Smyrna times., 1895-10-30
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. OCTOBER 80. 1895.
REDHOT JOURNALISM
TRIALS OF A CONFEDERATE NEWS
PAPER DURING THE WAR.

the Papers Career Was Closed.
The story Of The Rebel i'll its wander
ings over the south is one of interest.
Survivors of the Army of Tennessee es-
pecially remember the little sheet that
found its way to the camps daily and
inspired the boys to renewed energy and
hope for the cause they deemed the
right. Like the loved and inspiring
Dixie" The Rebel fired the southern
heart by its very name.
The Rebel first saw tho light Aug. 1,
1862, i'll Chattanooga 1t was a four
column folio, published by Franc NJ.
Paul Thousands Of copies were sent to
Bragg's army at Tullahoma, Tenn. and
often the supply was inadequate to the
demand, owing to the fact that the pub
hsher's press, drum cylinder, could
not print them fast enough Often the
press was Eej going all day to supply
the demand from The army suffers.
So popular q d The Rebel become in
a few weeks that the publisher i'll Octo-
Der, 1862, engaged the young but versa
tile and rising journalist, Henry Wat
terson, to edit the paper. Mr.. Paul
brought to the assistance Of Mr.. Waiter
son Mr.. Albert Roberts, q vigorous writ
er and trained journalist of Nashville.
He was humorous writer, using the
nom de plume Of "John Happy. "
Watterson and Roberts kept The Rebel
at white heat, ard the paper grew in
Importance and size, being made five
column paper shortly after the publica-
tion began. Well does the writer re-
member the eagerness Of the army for
the only highly priced paper. The boys
in camp could not rest until its arrival
every morning on the train from Chat
rapoog9.
When General Bragg began his retro
grade movement i'll the spring Of 1868
to Chattanooga, The Rebel was supplied
to the army with much difficulty. When
the army arrived there, the paper was
i'll still greater demand. In the summer
Of that year, however, it became evi-
dent that the Foderals were coming to
Chattanooga for the purpose Of captur-
ing that important point And then it
was Tho Rebel began its meanderings
over the south.
The paper was removed to Marietta.
Ga, Messrs. Watterson and Roberts
staying il Chattanooga for few davs
after the plant had been shipped The
shelling Of Chattanooga in that month
soon convinced the editors that they,
too, must 60 if they would avoid cap
ture by the Federal army, and they left
to join the paper. Editor In Chief Wat
terson had been sharply criticising Gen
erdl Bragg while the paper was in Chat
tanooga. One evening he visited a gen
tleman's house in that town, and it
happened that General Bragg was also
visitor. The two gentlemen had never
met, and while waiting for the host to
appear, after being ushered into the
parlor by a servant, Watterson and
Bragg began a casual conversation. which
soon turned upon the war. Although he
knew he was in the presence of an off
Ger of high rank, Wattcrson little sus-
pected it was the commander in chief
Of the army. He INDUCED in some crit
icisins Of General Bragg as he had been
doing i'll The Rebel. The general listen
ed for awhile in almost speechless won
der, but controlled himself till his fiery
critic had abused him for some minutes,
when he arose, ana addressing Mr. Wat.
tersOn asked:
do You know who / am, sirT''
The editor replied that he had not
that honor.
my namo is Bragg, sir, said the
now fully aroused commander.
Of course Watterson was somewhat
taken aback, but in his most courtly
and chivalrous manner assured General
Bragg that he had not meant to be Of
fensive, but that his criticisms were
made i'll good faith and from motives of
sincere desire to promote the welfare of
the Confederacy. But apologies were
not asked or given.
General Bragg, however, never forgot
nor forgave his critic. After the battle
/ Of ChicEamauga, while the paper was
! ut Marietta, WatterSon continued his at
/ tacks Cn General Bragg, who informed
the publisher Of Tho Rebel that unless
the irate editor were discharged the pa
/ per could not come into his lines. Mr..
Watterson then realized that he must
seek other friends, for he was not the
man to retract a word nor to be dictated
to. AS editor in chief he would write
his sentiments despite any one, so he
made arrangements to become one of
the staff of Lieutenant General Leonidas
Polk. After serving short time in that
capacity Watterson resigned and became
editor Of one of the papers published in
! Atlanta.
After an uneventful existence in Grif-
fin for awhile the approach of the Fed
eral army to Atlanta in July of that
year warned the publisher that he must
move on if he would keep The Rebel
at1oat and save his scalp, so it was taken
to Selma, Ala, that fall,
Hero it was that the eventful papor
came to an untimely end with the Con
federacy it had so long and faithfully
upheld It was in the latter part of
April, 1865, that Selma was taken by
General Wilson. The Federals knew of
the existence of The Rebel and one of
the first things they did to appease their
wrath was to fire its office, which was
i'll building beside the river and built
partly over it. The Yankees printed a
small shee, i'll which they announced
their victory over the 'rebs" and prob
ably tho general orders from head.
quarters announcing the surrender Of
! the armies of the southern Oonfederacy.
They then threw the materials in the
river and burned all the files they could
find. Boston Herald,
Faciety is very queer. The people