Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1862-12-04
From the Charleston Courier.
General Bragg: E entueky Campaign.


General Bragg's entucky Campaign.
NOBLE October 30th, 1862
close my role correspondents from Gea Braggs
pedItiol. This duty you first, and high
r duty to the OF justice truth to correct the mu
ttudnous errors and mstaenents VIII ch abound in the
newspapers snd which give the disappointment of
those who in rage with General because be did not
realize their ahsurdy exaggeEatd expectations and per-
form mpossibites Those who have tried the very
diverse methods of making war-frst arouod ones own
pen psp6r and second in the fed with its fstgues
its prvatcns its marches its sleepesss highs atxios
and hungry days its perils and Responsibilities
come aware of the mighty difference. The assaiants
G'n Bragg principally OF the first class Of warmakers
Gen Bragg himself sod under the responsibilities of the
chic; of the secord class Had he acted upon the pro
of the pen and ink sategiss nothing easier
show than that Ae., he would have bis
N.Y. and with the Southern from Tennessee to the
uf of Sexico; for, th 1t army lost there other
either in posse have shielded the Gulf Sate
Tn n, indeed would h have justly called upon liz
head the ceusures of lost and suhjrga ed people.
gramu4 ch oug ght fully corr reheGded al
home aud which early forth in his first pro
ton to the people # Kentucky He went a. the head OF
from the hands OF the Feieras bat to aid hentuokanS
tnelr frts to tn OF the Alb tion yoke. He saio
10 that people, distinctly, if yon wonld bs tree, rise il
arms, and have the power, with stance.
deem you If yoa do not value your hber suicentl5
to risk life and property in teir tainment shau retire
from the state and leave you to ae Upon this
gFaMme he entered Kentucky Upon tie ta lure # Its
principal condition, t0-w the armed uprising of Ken
tucky, he LETT In strict accordance with his original
liked plan Ger Bragg nor an other sane N an 10 nus my
ever for moUent believed that it YVES in his po~er wHh
the al my under comm ndh TOio aud sci sacricg as
that army waa AID ~ h0" Feaebl ln actual DuericaI
st~ergth, not one half of the most moderate popular
he wspapeF esIlmae-to Conquer Kentucky &nd hold II
against the rs de asts ne could not haFe doa9 IT, even
had he fought dozen battles and Rot lost for the
pie that each victory would have weakeed him
without the means OF repair While ron the hlVug popua
ton of the Northwest and by of country permet
ed with railroads the had the poWer to repair and
reinforce after every deeat and his original Strength
against the daily waning forces OF his tagoait sac
ruin and then shat would been The codlon of eu.
nessee Georgia. Alabama, and mississippi? Clearly at the
| mercy of the enemy.
The plan Kentucky carnpagn was baaed upon The
most positive and, believed, reliable promises CT a
general insurrecOn in that ate the appear
Confederate army Not only at Tupelo whore The plan
conceived but at Chattanoge, to the day of the com
ment of the long and tosome march these assac-
coGfdent and earnestly repeated Gen KirDy
Smith, then in Kentucky, firmly persuaded Of the re
bore fifteen Thousand to be put the hands of he
Insurgents when he reached the line and ap
preached the villages and towns OF that obeo "arike peo
he looked the first rush OF the $4,000 that had
been eolemniy omsed him. e look ia vain. There
delegations from towns ana counties ming out to
hail his arrival; the crowds of Kentuckys stall
outh ocking to standard that promised them lib
erty He found the Contrary scowling UuioGats and
friends who dared rot Their joy above Whisper
If the Geneal eatealned at secession h1use it
with fear and trembling for the consequences Al R0dgins
Vile after hot snd dusty march he dinner
prepared fer him, ard smugged into the back door
which thriving Gen. Polk led the army its march
Rarro5sburg and where it encamp for the night.
the writer with Gea Polk when he sat o horse for
hour the street. waiting fos citz Of the
the night It done last upon the simulated plea of
enforcement The writer with two three others of Gen
wealthiest cizens OF he State. He the
of slaves and noted banker His po itics e,,:ry
He didn't want to be forced into tbs confess He was viii
ling give ell his slaves to enjoy peace. IN the eet
owds Of able bodied gszed upon the army with so
lid nGf enoe-nOt cheer. not recruit. UDt0 th, lime,
the only KentUckian that had actually taken arms
with Col. Johnston nephew OF the late Gen a s.
