New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1861-09-06
Extracts from, Mr. Russe1i.s Last Letter.

s6ot al discretion. Their flags are not received;
the exchange of prisoners with rebels - ridiculous
regular - blockade" OF rebel ports ls qulte ano,
malous. 1t remains to be seen, after hr. Davis
recent hints, what the Government dares TO DO IN
the Of the pirates u whom its cruisers caught
n the act, red-handed, Of priyateering n policy. p
been struck down, and the attitude of the North is
just now defensive. There will be on the parton
the one people whom the American press has most
ins1lted and abused every disposition to give fair
play and to listen to the call for time" But the
quarrel must have its Iimts--the time must be
fixed and tine sponge must be thrown up il one or
other of the eombatants cannot come up = to IT.
nor does it seem case in which any amount Of
q iudieious bottleheldngh can prolong the light
Now at the present moment, the North is less able
to 90 into the contest than she was month age.
she has sulfsred defeat, she has lost morale and
natGfiez Besides killed, wounded ana prisoners
cannon, arms, baggage, she mas iosI al ah @ ary ~ =.
three-monfhs men, who have Inafcneo away 70
their homes at the very moment Ene eapieai as "a
the greatest danger. -
ANOTHER SNEEg AT THE FEDERAL REINFORCE
AENTs.--Up to this period the reinforce ments re-
sceved do not bring up the Federalists 10 the
strength they had before the fight. No one can on
will tell how many have strayed away and gone
off from their regiments since they returned to the
camps here, but the actual number Of men VINO
have come here are less than those who have gone
away home by fully so60rank and file. And the
change has been by no means for the better. Ihe
three months men at least had been three months
under arms. They were probably at least as mar
tial and as ready to fight the rest Of their people
just as they are most required and likely not 20 pc
quite unseryiceable, they retire TO receive Hide
served and ridiculous oyations as though they had
been glorious conauerors and patriots instead OF
being broken and routed fugitves. who marched
off from Washington when It might bs expected ne
| enemy were advancing against it, In their place
/ come leyies who have not had even the three
months training and who are not as well equipped,
so far as can see, as their predecessors, 70 race
men who are elated with success and the prestige
| of the first battle gained, and to be associated
| with regiments cowed, probably, and certainly in
some instances demoralized BY defeat.
The artillerymen who cut the traces of their
horses from caisson and carriage at least knew
| more about guns than the men who will be put to
| the new field batteries which Government are
! getting up fast as they can and the muskets,
Of the best description left on the field or taken,
| cannot be replaced for long time to come.
l In fact much Of this army must be reorganSSed
in face of an enemy That enemy Is e:her ,heom- o.
petent or artful it is quite certain ne IS not acta-
| ated by clemeney or generous pity. Engineers
1 are hard at work Strengthening the position on
the south bank of the river; but the forts 90 nos
! constitute safety. Without stout hearts behind
their lines and 'breastworks, abattis and redouns
avail nothing. ssa
1 A GRASD PLAN. OF ATTACK. on WAsH1EGToy
| MAPPED Our BY THE LII. D. - Gen. ,Bedure9d7n
Won't Venture unless Certain of Setccess.lt must
be that the Confederates are deficient IN the means
of transport in actual force to make an attaGk
which is SO obvious, il they desire to snow Ih rhe
Il NORTH it is not possible to subdue them. The
CORPS which went from Winchester to Manassas
bunder Johnston is put by the Federaists at 10000
Let us take it at half that num0eF. sbeaut6GafU
and Lee Iare said to have had o00o at Manassas,
: Including presume, the forces between it and
. Richmond. Divide that again. There was Ger,
a tanly 10000 between Monroe, the Courtqo ana a
- | Richmond of whom 10000 could be, spared; and
on the western side of the capital OF the Confed
crate States there was available at least another
d corps of 10000, which could have been readiiy
q strengthened by 10000 or $1,000 more from the
~ Sontb in case of a supreme effort. There seems
o no reason, not connected with transport equip,
!. ment, or discipline why the Confederates should
not have been able last week TO take the neld Win
] Is 600 men, in two corps; one quite strong enough
to menace the force the right bank OF the Poto-
mac and to hold 1t in check, or to pFeEentit going
over the other side; the other to cross into Mary
=. land. which is now in parts only kept quiet by
IS force, and to advance down on Washington rom
o the west and north.
