Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1863-11-20

who knows more respecting it than do, il is not
because his facilities and efforts to obtain in
formation have been better or more diligently
employed.
J Because OF fcriticisms which I have lately
seen in your ed disriaI columns, and which /
think do Gen. Bsssgg bis army great in.
Justice, am TO; you, what I
..s.haEs:as q ssssgatss asse 1a5;ohss pc
have, By egsidenoe whiissh "a 81. incons inlcon
troyertible, reached the conclusion that Gen.
Bragg, with the consent of his soldiers, will
never be supplanted. The President, in my
; opinion, very wisely determined that there
was no general in the country better fitted fer
his place. Gen. Johnston, whom you have
indicated rs a proper officer to command this
army, l happen to know, has more than once
said he would decline to direct its movements
and operations, always concedng to General
Bragg the highest qualities Of gcncralship,
and not hesitatipg to gay, to be pubiicl re-
peated, that the achievement Of bis army ut
Murfreesboro' was I" without n parallel in
history"
I confess that the dsaaection Of general
officers lin this army, now, happily almost cn-
tirely allayed) is unfortunate i'll many re-
spects. Public journals, conducted by gen
tlemen who are diligent and active in efforts
to obtai1 fuller, later and more authentic new5
than their competitors, if they have not access
to headquarters, are too apt to be allied with
flvorito subordinate officers, and to partake OF
whatever hostility they may entertain to the
commandcr-in>chief Through such channels
and by such means most mischievous accusa>
tions are often made, and the General thus
harassed, if true to his high position, must
find his only vindication ina consciousness of
rectitrlde and the reflection that he is hereafter
to be Judged by impartial history More than
this. Disatfecred subcrdinatcs lave personal
friends in and out of the army. These are u<l
ally active earnest, persistent, demons'ratvc
in their condemnation of the General command
ing, while his own friends, withholding facts,
the publication of which might do Injury 10
the cause for which they contend, and rep0>
sing in the confidence that public justice il
ultimately certain, are not at all impatient Or
,indictive.
While friends of Gen. Bragg have little to
say, yet it is true in every instance in which
I have questioned officers and soldiers, havirg
TO personal ground Of offence, am assured
that he is safe and judicious general, cor
sulting only the interests Of the army and
country, and utterly regardless Of any, poru-
lar cla:ror evoked by any forward or back
ward movement he may deem it proper to
mako They alcgc, furthermore, that w hen
Gen. Bragg orders battle they are Gnite sp:c
the terms are advantageous, and victory Ger
tain. They are thoroughly convinced that he
will never, under nycircumstanccs, and more
especially 70 .opropitiueo popular caprice, maliy
sacrifice tsi6 Tetefahs-nor any one Of them
whom he hos so long led, and whose numbers
and resources are so little known tuthe coun-
ty.
In reviewing the operations of the army Of
Tennessee has it never occurred to you 10
contrast its condition with that of our army in
Virginia? Whatever Gen. Lee and his army
have done; whether it be n failure or 4 trl-
umph: whether territory has been relin-
u,ished or recovered; whether the "iuil fruits Of
victory" have been won or LOST, the Richmond
press and indeed of the whole country. have
generously commended the valor Of the troops
and applauaed the skill of their lcaacr-all
this is not only proper. hut cmincntly de-
served. More than this: The wholc'powcr
and influence of the Confederate Government
haze been the stay and support Of that army.
Operating hut short distance from Rich>
mond, the President and Cabinet are in con-
slant and easy cttnmun;cation with both Off
GERS and men. Congress has fOstercd the en-
durauce, the yalor and the harmony Of the
army by repeated votes of thanks. Commits
sary and Quartermaster' Departments arc
accessible in day. If disaftectior spring ur,
there are those in authority to internosc
promptly and allny il; if wants occur, they
arc Immediately Supplied, if they can be sup
piled at all.
Not so with the army of Tennessee Until re-
- L. II 10 tHuf IN
Virginia Its strength has never been adequate
tn the duties it his been expected to perform
Once so remote from Richmond that communica.
tions to and fro were full month in transit, an,l
: now so distant that no man in. Richmond, not
having access to the files of the war offices, can
do more than&]ly conjecture lis numbers or pres
ent relations to the enemy. Deprived, by req
son of this remoteness of that animnting sense
which the nearness of tho President end the
Government most assureay inspires. Relying,
in great measure. upon its own creation G! re,
sources in the way of Subsistence and other sup
plies And never. notwithstanding that which it
has acc cmpished has it received favorable Ineil'
ton in Congressional Records.
The achievements of Gen. Bragg's army have
at last, however, constrained not only the enemy
but our own country to appreciate properly its
Importance and the great interest cnnfdel to it.
The eyes of two hostile peoples are directed with
an intensity of interest, never before manifested.
to the scene of lis operations. The whole rover
almost, of the United States Government now
confronts and threatens it, while it stands bris'~
ling on Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge
like an impregnable fortress between US and the
enemy.
The fate of the Confederation seems to he
suspended upon its successful resistance OF
failure; and yet strangely, in the face of thin
great fact, there are those who would array
against the chief of this army tn, worst pre-.
iudiees of his soldiers. Mischief has already
heen done by the encouragement to neglect ot
duty and to desertion which these carpings af
ford; so much, indeed, that if General Bragg
had been less soldier md di:ciplinarian
his army would have long since been dis
solved.
| Little has been said of Gen. Bragg's habit'
and qualities which so cndear him to his mer
that those who have served with him Longest
love him most, and that all, beholding him
passing his lines, salute him with an enthu'
siastic cheer. Though rigidly and sternly in
flexible in the e1action of the strictest con
formity to soldierly duty, he is kind, charita'
BILE, upright and devout as o Christian, strict
" temperate. tireless in industry (often ut hi
desk before day.dawn), sleepless in vigilance
and SO devoted to his troops that he super
'vises, personally, all the wants of the army
There are no private soldiers, no body of men
however great or small, under his command, j
in want OF in any manner wronged, who may no
appeal to him with the utmost confidence, tha
if in his power to do so the want will be supp'e'
and the wrong redressed. In the inhiction
deserved punishment, he is ''no respecter OF per
sons" Disobedience of orders or neglect OF du
ty is as surely visited with appropriate penaltie
upon the highest officer as upon the humbles
private These are the personal and administra
tive habits and qualities which have secured tu
him the admiration and dfsction of his soldier:
) Trusting that commit no offence by thus nd
dressing gentlemen, whose patriotism is as un
questionable as theirability to promote its ends
i, am, very respectfully, WM. e. sWaS' 'sss
{! General Hood is now in Richmond, at II
.,;lo,oo nc Honorol Guctarus w Smith.