Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-06-29
WAR "REMINISCENCES.
soldering Around TupeIO Under
Bragg.

S.R. Watkins, who belonged to Co.
II, First Tennessee regiment, is
writing up his recollectiOns of the
war for the Columbia Herald. He
served under Bragg, and is no ad-
mirer of that grim visaged warrior.
The following extract refers to Incl
dents which happened about Tupelc,
Mississippi:
RAIDING ON ROASTING EARS.
At this place General Bragg issued
an order authorizing citizens TO defend
themselves from the depredations of
soldiers; to shoot them down if caught
depredating.
We'll, one day Byron Richardson
and myself made raid on an old cit
liens roasting ear patch. We had
pulled about all the corn thatwe could
carry. | had my arms full and about
starting for camp when an old citizen
raised up and said, Stop there, drop
that corn" He had a double barrel
shotgun cooked and leVeled at my
breast.
Come and 60 with me to General
Braggs headquarters; l intend to
take you there by the living God p
| was in for it. Directed to 20 in
front was being marched off to
Brapg's headuuarter,. / could see the
devil in the old fellows eye. | tried
to beg off with good promises, but the
old fellow was deaf to all entreaty. l
represented to him all of our hard
ships and suffering, but the old fellow
was memorable. | was being steadily
carried toward Braggs headquarters,
| determined not to see General
Bragg. even if the old citizen shot me
in the back. When all at once a happy
thought struck me. Says |, Mister,
Byron Richardson is in your field, and
if you will 60 back we can catch him
and you can take both of us to Gen.
Bragg" The old fellows spunk was
up; he had captured me so easy he no
doubt thought he could whip dozen.
We went back short distance and
there was Byron, who had just climbed
over the fence aud had his arms full,
when the old citizen, diverted from
me, leveled his double barrel at By
ron, when l made a grab for his gun,
which was accidentally discharged in
the air, and with the assistance of
Byron we had the old fellow and his
gun both. The tables we're turned.
We made the old fellow gather as
much as he could carry, and made him
carry it nearly to camp, when we dis
missed him, a wiser if not a better
and richer man. We took his gun
and bent it around blackjack tree.
He was at the soldiers mercy.
| desire to give faint sketch of
the impression made upon the pri-
vate soldiers mind in the character
and parsonage of General Braxton
Bragg.
He was ever looked upon as a mis-
anthrope, man hater. He did not
seem to have any emotions ofany kind
in his nature-only one, and that one
was hate, eternal hatred to those that
we're under him. Fancy a man about
fifty years old with black eyes, deep,
heavy, shaggy eye brow, low and re-
treating forehead, high cheek bones
and eyes set deep back in their sock
cts, keen, sharp nose, and a big
broad mouth that always had on a
possum grin. The histories say a sar-
donic smile. The private said a satanic
grin that was only from the teeth out
with side whiskers Ia Ia Burnside
which we're always detestlble). He
had the appearance of man who had
swallowed a ramrod and got choked on
the handle, and that everlasting grin
was the agony caused by the ramrod
which he seemed to want to throw up
and his whiskers were in the right
shape, so that when the darned thing
did come up it would not get entan
gled in the hairs. Hewas no general
History gives no account of where he
ever won a battle. 1t is true he wal
in command at Chickamauga, but Ro
sencrantz out-generaled him. HI
became the attacking party after Rosl
had chosen his ground and fortified
and when General Leonidas Polk anC
General Forrest started to follow VI
that days victory, be had them boil
put under arrest. But | will antici
pate.