In the event of success the political advantages
would be very great at home and abroad, and there
a. would be new base Of operations gained close &c
enemys lines, while the advantages OF holding tne
or Potomac aud Chesapeake Bay would be much ne neu
I'd traIized and finally destroyed. The Navy 1agt
it would fall into the enemy's hands. Fort Washng
of ton would probably soon follow. Fortress Mon
We roe would be condemned to greater lsolauon
ms Philadelphia itself would be in imminent DANCE
ed should the Confederates attempt greater aggres
But, for one Gen. Beauregard will consent to n
f. pan of operations in which success is not rendefe
IS certain as may be by all possible precautions
ne and he might not favor a proposal Which Woni
on lead to dividing an army into two parts, with
mt river between them and an enemy On easn I sa.
Monroe and Hampton, which are the true pases
ne operations against Richmond, have been Weakene
or to reinforce the army covering washington az n
no Harpers Ferry, and yet doubt il there are On y y
CO. men all along the lines who could move out an
ing offer an enemy battle, leaving any adequate guar'
- in the trenches and garrisons, in the tete-dtpo
the and works.!h 80, u .t'. l.s .L1,zs
av THE CAVALRY OF THE SOUTHERN ARMY AND Lo
ing OF MANY MOUNTED ' GENTLEMEN. ''-The Confe
use crates as you were informed from the south, ha,
ex enlisted men to for the war; and take no OF
+o Tha stpp1e of their Will, undergo
nit change and it grows older it ought to get se
ter, unless it be beaten.
re- You will pardon me for referring to remark
ell one of my previous letters, that there might
.ict fierce skirmishes, and even sanguinary engae
ments between the two armies, but that the
ou would be followed by no decisive results, owing
,er' the want of cavalry. Strange to say, though I
ar panic and very discredtahle rout was caused
eml em alarms of, and might have been prevented by
@ @t presence of cavalry no steps are taken 70 RENE
the that great deficiency. The volunteers who WI
ary at Manassas will not stand the man on horseba
tne again, and believe the Confederates are 90
'ear aware of their advantage, though they may ha
a aa had to mourn the loss OF many gentlemen VINO
:s la.s during the day.
ilch The more closely the consequences of Manasl
lgh' are investigated, the serious they seem to
~, 1t must be granted that the Contedeta5es ieel ~ y
on losses more severely than the North does. IN
ohe colonies and officers are men Of marx, and even
was privates killed wounded one sees notices llll
'uIi ing that they belong TO good taHes arg are
lr1sh k,so,r,s peope. The Os and Macs and Yons Y
| of the latter,) the Corcorans, Camerons and Br
oak gers prisoners, wounded or killed are Of less
have se4uSnoo W - s' Dtnns and Manninps are tn
Nc ee X Nt 'nin ond faw of the leaders w
hell, e =; hattIe tbere wonld he less chance of
and t " @ tinn;nr ~ its strnrola with the same h,
lert oo4' a bnt If ali tbe Cabinet were to
land, aaiu ~ ,ornr rom Washinrton the spirit of
700 Northern States would not be diminished one !
evi- ,rho os, on olsr,, tho nirht hafore last s,
nv oo!ishs people got the loan of steamer and a
,tart gun, and went down the river with them.
'oe'' they were opposite one of the enemy's batter
York. some three four miles away, they fired their
= u fnr gun and Oh'd," no doubt at the shot
u ntan FLASHED short in the water, the enemy urea
INCL them with proper silent contempt all the vi
,sanb Having done this they returned in the evening
9sepn @ amused themselves by firing away as hard as
ot 50 could, lust below the Long Bridge believe
out bail-and it may be imagined there was $
,-.;.ou commotion, as the reports shook doors and
= y 'n, dows. 4,
1e fol- into order and the outskirts Of the city ant
streets are queter at night; but there isreugh'
with the Zouaves and others in Alexandra--ht
in burnt, people shot, and such like sports of ce