The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1862-11-29


leaving the capitol TO fall into Federal
hands without any resistance. Then
began marches, counter marches, and
angular marches, enough to try the con-
stitution Of the stoutest soldier.
Finally an order came for Gen. Smiths
forces to form a junction with General
Bragg's at Harrodsburg, with the reason
assigned that all depended upon it.
Eager for fight, and more eager still to
assist their brethren, who were in dan
ger. of being overpowered by superior
numbers, Smiths forces left their fires at
o'clock A. NJ, and fastened to Harrods-
burg, a distance of about fourteen miles
But when they reached this place, strange
to say, large part of Gen. Bragg's ar
my had fallen back toward the noun
tains. Many were astonished that
Smiths forces should have been thrown
into Harrodsburg, after Bragg's forces
had begun TO leave it The next morn
ing all the forces left Harrodsburg, mad,
because they were not allowed to fight.
They kept falling back gradually till
they reached the mountains, when all
hope died away, and indignation filled
nearly every heart. "Will we leave
Kentucky, just as our forces have been
concentrated; will we leave without a
fight? Better loose half of our army
than to act in such bad faith to Ken
lucky. Would to God we had never
come to Kentucky, if we are to leave our
friends ruined. We have put the torch
to our friends houses. and the halter
around their necks," and such like ex-
pressions filled every mans mouth,
Even after the mountain was gained,
did some contend that there was sublime
strategy at the bottom of the move; al
leging that the honor of the Southern
army required us to make an effort, at
least, to hold the State; that Gen. Braggs
proclamation to Kentuckians, and his
reputation as a general, absolutely re-
quired him to fight. But however potent
these reasons, the army was rushed out
of the State without fight. Never was
an army more astonished, or soldiers
more disappointed But what shall we
say of those Kentuckians who, by the
proclamations of Generals, and the uni
versal expression of the army, were in
duced to commit themselves to the South
|
| greedy and heartless Oppressors, without
the slightest warning that our army
would leave the State, their property will
be greedily confiscated, women will be
insulted or imprisoned, and the men hung
as traitors, or cast into loathsome prisons
to die
Does some one say, awe could not
hold the State, aud hence we ought TO
have fallen back" l reply, if such was
the case, we ought TO have acted on this
supposition from the first, and. in that
event, we would have injured our enc
mics instead of our friends. We should
have. warned our friends TO send theiI
families South. We, if rob we must
should have taken the effects of Union
men, who are now busy in giving infor-
nation against Southern men, and help.
ing to despoil them of everything dear
to freemen. Moreover, we should have
warned such of our friends in Kentucky
as could not go South, to do nothing fol-
the Southern army that would cause
their ruin on our departure. But W.
forced them TO take our money, givin,
them what we pleased for their produce
assuring them in every way possible tina
we intended TO hold the State and then
gaining their confidence, we left them il
the hands of their enemies, without th
slightest effort to relieve them! | hav
lost brother in the war, meantime, m,
father has died, and, in general, hav
been a child of bereavement; but neve
has anything fallen to my lot which
have been so lily prepared to bear a
the treatment we have given Kentuckiani
How a God OF justice can prosper PEG
: pie who would act with such duplicity
is a mystery to me.
Had Gen. Bragg done his duty as we
I and promptly as Gen. Smith did, Louis
, Vile would have been ours, Ciucinnat
! would have furnished us supplies, Will
, Columbus, Ohio, might have been on
headquarters. Then would The IallqndiG
. hams Of Ohio and the Br7gEts Of Indian,
! haze rallied TO the issuing Of Gen. Bragg
, noted proclamation; then 1Oota many thou
sand friends an Indiana, Ohio and Hiinoi
r hare Joined the Southern army; then, To-
6 could Gen. Bragg, having CIT If the Westey
I from the Eastern States, hare whispered term
I Of peace into the Norti-lOeSteyn ear; an
.
I for peace. But ilOl0 all hope of peace
: indefinitely postponed, and our prospect
e are gloomier than when we began to eros
e the mountain, because our appearance
/ near the Ohio has caused many man
o be added to the Northern army, that ha
q we remained South of the mountain
would never have taken up arms again'
a us.
= But, as the matter stands, our friend
S in Kentucky are ruined. Kentucky wi
d be free State very soon. We have to ligI
= an enemy whose strength is much au.
2. mented and the Southern army is MOI
& the better for having taken all the cor
It meat, every thing 10 eat, from the cit
e zens on our retreat | hope shall new,
e again witness such wholesale robbery
e that OF which our army was guilty viii
r, returning from Harrodsburg TO the Ga