Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1863-11-27
THE DEFEAT OF GEN. BRAGG.

Asaiu the tide OF battle has turned aSa'ns
US. hut this time disaster docs not come un
espectedly, and though it brings gloom AM
sorrow, vet no disappointment attends 1t
The country looked for defeat, expected d'sas
ter and only hoped that it might be mi1isa'e'
nv some fortunate accident; but when uea
Bragg telesraphs that Tho whole lett CAV
way in considerable disorder" 1t Is e'ioer
that no uplocked-for circumstance has CONF
to his relief.
At present writing all looks gloomy IN ti'
direction Of Chattanooga. and the position o
General Longs'rcet at Knoxville is not with
out ita painful apprehensions. Unless he ha'
already accomplished the cbjcct of his diver
sion by the capture or dispersion OF Burn
side'sforces his position is one of greatdanger
: Grant NAV intervene between Bragg ano
Longstreet, and now that he has defeated the
former, may turn With overwhelming fore
upon the latter, forcing Longstreet to retrea'
towards the Virginia line; and thus widening
the distance between them, render all :uture
cooperation impossible. :.
At present We knownot the extent OF the
disaster, but we do know enough OF the pas
10 forbid even hope for the future unless the
change SO long desired in the army of Gen
Bragg is Immediately made. Dependency
and gloom are fast settling down upon the
peop,e, who see their cause sacrificed by In
competent officers, without even the. hope q
any change. The President, we know, es'
teens Gen. Bragg and reposcs confidence II
his military capacity, but unfortunate
" the people do. not, and unless they
can see some prospect of a speedy
change they may despair Of the cause, and the
mountain region of East, Tennessee, Weste1r
North Carolina, Northern Georgia and North
ern Alabama, submit to the despotism that in
competency has brought upon them. For the
sake Of encouraging popular hope, reanima
ting the popular heart, and keeping alive the
FIRE Of patriotism, we again implore the Presi
d.nt to yield to the we'll ascertained public
desire, now demonstrated hy another disaster
to be properly founded, and dismiss 'ncompe
tsney from all commands.
General Bragg knows and feels the COM
plants that are public against him, and this
fact causes him to be ever cautious-the respon
sibilisy Expresses his military capacity, and nc
man, weighed down as he iss canSaTe that
command Of all his faculties SO nes&eigsE
the irving ordeal of battle. We feel for hu'
the greatest sympathy, we know him to be
patriotic, and earnestly struggling to do his
best; but circumstances, which perhaps he
could not control, have operated to impair h:'
usefulness. Why further compromise the cause
and endanger the Gulf States by retaining
him in command? BY consulting the public
wish, now almost an open outcry, the Presi-
dent will start the struggle for liberty with
new impetus, and every man, as one relieved
from an oppressive burden. will start fresh
and buoyant in the contest that is yet before
US.
Tho retention of General Bragg by the
President disbcartens the people, by forcing
upoa them the impression that there is but
one man, and that is General Bragg, IN
whom the President reposcs confidence for
the command Of the important Army
of the Tennessee. Reduced to one Ger
eral the people cannot realize that astounding
fact! After three years of war, that no off,
Ger but General Bragg in the Southwest, re-
tains the confidence of the President, alarms
the public, and unless this impression is
speedily removed, will :engeuder despair
Pemberton's disaster at Vicksburg nearly
broke the public heart and Bragg's at Chat
tanooga will greatly depress the spirit of the
people; and when they see that both Of these
unlucky end unfortunate commanders Gro
shielded and protected BY the President, they
cannot look upon the fact as otherwise than
ns o contemptuous disregard of public senti-
ment. We will not So construe it, but hope
that this last disaster will convince the Presi.
dent that a changei mediately demanded.