The National tribune., 1886-02-25
"BRAG IS A GOOD DOG"
Comrsde Vail Stirs Up Hornets Nest and Draws
Down UpOn Himself Shower of Sham Criticisms.

Down Upon Himself Shower of Sharp Criticisms.
J.W Head, Co. I, 5th Kan Cav, Glasco, Kan,
thinks the criticisms on the Western army are
in very bad taste. He, however, thinks it
good plan to close the controversy and not COM
mence fighting the war over again on such
trivial causes.
If. S. Hartman, Co. c, sd H., Crandon. Oak,
says the Western boys did have some leisure,
and to drive away the hOmesick feeling exer-
cised their vocal powers by singing "AlPs
Quiet Along the Potomac"
Red Acorn" 10th Wis, ,Waupun, Wis, thinks
it is far more interesting for the comrades to
discuss the battles marches, etc, they engaged
in, than to keep up this petty rivalry between
the Western and Eastern men; but at the same
time he feels compelled to take up the cudgel
in behalf of the West, claiming greater per-
centage of killed and wounded for them, and
gives figures to prove his position.
W. IL. Passenger, Albany, Ind, says life is
too short to keep up such controversies and
thinks the comrades had far better attend to
the business of compelling the Government to
give them their dues.
j. II. Chartain, Co. A, 115th H., Taylorville,
Ill., says that if C0mrade Vail cannot take the
cake for truth, he will for check.
F. E. III. Marley, Co. /, 34th Ind, Judsonia,
Ark, says that it is falsehood to state that
the Western army had not as good fighting ma
terial in it as the Eastern army, and that if the
Army of the Potomac did fight more battles
than the army of the West, it was simply ow-
ing to the reason that the army of the West so
repeatedly whipped the rebels that the latter
got tired of fighting, and so gave them no work
to do. AS regards the Army of the Potomac
the rebels were so repeatedly victorious that
they kept on fighting, giving that army plenty
of work to do.
W. Scott, Co. G, 47th Ill, Henry, H., says,
judging Comrade Vail as an example, there
must have been no lack of brag in the Army of
the Potomac.
Edwin Pike, Co. B, 33d Wis, Boscobel, Wis,
wants to know if Comrade Vail thinks the
siege and taking of Vicksburg and the battle of
Pittsburg Landing were nothing. He thinks
if the army of the West had done nothing but
that, it would have entitled it to the highest
credit
G. Chalmers Co. c, 10Th Ind, says there may
be good deal of brag in the West, but at the
same time he wishes it understood that the
Western boys didn't run every time they got
too near the rebels
d. A. Dunn, Co. c, 9th Ind, Maryville Mo-,
thinks Wallis article is entirely too thin. In
fact he thinks that he is altogether too
gauzy vail"
r. Z. Risley, Co. E, 10th Ind, st. Johns,
Mich, says the probable reason that the West
ern army did not do so much fighting was
caused by the wholesome dread in which they
were held by the rebels, who always fled from
them on all possible occasions.
r. ]. Cooper, Co. E, 96th ILL.,, Nora, ILL.,,
wishes to inform Comrade Vail that Bragg was
General in the rebel army, and that as far as
the name goes he certainly has counterpart
in Vail
n. d. Hadsell, Co. F, 44th Ind, Tobias, Neb.,
says that all the men in the Western army
bore equally the burdens incident to the serv-
ice, whereas in the Eastern army the few
Western men therein had most of the fighting
to do.
Sam1 Atwood, Co. Fl, I'd Mich. Cav, Milling
ton, Mich, says it is true the Army of the Po-
tOmac were,i some hard-fought battles, but they
gained very few victories until commanded by
Western officers. He thinks the Army of the
Potomac was famous for splendid retreats and
no doubt their losses were terrible in their
efforts to get back to the rear.
Fl. G. Hopkins Co. f, I23d n Y, Mancelona,
Mich, although an Eastern man, does not agree
with the criticisms OH the West.
Jas. Ortman, Co. III, 9th Iowa, says the
Western armies probably did have soft snap,
and it is to be accounted for by the fact that they
had great deal more vim in them than the
Eastern boys, and that when they ran against
a hard snap they stuck to it until it softened
up little.
s. B. Ornsby, 5th Mich, Knight, Ore, in q
very able manner contradic;s ever point taken
by Comrade Vail, and says he detracts from the
West with malicious forethought and studied
malignity. - -s - -
Dick Thayer, 9th Iowa, Jesup, Iowa, thinks
the writer OF "Brag" must either know
nothing whatever about the subject upon which
he writes or that he is actuated by malicious
desire to stir up strife.
S. d. Fancher, Co. ID, 41st Ohio, Kansas City,
Mo-, says the reason the Army of the Potomac
lost so many men in killed and wounded was
that the rebels were able to take much better aim
when mems backs were turned to them than
they could when faced in the line.
Chas. Saddler, Co. III, 18th KY, Flemings-
burg, KY, thinks all such writers should be
vailed" in the shadows of silence.
The following comrades also pay their COM
pliments to Mr.. VAIL
Dan1 Kent, Co. Z. Sth Ind, Mechanicsburg
Ind; E. o. Neal, Co. B, Goth Mich, Manchester
Mich; A. Doering, one of Shermans bummers
Ness City, Kan; "J. c. H." Co. F, 41st H.,
Seneca, Kan; NJ. Romalin, Co. K, 37th Iowa,
Comanche, Iowa; a. n. b." Co. A, 59th H.,
Jewell, Kan; j. II. Smith, Co. A, 9th Mich,
South Bend, Ind; L. A. Patterson, Co. F, 57th
Ill.,, Winterset, Iowa; c. c. Clay, Sedalia, Mo-;
John Ensfield, Co. K, 12Sth Ind, Logansport,
Ind; R. II. Rawlings, Co. 81, SD Ohio, Rutland,
o.
Musf Ra