The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1864-06-05
General Bragg Photographed in the
Rebel Congress.

3
Bragg, drew forth the following bitter
denunciat;on Of him from Mr.. Orr, Of
South Carolina
Mr.. Orr said if this bill passed, Gen
eral Bragg would get more pay, by sey-
eral thousand dollars year, than Gen
eral Lee, taking into the estimate the
communication of quarters, etc. He was
credibly informed that even Lieuten-
ant ColOnels on duty here in Richmond
got in the matter Of communications etc,
as much pay as General Lee. lie
thought it wrong that General on
duty in the city should receive more
pay than a General exposed to the
hardships and dangers of the field.
But he had more serious objections to
this bill than the matter Of pay. He
did not believe there was any necessity
for the Office filed by this General.
After the military disasters of 1862, the
President finding that he could not
personally attend to and manage the
affairs as the Generals of all our differ.
ent armies had this office created and
put General Lee into it. General Lee
filled it for two mohths when, General
Johnston being wounded at Seven
Pines, he vas called to the field. The
officer then became vacant and remain
ed so until General Bragg, having COM
pletely played out at Missionary Ridge,
was floating about, no army being will
ing to receive him, when he was
brought here and put into the Office
which ba1 haa,, ca rroII o,,1 90 ,,-.,-.s I, 4 -
filed by General Lee
Wat was the organization of the
War Department when General Bragg
was put into this office2 The Secreta-
~ Of War had been in Office over twelve
months, and if there had been com
plant against him by any considerable
portion of our people, he (Mr ORR had
not heard it. If the Secretary did not
require assistance a year ago, why should
he now, after he was the more compe-
tent by more than twelve months expe-
rience2 The Secretary had already an
efficient, labOrioas and accomplished
Assistant He alluded to Judge Camp
bell, of Georgia. The Adjutant Gener-
al was an able officer of twenty-one
years experience, having been the Ad-
iutant General of the United States
Army. There were also in the War
Office a corps of experienced and able
Assistants,
But just on the eve of this campaign,
when the department had our whole
army in its grasn-every regiment, brig
ade and division spotted-When there
was no necessity for additional officers
in this department., General Bragg was
placed here as Ordering General. lie
had not learned thatthe Adjutant Gen
eral or Secretary Of War had asked
that General Bragg should be put here.
He had, however, no doubt from his
knowledge of his high-toned character
that Mr. Seddon's independence revolt
ed at the idea of playing second fiddle
to General Bragg.
He (Mr. Orr had called Gen Bragg
the Ordering G4nCrai; but his functions
might be of even higher order. Off.
GERS who have been in active service for
over three years had to apply to him
for prOmotIoIf General Bragg had TO
pass upon the merits Of officers of whose
gallant deeds he knew nothing, with
some of whom he had qUarreled, and
some Of whom he had driven out of the
service.
There was no necessity for this Gen
eral in Richmond 1t was a homely
but true adage that too many cooks
spoil the broth An instance OF this
was afforded during the recent Sheri-
dan raid, the attempt to break up which
had been the worst butchered affair of
the war On that occasion we had the
President in the field, General Bragg in
the field, and a number of other Gene
rails. There were too many Generals
No one knew who was in command
He knew this from officers who were in
the fight There were too many mas
ters. 1t was impossible to serve so many
leaders.
But it was necessary that this office
should be filled, General Bragg was ia
for the place: This was
shown by his whole course, running
through three years. When Beaure-
gard fell back from Tupelo he applied
for three weeks leave of absence. He
was Immediately relieved upon the
ground that the army could not be al
lowed to be idle so long. Gen. Bragg
was put in command, and this army
had to lie idle for two months. Let the
Kentucky campaign attest whether the
commanding General was incompetent
or not
Mr. Orr then reviewed the Kentucky
campaign down o the battle of Muir
freesboro. He fought Rosecrans at the
latter place, Rosecrans having a very
little superior force and it was belieY-
ed he ought to have whipped the enc
my if his (Braggs) troops had been pro-
perly handled The next day he
Bragg sent out Breckinridge, and had
his troops cut to pieces, and then at
tempted to make a scape goat of him.
He Bragg then allowed himself TO be
out of Knoxville and
1t was true he Bragg
fought the battle of Chickamauga,
which ended in victory that was not
followed up; but he (Mr ORR believed
that for this victory TO him Bragg no
credit was due.
The credit Of the victory Of Chicka-
maugh was due to Generals LOngstreet,
D. II. Hill apd others, with all OF whom
Bragg had quarreled- When
be had quarreled with these generals
and they had left him with pet gener-
ais. he and they were beaten in the
next battle, and for the first time in
the war we hear of the cowardice Of
our troops. If at Missionary Ridge our
troops acted with cOWardice it was be-
cause they had been educated to IL by
their General who had proved 70 them
on many hard-fought fields, on which
they had done their duty fully and no
0ly, that he was incompetent to lead
them 70 victory.
General Bragg was the first among
1ur generals, and, to their credit, be il
said, the last, who had our men led out
md shot like beeyes, without court
martial or form Of trial But he Bragg
gas a favorite Of the President, who
would hear nothing against him. The
excess Of this attachment Of the Presi-
lent to him was most remarkable. IL
,ould be Ekened TO nothing but the
morbid affection Of a mother for her
leformed child-a mother who gloats
,yer and caresses the hideOus features
md misshapen limbs Of her of-pring
Was he Bragg the proper person 70
promotions? He had too
many grudges to settle. He Mr.. On
,entured to say he General B. had
luarreled with seven-tenths Of the gen
raj officers who had served with him.
Mas he IN be the medium through