Mea1time, the army had halted Bar1s5own q week -
Gen. Bnckner, Cot Johnston and others off to
and other towns. Gen. Buckuer published patro'ic
peal his countrymen. General Bragg issued commits
sons to raise companies, regiments and brisades 10
the people the advanced ~ the direction OF
Lexngt U Harrodsburg. Every ng said and done
pressed upon them Buell. known be gathering
great army Louisville and his appearance ex
pected 1t all in Whatever the motives, and
have time to discuss motives the simple fact IS that
Kentucky Gid not respond. The 50 900 armed did
c0me aud after march of nearly 800 mics Gen. Bragg
10 md the ke stone OF his etre pIan of can Pgn dropped
Then and there Gen. Bragg wOnid have been fully
IN making dis positions for aban doniDg State
and pe0pe that won not strike for hcc own freedom
Abandoning all hope of aid and supremacy disguised with
Kentucky spft he turned his
Buell. who was aGVancing upon nm III two beaVy columns
the one by way of Bardsto"n and the her by way of
Frankfort His headquarters at HarrOdsbu ab but
mid wa between the TWO places The problem 70 be
ved which OF these hostile coInmus make the
attack, and which the teint. Gen KIRBY sn posted
n the Objection OF Frankfort End he coDmu caed to Ger
Bragg his positive belief III At the cal attac threaten
upon him he the felnt PeryslIe, and rgC
renfocemens General Withers division OF the army Of
mississippi dispatched to hia support Meantime
the other three divisions of that under Gems Cheat
ham, ,Buckrer and Anderson, comm anted by General
Polk Hardee, ordered to to PerryVie, G
neted by the evening OF the oct IN that night Grn
Hardes informed General Bragg, by the'
General commanding in person; that a'balte would b,
fought day, and that his presenc eded. Th
Ha dees expectations being realized General Brag
reached the bate ground at NJ. txce t sharp b
our lett early 10 tha morning, nothing bat tley
been ct used the General bragg accomp
by Polk, rode the whole field, and by lively
oclocz ell the dispos ions made for battle Cheah
ANS division removed from the lett right Buck
s occupied the centre AID Anderson the et' The i'm
OF battle formed, he men Sill quietly Fezed upon th
ground if they were respg h da - match, tn
J. order attention" was given, whFn our troops go5 upo
l. ordered march With the composure an
without ound, the aud "torward," )" the Who'll
line moved forward in beaut ul order All my conception
q Of til rah and din AID dust OF oattle ound
By the coo, busine sIike operati g., befor
al Those badly clothed some sho5!es duty a1d rag
n ed loohr walked into the harvest of death hefOr
with all the composnre aud much less of the b0se
that merchant would exhibit IN alRog to bis III
after breakfast They hsd not advanced ffty yard
k before enemy's artierybeore that ing randor
n | cutting sound Of musketry relied aoag the line
perate battle of infantry accompanied by the deep base
q field ordnance, here cOmmenced FJr neatly bO1T
brave troops stood their ground and deliver
ing deadless voeys Cur lines could be ordere
forward fer fifty yards further they would have been
daded by fire o. artillery. Two batteries
c planted upon hill with shelving rocks 'front.' sapporte
ct by heavy columns Of ntaatry, in position
the Confedea ate lines had they NOV forward These bal
d teres had be taken, and from their position
~ to every military eye that homan strength and courag
10 coud not effect he desperate duty devoyed upon
Nancy glorious Tennessee brigade. they charge
es it in the Of three tu and distinct volya from
masses before them, clambered the rocks, killed
drove away guBners and infantry and aseTs of tn
&c position Then for the first time. tha Confederate heroe
at Qaye voice in a cheer OF victory.
rt The long line OF infantry pushed forward, drove the
my from the held ard slept On II that night Vu Woande
were removed the hospital prepared for them during th
night enemys dead aid dying left withog
Federal surgeon to attend the IS aud next morning
al fag asking permission to bury the dead.
IT, Gen Buell. regarded the most truthful and gentleman
of or eneuys Generals reports his Government m