American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1851-1863, 1862-12-05

observe Shermans division The reserve
corps OF the army, under Gen. breckenridge
was sent to Gen Van Dorm TO held yicks-
burg These dispositions made the Army
of tie Mississippi, on the last of June, COM
menced its memorable march to outhank
Buen and recover the States of Tennessee
ana kentucky The transportation was sent
by land, 400 miles to Chattanooga. The
troops were sent by rail over distance of
some 500 miles. They rested ut Chattanoo-
ga some two weeks, awaiting the arrival of
the wagons, artillery and cavalry. Gen.
Bragg Immediately placed himself in com
munication with Gen. Kirby Smith at Knox
vile, and Gen. Humphrey Marshall at Alb
ingdon, Virginia. Sending a small portion
+ OF this force to Gen. Smith, he directed him
TO invest Gen Morgan, commanding Fed
eraid army at Cumberland, with sufic
I force and with the residue to march on Lex
/ ington, KY, while General Marshall was re-
! quested to form junction with him at the
same place. These movements were prompt
+ ~ aud brilliantly executed. The country
was electrified by the complete victory at
Richmond, Ky, resulting in the destructio
OF Gen Bull \ eisons army, the occupation
! OF Lexington and Frankfort, and the threat
ening of Cincinnati Meanwhile, Gen. Bragg
with his force augmented by troops drawn
4 from Florida, Georgia and Alabama, had
crossed the Tennessee river at Chattanooga
and Walden's Ridge at Sparta Then occur
red what he had predicted. Buell. had been
fanked, all North Alabama, the Southern
part OF Tennessee, and large portion of the
Memphis and Charleston Railroad had been
recovered without blow. Buell. fell back
to McMinnville, position strong by nature
and of art, and confidently awaited Bragg's
attack Gen Bragg threw forward his cav
airy, and, threatening him at that point
quietly crossed the Cumberland Mountain to
Pikeville before Buell. knew it. The Federal
commander was again outgeneraled and
flanked.
The Importance of Bragg's successful
strategy can only be appreciated when it is
remembered that if Buell. had understood his
real movements, few thousand sharps boot
ers could have arrested Bragg's march in a
dozen of the de6les these two noun
tains- Buell., awaking to the truth, fed to
Nashville. By forced march, Gen. Bragg
crossed the Cumberland river at Carthage.
gaia ianked and outgeneraled Buell., push
ed with his whole force to Bowling Green,
Kentucky. Marching rapidly forward, Bragg
reached Glasgow, pushed on to Mumfords-
vile, and there paused to capture a fort with
1000 men. ten pieces of artillery, and large
quantity of small arms, ammunition and
stores. Buell. was too late to save the gar
risoa or attack Bragg in the while en-
gagged with the fort The question has been
often asked, why Bragg did not fight Buell.
at Mumfordsville The answer is-frst,
that he did offer him battle and he declined
it. Gen. Bragg's commissariat was in such
IA condition that lie could not spare the time
to force him TO fight. He had been twenty
odd days on the road, and his supplies
brought from hattanooga were exhausted.
If be had had four days rations he would
have there forced Buell. to fight. But it was
necessary to move into part of Kentucky
where his commissary could be replenished.
Gen. Bragg was anxious to have given the
enemy battle at this point, and knew then
the importance of beating Buell. before he
advanced into Kentucky well as his crit
les do now But man and beast, composing
armies, must have food, and Gen. Bragg was
forced to seek it.
1t is great mistake to suppose, as has
been alleged, that Buell. got the start of
Bragg and beat him i'm race for Louisville.
s. happened to be prisoner in Bneli's camp,
on the night of the goth September. and rode
seven miles within his lines from the head
quarters of one officer that of another
On that night while the cavalry horses were
all saddled and the teams all Earnessed, the
camp was buried in slumber, the stiffness
relieved only by the challenges of sentinels
The next morning, being sent to our own
lines on paroles, we found nothing but the
rear guard of Braggs army south of Green
River. Wheeler's cavalry brigade
this side to impede the enemy's advance,
but Bragg's army was two DAYS march in
its advance to the heart of Kentucky. 1t
took me two hard days riding to oyerrake
the army. The army reached Bardstown on
the night of the 22d, and up to the night of
the 2lst, Gen Wheeler kept Bnelrs advance
from crossing Green River. The distance
from the river to Bardstown is sixty miles
Louisville was therefore open to Gen. Bragg,
and be could have reached it two or three
DAYS before Buell.. If he had gone there,
hungry as his army was, he would have en-
countered so 900 troops in front and had
Buell. in his rear.
In expectation of his coming, everything
valuable had been removed to the Indiana
shore, and besides, to attack and lombard
I Louis Vile was directly counter to his policy,
which to eonciliate and befriend the
people of Kentucky and not to make war
upon them. General Bragg had more inn
portant objects in view. They were-hrst, to
reach the rich provision region of the State,
to arouse aud arm the $4,000 kentuckians
that had been promised him, and TO effect
junction with Kirby Smith and Humphrey
Marshall He therefore turned off from the
Louisville into the Bardstown pike. Buell.
made the shortest route to Louisville What
happened after reaching Bardstown. | have
related in my first letter. When the two I'M
portant aud vital features of the plan of
t campaign failed. to-wit the Kentucky sup
! port and inability of the troops left in Mis-
) sissippi TO cope with the Federais and to-
I reach Nashville and when Buell., reinforced
~
1 corps sTarBlee of IS, 900 men each, besides
cavalry and 30 batteries of artillery, and
! when another heavy column of the enemy
! was expected from Cincinnati, il might do
i very well for fault-fnders to say what mir
i acies might have been wrought by dashing
! and fighting General, but the common sense
and prudence of the General responsible for
4 the safety of the brave army under his COM
+ uani aud mindful of his patriotic duty to the
4 Confederate cause, knew that Kentucky was
I! ma place to stay at that time and under exist
81 ing rfrenni stances. Listening to the dictates
i of his i,.iesa ent and his duty, and not to
4 what :. Mrs. Grundy might say" he effected
n ma sterIs retreat from the State. heavy
rain rendering the passes of the mountains
and artillery and swelling the Cumberland
1 river. would hasc made tle Fet.eai tEa.osSs-