▁" old ▁Army " ▁now ▁out rank ed ▁him , ▁even ▁though ▁Davis ▁back dated ▁his ▁promotion ▁to ▁July ▁ 4 . ▁John ston ▁felt ▁that ▁since ▁he ▁was ▁the ▁senior ▁officer ▁to ▁leave ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Army ▁and ▁join ▁the ▁Confeder acy ▁he ▁should ▁not ▁be ▁ranked ▁behind ▁Samuel ▁Cooper , ▁Albert ▁Sid ney ▁John ston , ▁and ▁Robert ▁E . ▁Lee . ▁Only ▁Be a ure g ard ▁was ▁placed ▁behind ▁John ston ▁on ▁the ▁list ▁of ▁five ▁new ▁gener als . ▁This ▁led ▁to ▁much ▁bad ▁blood ▁between ▁John ston ▁and ▁Jefferson ▁Davis , ▁which ▁would ▁last ▁throughout ▁the ▁war . ▁The ▁cru x ▁of ▁Davis ' s ▁counter argument ▁was ▁that ▁John ston ' s ▁U . S . ▁commission ▁as ▁a ▁brig ad ier ▁general ▁was ▁as ▁a ▁staff ▁officer ▁and ▁that ▁his ▁highest ▁line ▁commission ▁was ▁as ▁a ▁lieutenant ▁colon el ; ▁both ▁Sid ney ▁John ston ▁and ▁Lee ▁had ▁been ▁full ▁colon els . ▁John ston ▁sent ▁an ▁int em per ately ▁word ed ▁letter ▁to ▁Davis , ▁who ▁was ▁off ended ▁enough ▁to ▁discuss ▁its ▁tone ▁with ▁his ▁cabinet . ▁ ▁John ston ▁was ▁placed ▁in ▁command ▁of ▁the ▁Department ▁of ▁the ▁Pot om ac ▁and ▁the ▁Confeder ate ▁Army ▁of ▁the ▁Pot om ac ▁on ▁July ▁ 2 1 , ▁ 1 8 6 1 , ▁and ▁the ▁Department ▁of ▁Northern ▁Virginia ▁on ▁October ▁ 2 2 . ▁From ▁July ▁to ▁November ▁ 1 8 6 1 , ▁he ▁was ▁head qu