July 1863, Bragg's retreat from Tennessee

I have heard a great many distressing stories 
about this War as it rages all around us. The 
hardships that are endured daily by both the 
families left behind and that of the Soldier.  
The necessities of daily life that they both 
lack is overwhelming, even down to the shoes 
on the feet of our boys in the field fighting 
for their noble cause.  

I have heard stories told of our Military 
leadership or lack there of it. For in command 
of our Army of Tennessee, in my opinion as 
well as others, is the most incompetent of men, 
General Braxton Bragg.  It is told he got his 
present position from his personal friendship 
with the President of the Confederacy, Jefferson 
Davis.  The present Army of Tennessee consist of 
barely 44,000 men, 8000 of that is Calvary I am 
told. I pray that my brothers are doing fine and 
that no ill fate befalls them in any way and that 
they return home safely to us and their families 
when this is all finally over. 

It seems that General Bragg is pulling out of 
Tennessee, leaving us to the Union Forces and 
guerrillas that are all about us.   He has been 
steadily pulling out of Tennessee ever since the 
Battle of Murfreesboro, in December of 62,  
which happened on the same day as that of the 
capture of our dear friend, William Lafayette, 
over at the Battle of Parkers Crossroads to the 
west of Nashville.  

One of the more amusing stories of this retreat 
from Tennessee is that of one that involves our 
very own, yet colorful, General Nathan Bedford 
Forrest.  He was assigned the task of holding 
the pass near Cowan, TN, guarding the rear so 
that the Army could pass through the Mountains.  
A strong force of Union Calvary soon fell upon 
them, and they rapidly retreated through the 
town of Cowan.  

One very patriotic lady seeing the fleeing 
Confederate forces singled out General Forrest 
for her verbal attack, shouting "You great big 
cowardly rascal, why don’t you turn and fight 
like a man, instead of running like a cur?  I 
wish old Forrest were here, he’d make you fight!"  
Well it seems that "Old" Forrest enjoyed the joke 
very much, and joined in the troops laughter of 
the situation, but they continued out of town, 
with the Federal Calvary not far behind them. It 
is said that he later told the story that he 
would have sooner faced a Yankee Battery than 
that firey female!  

On July 3rd of 1863, General Bragg sent a telegram 
to the Capitol in Richmond of his withdrawal from 
Tennessee.  It was a sad day indeed for the South 
as not only had General Bragg left Tennessee 
to the mercy of the Union forces, but also to the 
East, our great General, Robert E. Lee, suffered a 
resounding defeat at the Battle of Gettysburg where 
I am told that over 55,000 causalities occurred.
To the West, on July 4th, General Pemberton 
surrendered the City of Vicksburg to General Grant 
and with it, the control of the Mississippi River.  
It seems that the wave of the Confederate Cause had 
reached and passed it’s crest.  I fear that we will 
never recover from so many defeats and that the 
South is for ever gone as we once knew it.