Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1863-12-10
Gen. Rtask-tynas we ,hlnk Of him DOW.

Gen Rrass-1Snas W. think Of him
We are advised by telegraph that Gen. Bragg at
bis own solicitation has been permitted to transfer the
co nmand Of the army OF Tennessee to Gen Hardee
We will not state to the readers OF the Register that
we regret this change Oar personal interests and ne
cessites have caused 10 watch closely and s'ady
thoroughly the conduct Of Gen Bragg, and it men
unsked in the art OF capable or approaching
military excellence, il have read history to any pur
DOSE and have not id vain contrased his conduct with
that of men who have led tie weaker against stronger
armies We are compelled 20 say that We regret the
necessity for the above announcement
Ga former occasions Gen, Bragg has sought To DC
relieved of duties which must have taxed his energies
to degree that We have deemed insuferable. lie &C.
dertook the Transformation of the militia o. the Con
federae States into army OF the Confederate states
He sought to make sodiers-verltaoe soldiers OF sell
Tiled citizens To fail in this TO Insure disaster
and defeat. No one denies this now. The difference
between citizen sodiery and disciplined army Is at
ength Thoroughly appreciated that one OF bragg
veterans along streets with an ar OF con-
scious superiority over those who twelve ohts ago
were his equals.
In accomplishing this TASK Gen. Bragg first incurred
the displeasure of his troops. We all remember the
public and private assaults made upon hm coon ater
bis assumption OF the command oil the army at uPeo
Later there appeared upon the military stage magnin-
cent actors ready and willing to suppl ut him. 1hey
he'd friends throughout the South and these caught up
the echo of dissatisfaction in the ranks and sought TO
popularza it, When the great mass Oh TIE SOLDIERS
we're at length content anu pIeItTfSu eo NC p0
leve they do at this very hour to any other cheain,
the outcry against him in the interior had reached lis
height
On three several occasions at leas Gen. Bragg has
been sduced by this c!amor TO ask the President to
relieve him. With all bis devotion to the code and
rules of military le he has not BEEN obivieus OF his
duties as citizen of a republican government and
hence has manifested as We believe, then and noW' an
unwise respect for the supposed but unreal 'aiar
wish. IF Gen. Bragg has taken false step, he
has made cannot
since the supposed exronents of the opinions OF bis
countrymen have induced him to the adoption OF this
measure. But if we could believe him capable OF an
act of cowardice, would this occasion as coud
have been done other all his history, Ike the
charge. ,
But this is simply impossible. From the day that
the honest old Zachary Taylor DECLARED over
his official signature, that he owed the victory at Buena
Vista to the steadast courage of Braxton Bragg We
have deemed every stultifed who has sought to
question Bragg's courage When he had the hardihood
to retreat at Murressboro aud again to sacrifice HIM
self in order to save little army-when We saw now
in his official reports he officers VITO before and
after ards sought to stab his reputaon-When by the
examination OF official papers, many of which have not
yet been given to the public we became cognlza OF
these factswe asserted we do cay IN the lace OF
the late disaster at Chattanooga that history II lt'can
tell the TRUTH will assign G Bragg as proud posi-
ton as that occupied n the popular estimation BY
Lee and Bcauregard.
Within twelve months from today, wien TACT after
and prejudice, the country will award the tu measure
OF Justice to the bravest, most sleepess, treiess ard
selfsacrfcng General who has led army in all this
terrible war We have inducement, at this moment,
to speak thus of An officer whom have never seen,
and of whose minor personal peculiarties we know
nothing, except from he rsay We give ut,
solely by a sense of DUTY, and regardless of
any t they may have npon ourselves l! Is the hao-
it Of sycophans 10 worship the rising and detract from
the splendor of a descending lumnary. We contemn
the cowardly spirit that would dictate such policy
and ct this hour Gen. Bragg has in the conductors OF
this journal friends who shall betray him only when he
is false to the cause have espoused. We deem him
now the noblest Roman of them all.
We have said more OF praise than ever before was
lavished upon any by this journal We are free
TO do simply because, under the circumstances we
deem the tribute DESERVED and because malignty and
prejudice can ascrba US, under the circumstances,
no unworthy motives Whatever may be the future
fortunes of the late Generaln-Chcf of the Army CT
Tennessee he shall ever have the consciousness OF
knowing that there those who have lost everything
By his military movements, and yet have enough OF that
unselfsh spirit, which bis history illustrates, to
ascribe to him many OF those qualities which made the
name of Washington immortal.
KnorunLe, (AtIanta) Register.