Daily national Democrat., 1861-10-06
1ailp Natlonal lrmotrat.
.a.;,,s at KichmOnd---the Charleston
Mercury's Correspondent tells some
Truths.

The correspondent OF the OhatlceVon niei
,v at Richmond, writes most dismal letters
70 that paper. lie says that Richmond is |
.nacked 4. to suffocation 10y an innumerable |
crowd of idlers. guid nu'tcs, public officials
and soldiers, for the most part red-capped |
red.faced, pussy, painting and perspirng
with ice at IL cents per pound and little of
that to be had for love money; where
every gate is thronged with suitors eager for
papers to go from this or permits to visit that
camp; where your nose and mouth is
crammed with impalpabe dust, and your
ears stunned with mutterings, grumblings
and curses of discomfort or disappointment"
lie gives the following gloomy account of
the condition of the Commissarat, and the
consequent suffering of the soldiers;
There is universal complaint made of the
want of efficiency in the Commissarlat De- |
partment. 1t was felt severely and immedi- |
ately after the battle of Manassas Our
brave troops particularly the sick and |
wounded, suffered greatly. Some of the
troops were without provisions from Sunday |
breakfast unit Tuesday after the battle
Since then it has occurred more than once
that many have been without food for "a
hours Great indignation is felt throughout
the army and in Richmond ON account of
this outrageous and unendurable ineficiency
The efficiency of the army is impaired, and
even it's movements retarded through the |
want of supplies. | learn it has been, and
is, a matter of bitter complaint and earnest
remonstrance by the Commanding Generals
And not only is there want Of sufficient
quantity, but the provisions not good,
are, in fact, positively unwholesome 1t is |
not only SO at the camps in Fairfax county |
where the army is large, but also 10 other |
camps. A great deal of sickness is the natu |
raj consequence. One regiment near Aqua !
Creek has lost 60 men, and another 80 The
weather has been intensely hot, and the |
great mortality is attributed by the troopsto
bad provisions unsuitable at any time es-
pecially during such season. The country
people, camp traders, suffers, too in the
neighborhood of Fredericksburg and Aqua
Creek charge the poor fellows most eXtor-
tonate prices for everything they buy. |
have heard it is the same in other places, but
that it is there, am assured 10y the best au-
thority
And not only is the Department of Sub
estence ill-managed, but the equally indis- |
pensable department of mobility and efi-
cheney of transportation, is also lamenably
behind. 1t was the condition of these tw1
branches of the army which prevented Gen.
Beauregard trom advancing to meet Mellow
ell, ns he had intended. 1t was his unpre-
paredness in these which prevented him from
following the defeated enemy from Manassas
1t is these which now parayze him, prevent
forward movement, and is daily losing the
South the substantial fruits of the great vic
tory. Beauregard has used superhuman eX-
erions, and struggled against terrible and
unappreciated difficulties and discourage
ments His great determination. and the
pluck of his troops, have accomplished won
ders But the Executive giS inertia is huge
obstacle to success, and the public interest
peremptorily requires that no man, or set of
men, should stand in the way.
TIE CAMPAIGN tx THE WEsr-The St. Louis
Evening News says:
The preparations for important operations
for important operations in the West and
Southwest going on at this point, though
quiet aud in a great measure unobserved, are
of the most extensive character. The plan
looks not SO much to the meeting of the
invaders of Missouri and their adherents in
trivial and indecisive engagements, as to an
overwh, lining advance on the Southwest,
that will force them to evacuate Mi'sot ri and
kentucky, and retire to their ow" SOIL Tor
defense.
A large army Of tie best troops on the
continent. gathered from the Northwest, is
being assemhlci at II. Louis; aud when the
proper time arrives this army will move
southward to carry to the soil of the lnva-
ders of Missouri the war they SO wautouly
and unju-tihably thrust upon us. We do not
deem it prudent to state what these p.epara-
tions are but we will say Tia It the line of for
cations being erected around st. Louis are
not, as some imagine constructed because st
Jon ;s hns in 4 ,f
by the enemy. but because with this line Of
redoubts, redans and lunettes, garrsoned toy
few hundred or thousand troops, and
mounted with heavy artillery. the larger part
OF the army concentrated here can tie spared
for the expedition TO the Southwest This
expedition is full of hope and encouragement
to the loyal people of Missouri and Kentucky,
for it will assure them of protection by com
pelng the evacuation of these States toy the
arrogant invaders whose aim is the suhluga-
tiou OF them and the annexation OF them
appendages Of the Southern Confederacy-
For several weeks past the position of the
Government in the W est has been defensive
one; but this attitude is now being changed,
and in few weeks, those who have been the
agtressors will he driven to their own lines,
and will have need of all their resources to
defend themselves.
GENERAL McCLrLLAN's OpERArIoHs-The
Washington correspondent of the New ork
World, speculating lately on affairs about the
Potomac, Gays:
For some tirae after the Federal troops re-
turned to their inrenchments, the enemy oc-
cuped themselves in cautiously and syste-
matically testing the strength of our position
by reconneissances skirmishes, throwing rifle
cannon shot at us from distance and using
various other means known to military sci
ence for that purpose. They coon discovered
that our strong holds were of too formidable
q nature, and too skillfully erected, and
would be too well defended to be taken by
Auy available force of theirs, and they ac-
cordingly redoubled their guerilla and picket
shooting operations in order to taunt us to
sally forth where might be placed at great
disadvantage. General Mcclellan, had his
impetuous courage overborne his great pru-
duee, would have met them long ago; but
although the chances would have been in fa-
vor of a Federal victory, it is pretty we'll un-
derstood that are not to trust to chances
The Geneaal recognizes the fact that the es-
pecialy vulnerable point of TIE enemy is on
the Atlantic coast, and will accordingly wait