Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-11-17
"AFrER THE BATTLE"

Military Review of the Political Field
Private Letter to g. Washington
Bricks.
The following letter, evidently intended
TO be mailed to our distinguished friend
G. Washington Bricks, was found on Cherry
street Yesterday. The author will no doubt
recognize it, as he reads it in print this morn
ing:
NASHVILLE, Nov 1872.-G. Wash
ington Bricks, Esq.-Dear Sir: The agony
is over, and with that degree of GOODNESS
exhibited by all great men "after the battle
mother" can now survey the field with
Napoleonic eye, and in the language of that
great and good President say: "Let us have
peace"
The agony TO which refer is not the pain
and anguish experienced by your favorite
horse, (if you have oDe) when suddenly
stricken down with the "Grant Grip" or
epizootics, as it is sometimes called, but
that sanguinary struggle ycleped an cleo
ton, said to have been heldin Tennessee on
the 9Th of the present month.
have delayed this epistle until the pres
ent time in order that may at this date
narrate faithfully all the details of the late
battle, and furnish you with a full Hse of
the killed, wounded and missing. At the
opening of the contest, Maj. Gen. Horace
Greeley commanded a division Of Home
Guards, and had the entire territory within
the limits of the State under his complete
control. For months bis headquarters were
considered as impregnabIe as the rocks Of
Gibraltar, and as free from the polluted
touch of the enemy as Victoria Woodhul's
alabaSter bosom in bronze. 1t was unmili-
tary to think of dislodging his forces. His
batteries were as numerous as Bank Of
Tennessee-notes after the lost plates had
been resurrected. His infantry were as
formidable as John Dashiell's baby show
at the late exposition, and his cavalry bat
talions included moe men, horses and
mules than were marched over and over
again into government pens during the late
unpleasantness.
Consequently, mastery inactivity pre-
vailed along the whole lns fol- months, and
Just at that moment when bIoodless vic
tory was anticipated, skirmishing was
opened in the centre by Maj Gen. Cheat
ham in pursuance of orders from the Gen.
eral commanding. Brig. Gen. johnson, who
was placed in charge of the right wing, and
who had been ordered to keep quiet under
all circumstances, suddenly and unexpect-
edly ordered reconnaissance in force, and
in his onward march drove in the pickets
of the opposing host. This brought on an
engagement along the entire line, aud, after
the roar of artillery had ceased, and the
smoke of battle had disappeared, Gen.
johnson discovered that he had unfortu-
nately opened fire upon his own army.
Encouraged by the misfortunes, the mis-
takes and the divisions in our ranks, the
Commanding General of the Radical host
invaded our soil, and planted the banner of
plumber within our very citadel. Placing
in charge thai venerable fossil, Horace
Maynard, ESQ called by the Woodbury.
Flag Staff of Liberty,) orders were issued
directing that active measures should be
adopted to capture all stragglers, and offer
tbs hand Of fellowship to all who should
enter the ranks of the invaders. A promi-
nent citizen whose plume and sword once
waved in advance of the legion that upheld
the honor and glory OF the Southern cross,
stepped forward at this critical period, and
shook hands across the bloody chasm. II
was further ordered that Stokes cavaly be
disbanded, that no further war be made
upon defenceless women and children; that
insted of burning Southern cities, custom
houses should be built; that pictures
of Lee and Jackson might hang in their
accustomed places on the wall, provided it
was admitted that Grant was second
Washington, that his administration had
been without blemish or fraud, and in
short one of the most economical since the
organization of the government. Honest
Horace buried his Naragansett tomahawk,
threw off the garb Of Indian treachery,
stepped down in the grave of Harry of the
West, stumped his toe on the skull Of Web
ster, shed crocodile tears over departed pat
riots, aud declared that his conscientious,
upright and sincere heart had never waver-
ed from the consistent course marked out
years ago against the army of Democracy.
have been particular to give you these
details in full to show you how easy it is for
an army to become demoralized when there
is no organization. The Radical army was
strengthened by our disorganized condition,
and not only pierced the line at its weakest
points, but made inroads upon its strong
holds.
But the battle is at the end, and over the
killed let us raise monument on which
shall be inscribed, "Disorganization is dan
gerous."
In this our defeat, we have learned the
strength of the enemy, and we can put it
down as one of the certainties of the age in
which we live, that white folks are some
times mighty curious, and niggers will vote
the rainbow ticket. You may give color
ed individual dollar and a half to vote
your way and lead him mp to the ballot-box
with your ticket in his hand, and just when
you think you've got him, he will make
draw on his sleeve, and your dollar
and half is gone, and he votes against you.
If you don't believe it, ask Golladay the
first time you meet him in Congress, and If
he don't satisfy you, Barbour Lewis will.
need not tell you that when the ext
political battle comes of, am in fav r OF
moving in solid column, and am willing to
enter into terms of compromise that will
secure harmony throughout the entire
Democratic line. l never was much
on reading out, and just at this particular
iuncture, there is none to spare for that
kind of business. l remain respectfully,
your military friend. CORPORAL JINKs.