders, or at a loss to know what to do in action, they must rapidly advance in the direction of the heaviest firing; for the art of war consists in the concentration of masses.  Moreover, our motto should be “Forward, and always forward!” until victory may perch decisively upon our banners.  The more rapid the attack the weaker, habitually, the resistance.

Respectfully, General, Your, ob’t serv’t,

G. T. BEAUREGARD, Gen’l Com’g.

To Maj. Gen. Braxton Bragg, com’g army of the Mississippi.

By command of Gen. Bragg.

(Signed)

GEO. G. GARDNER, A. A. G.

– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, May 31, 1862, p. 2