The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-04-21
REooLLECr1oNs OF BRAGG.
How the Disappointed Confederate Demean-
ed Himself in Kentucky.

Gu IN 1Aenbuckys
Rev. J. W. Cunning CHAM Before St. Louis Southern
historical Society.
The essayist said that in the latter part of
September 1862, the Confederate army I'M
der General Bragg arrived in Bardstown,
forty miles south of Louisville. At that time
he himself was living at Bloomfield, twelve
miles from the former place After reaching
home from visit to upper Kentucky he Wis
tied Bardstown TO see what there was to be
seen of the great Southern army and the
general commanding it. The army he found
eneamped in fields and woodlands immedi-
ately around and within few miles of the
town, ascertaining at the same time that
General Bragg had established his head
quarters at the residence of Mrs Wicklitfe,
In the outskirts of the place, whittier the
sightseer directed his course.
The sentinel at the gate permitted him to
pass, and he was directed to a tent in the
spacious yard where General Bragg was Just
finishing his MONDAY meal After the Gen
eral had received the announcement that
visitor from the country desired to see him,
Mr.. Cunningham was granted an audience by
the General, who received him in courteous
manner. The General was arrayed in a fine
new suit of Confederate gray his head sur
mounted by gray military cap, his hair and
beard being gray and cropped moderately
short His eyes were keen and piercing. In
appearance ne was stern, and nothing like a
smile played upon his countenance during
the interview. He appeared to feel that he
was on mission too grave to allow of any
thing that appeared like levity. That
the visitor might be a spy was a
thought he seemed not to enter
tain, as he talked with him as freely as
though be had been trusted officer of his
command. Said the General during the in
terview: 81 was visited in Mississippi by
prominent Kentuckians who told me that
Kentucky was ripe for revolution, and that
on INV arrival in that State tb m
the Southern sympathizers would rise as one
man and Join me, and that / would soon
have an army that would enable me to carry
everything before me and transfer the war to
the North. yielded to their earneet impor-
tunities and to Kentucky came. 1t is now
three weeks since / entered the State, and l
have not had six recruits in all that time"
Mr.. Cunningham replied: General, near
ly all the young men of Kentucky are in one
army or the other"
Yes" responded the General, 81 have
thousands of men with families, and many
of them old men, in my army. Men who
have left their families, their homes, their
business their all; men who have waded
through rivers, traversed swamps, climbed
hills and scaled mountains in their journey
from Mississippi to this place. They have
done all this to help Kentucky, and now
that we are here Kentucky will not help her
| self"
Southern women of Kentucky had shown
their appreciation of his cause in every pos
sible way, and the women of Bardstown
and from the surrounding country had
cheered him with their visits and
encouraging words There was in the
Generals opinion as noble set of women as
ever lived, in Kentucky, and if he could
only change the sexes and put dresses on
the men and make soldiers of the women,
he believed he could organize as grand an
army as had ever been led to victory.
AS his eyes flashed he smote his knee with
his hand and said in great earnestness:
81 will issue an order for CONSUMPTION to-
morrow"
The order for CONSUMPTION, however, did
not follow his declaration on the morrow as
| he deemed it more expedient to issue call
for volunteers. In the call he announced
his presence at Bardstown with great army
| and declared his purpose to invade the
North, and warned laggards that they would
possibly be subject to CONSUMPTION.