Daily national Democrat., 1861-09-21

was manufactured by themselves, after the
war, with the the help of scribblers having no
reputation for veracity to lose The fire.
eaters have, on paper, made Themselves ont
terrible fellows. We begin to think them
very like common men, now. This we say
at the risk Of being considered fishy" on
the goose" 1t may not be improper to
say that the writer of the following is
Louisianian, and that his friends and relatives
are, for the most part residing in the rebel
district He is firm Union man:
EDrron DEMOCRAT Learning, by the late
dispatches from the East. of the transfer OF
the celebrated Gen. Bragg, of "a little more
grape notoriety, from the command Of the
Confederate forces at Pensacola, Florida, to
the seat of war on the Potomac, thought it
might not be uuinterestng to some Of your
numerous readers. to hear from an eye wit.
ness of some Of this distinguished heros ac-
tjone on the battle field Of Buena Vista, and
also of his conduct after his return to the
Walnut Springs Taylor's camp, Monterey,
Mexico.
Being n member of the squadron of Caval-
ry, commanded by Col Chas A. May, who
were engaged for the greater part of that
memorable day in the protecting of Bragg's
Battery, had, may almost say, an uninter-
vering Of the battery through the hottest Of
the fight. | will here remark, that during
the seven or eight hours Of time that our
squadron was engaged in the protecting of
Bragg's Battery, was never at any time,
more than from so to 90 yards OFF from the
Battery, and consequently had a good and
made, and also Of the effect the enemy's guns
had on it., The Battery was, for the greater
part of the day, engaged at what is by artil-
lerists called "long taw." knew Capt Bragg,
at the time | speak of, as well by sight as
now know any of my most intimate friends
also had the pleasure of being intimately
acquainted with great number of the men
composing Bragg's company; and a finer
braver, or noher set of men, it has never been
my lot to meet any where or under any cir
cumstances. am sorry cannot say the
same forthe tyrannical brute who at that time
di'graced them as their commander.
Bragg's Battery was formerly Ringgold's
Battery, and was brought to Mexico by Maj
Riuggold and Lieut.. Rdgely, from Fort Nc
Henry, Baltimore, Nd. AT that time it was
looked upon as the finest Battery in the Uni,
ted States, if not in the world But unfor-
tunately, Captnin or Major Ringgold was
| mortally wounded al the battle of Resaca de
la Palma, and after brief command of the
company by Ridgely. (who was killed by his
horse falling on him in the streets Of Monte
rey, just after the taking of that place by the
Amei lean army under old Zach. y the COM
mand of the Battery devolved upon Captain
Bragg, whose name it took as it formerly did
Ringgold's and Ridgeley's.
Well. sir, at the battle of Beuna Vista, l
am willing to swear that | never saw Capt
Bragg with his battery and at his post Of
duty, where he should have been, but three
solitary times during the whole time that our
squadron was protecting the battery. If he
had been there which afterwards found
out he was not, from members of his compn-
ny, could not have failed to observe him
And now, as to Bragg's battery. on that day,
being badly cut up--as | have often seen it
. fnfa1 IL, mint thoY - . Lo
ration Of this corrupt and unholy rebellion
against a Government that stands as the last
hope of man,-the object of which state
ment is to make him appear a hero, when he
is in fact vile and traitorous coward, as |
think | will be abundantly able to show in
the remainder of this letter His bravery
exists in something the same way as the or
der was given, claimed to have come from
that truly brave and noble hero and conf
mander, Zacharioh Taylor--of "a little more
grape, Capt Bragg" That order, like the
having of his men cut TO pieces and his guns
dismounted until there was not enough left
o work the remainder, is a fabrication from
beginning to end and must have emanated
from Bragg's own imagination. The amount
of the suffering of Bragg's battery at Buena
Vista, at least for the time to which bear
witness, was the loss of one Of the wheels of
n gun carriage throughout the day Braggs
battery was constantly engaged. and did do
tremendous execution. had ocular proof
OF this, but it was not to Bragg that the
country is indebted for what the battery did,
but to its very efficient First Lieutenant,
whose name has escaped my memory, and
also to the efficient and brave Orderly Ser
geat, Dan Delany. who was VIM. Walkers
commander of artillery in his war with Mica
ragua and Costa Rica. | am, as a friend to
the Union, glad to hear that Bragg's kind is
being sent to the Potomac to assist in the
command of the Confederates, for the reduc
ing and taking of Washington the Capital of
our glorious country for | know he is
traitorous coward, and will adyanee on Rich.
noad rather than on Washington, if he re-
'eives very warm reception, which he will
be most likely to, when he meets Mcclellan
After the battle of Buena Vista, General
Taylor, with the lst Mississippi Volunteers
by Col jeff Davis, now Pres,
ient of the so-called Southern Confederacy
Col Mays squadron of cavalry, and Braggs
Battery, returned to Monterey and took up
Iheir original camping ground at the Walnut