A QUARRELSOME OFFICER.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2433, 23 October 1886, Page 2

A QUARRELSOME OFFICER.

General Bragg was a remarkably intelligent and woll-informed man, professionally and otherwise. Ho was also thoroughly upright. But ho was possessed of an irasciblo temper, and was naturally disputatious. A man of tho highest moral oharacter and tho most correct habits, yot in tho old army ho was in frequent troublo. As a subordiuato he was always on tho look out to catch hia commanding officer infringing his prerogatives; as a post coinmandur ho was equally vigilant to detect the slightest neglect, even of tho moat trivial order. 1 have heard in the old army an anecdote very characteristic of Bra<{g, On one occasion, whon stationed at a post of several companies commanded by a fieldofficer, ho was hi nißolf commanding ouo of tho companies, and at the name time acting as post quartermaster and commissary, Ho was first lioutenant at tho time, but his captain was detached on othor duty. As commander of tho company he made a requisition upon tho quartermaster—himself for. something lie wantod. As quartermaator he doclinod to fill in tho requisition, and endorsed on the back of it his reasons for doing so. Ab company commander ho responded to this, urging that his requisition .called for nothing but what he was entitled to, and that it was tho duty of tho quartorraaster to fill it. As quartormaster ho still persisted that ho was right. In this condition of affairs Bragg referred the whole mattor to the commanding oioor of the post. The latter when ho saw tho nature of tho matter referred, exclaimed " My Ood, Mr Bragg, you havo quarrelled with every officer in tho army, and now you are quarrelling with yourself." --" Personal Momoirs of U. 8. Grant."