Newbern weekly progress. [volume] (Newbern, N.C.) 1858-1863, 1862-11-01
Rebel Summing Up Of Rragg's Campaigs
4 in Kcniucky.
IFrom the Richmond wbig. Oct. 90
THE KENTUCKY ARMY,

Our news from Kentucky does not, by any
means, justify the expectations which had been
founded on the telegraphic intelligence of tho
previous fsW -days. By thu. 4fenor of the
kilograms received from the West We had been
led to believe that Gen. Bragg had gained bril-.
liant victory, and that the enemy's army was
thoroughly beaten, If not completely demorai-
ICED. We can scarcely conceive how such 70,
ports get into circulation. Battles here, battles
there, battles everywhere were described, all OF
hem being Confederate victories, and resulting
in the capture of mullitudnous prisoners and
Infinite artillery. To DO sure il was rather diff
cult to comprehend the strategy Of these comp.i.
Gated movements, and the tactics of these
numerous fields but, nevertheless, the reports
came from so many sources, and agreed so well
in their general features, that we were inclined
- credit them with at least basis Of truth.
Yet it turns out that after the battle of Perry.
vile, on the Sth inst, no general acton was
fought. Kirby Smith encountered Crittenden's
forces near Frankfort. and defeated them, and
this is the last we hear Of any fighting. For
some days nothing Is known of the movements
OF our army We had imagined it advancing on
Louisville; or perhaps, crossing the kentucky
river, and threatening Cincinnati; We had cher
shed the delusion that it was at least, holding a.
commanding position in The midst Of the fertile
aud teemibg region of Kentucky. But, all this
time, it was relreating- falling back is the polite
term-from the n,ighborhood Of Louisville tn
the extreme southwestern co .ner Of the State 6
from the productive blue grass country, to tho
mountain counties, whore life Is burthen to a
gra shopper,
Our last advices render it certain that Bragg's,
army is abandoning Kentucky, and that Il is
now in position in the neighborhood Of Cumbers
land Gap. We do not know, and do not p,etend
to divine, the causes Of Il is retrograds move.
ment. We do know that it has profoundly dis
appointed and mortified our people, and dashe'l
the fond hopes they had formed Of liberating
kentucky aud Tennessee We bad expected, ,
and reasonably expected, from General Bragg u
magnificent amy, something more than mere
incursion TO the n.ighborbood Of the Ohio river
--something IN, re than fruitess marches and
barren battles We had anticipated from Gen-
eral Rragg something more than boaslful orders
to his oops and sounding proclamatious to the
people beyond the Ohio. we had formed ex-
altr'i hopes of the great expedition which he led
across the Tennessee river, and nearly up 10 the
10, lis hesitancy at Chattanooga. his tardy ad.
vance into Kentucky, had shaken public conf.
dence but few were wiling to condemi so long
as opportunity yet remained for a consummatioi,
OF the grand objects Of the campaign. Z, 1t 10 Aal
over now The kentucky movement in the
hands Of General Bragg has turned out TO be
simply a tzzle. No other word can SO appropii.
a.ely describe It, 1t has been, from beginning
to end, brilliant bunder and magnificent fai,-
ure. Without losing battle, General Bragg
has suffered all the consequence Of defeat; after
marching hundreds Of miles in pursuit Of q fly
ing enemy, after capturing towns and cities. me-
naeing Cincinnati and threatening Louisville.
fighting and winning battles, aud taking thou
sands Of plisoners, he turns his back on his con-
quests. and leaves to the beaten and wondering
enemy all the advantages Of victory, We are
told Kirby Smith defeated Crittenden neal
Frankfort. We know that we whipped Nelson
at Richmond, and that Morgan performed tn,
most gallant exploits at many points, that We
/, took town after town. and captured vast number
Of prisoners. All these arc achievements whict
will adorn our history; but u shey compensat
for the disappointment Of our hopes. aud the tail
IRE of our grand schemes for the liberation o
Tennesseei The fact remains that, after oil GU
glorious successes, our marches battles and vie
tories, our army is near Cumberland Gap. ah'
the enemy in possession again Of oil Kentucky
The ca,npa gn is over, aud General Bragg hs
done-just nothing at all,