Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1861-11-01
FIGHT With JEFF. THOMP SONS MEN.
NEWS FROMCALIFORNIAIN ONE DAY
[Herald's Di'patch.1

WASHINGTON, OFT. %.
am informe by the highest u,hority in
this Government that the published state
ment in any paper to-day that at a Cabinet
meeting yester iay all the members of that
body pronounced judgm. Mt that Fremon,
should be superseded, and that the order to
this effect be issued today, is untrue. No
such decision was made in Cab net, and as ii
matter of C ursc, no such order has been is
sued.
affairs in Frcmont's Department was discus
ed yesterday. Some Of the members were in
favor Of depTiving him o. his command i'm
mediatr|y, and ordering him here to be tried
~ Cou.y IA, tial oilers opposed su, h action
while in bis position before the fac Of the
enemy The subject occupiel the President
and Cabinet for several days, when they
decided by vote to leave tne whole matte
TO the decision Of the Presto Mt. The latter
tjnds the On s.!on 3 very difficult one to Set
tie, involving. as it does, not only the srea,
pecuniary interests Of the Government, bue
perhaps immediate important military result
He will give the subject y thorough investl-
cat on, and decide it in accordance with the
facts.
Cassius NJ. Clay, our minister to Russia.
has animated to the Governn. Mt. that in
view of the threatened attitude Of the rebels.
he would prefer to surrender his present
position as representative to Russia, and ell.
! ter the army in active defense Of the Govern
ment The Cabinet has the subject undsJ
C ns,deration, and Kentuckisns here are a
ious for the return Of the gallant Cassius.
Worlds Dispatch.
Only the Rhode Island officers stood by
their guns, the men retreating early in the
fray.
The enemy charged from the woods in all
directions converging upon our force. They
were b,ave!y met, but the slaughter of our
best officers and M was so terrific that the
Federals We're obliged to retreat.
Col Baker was killed by horseman, who
rode close to him and fired five shots from
revolver, all taking effect The sl.yer was at
once brought down in turn by Capt. Derriel.
The same brave mai recovered Bakers body,
heading charge of his company for that
purpose.
The California regiment took, of men and
officers, over six hundred and eight = mine.
The drowned are about 50; killed, 80; pris-
oners, 800, and wounded, 125-total, sos; -
safe. about 1874.
Two howtzers and two field pieces of the
Rhode Island battery were hauled up the
hill, and effcctuallv handled during the fight
by Col. Baker himself, aided by Wistar,. his
Adjutant, Col. Cogswell, Of the Tammany
regiment, and company G, Capt Derriel
The forces which crossed the Potomac were
as follows:
One battalion of the California regiment,
6S9 Massachusetts 18th, 1000; Massachu-
sets Goth, about 500; Tammany regiment,
200; total, 2,3e9,
WASHINGTON, Oct %.
On the advert of the news of the fall of
Col. Baker, Gen. Lander was immediately Or
dered to the scene, being at that time engaged
| in making ARRANGEMENTS to proceed to new
command, higher up the Potomac.
Cen Gustavus w. Smith was not in the
fight at Edwards Ferry.
The rebel army was commanded by Gen.
| Evans
| Up to noon to-day the enemy was not in
fo ce ia our immediate fro It, nearer to Wash
mgton than Centerve. All thei, trf ops arc
withdrawn from Fairfax Court House and
Staten, except the picket guards.
| PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 24.
The Richmond WA'g, copy OF which has
been received ere, in an editorial on the wa,
says all the indications point to long war.
After commenting upon what it terms the safer
oolicy Of actii on the offensive, which has
been adopted by the rebel generals policy
which the edito: fails toappreciate-and show
ing the supremacy the Federal forces have
gained, threatening the whole coast, and able
% assail it at any point on the extenjled from
tier Of the South, the following declaration
of despair is uttered:
"The possibility of our success is not with
out range Of accident. To prevent our sub
Ijugation or determination is all we can hope
for. We have no skill IN strategy, and know
nothing of the means a. the command ofgen-
erals but if this is all shat is left lis, we had
as well be looking out for terms Of submission
and the sooner the better. An endless war,
which affords no opportunity for either vic
tory or revenge, is a hootless undertaking. =
The Southern people, who have offered them
selves and their all, for the prosecution of this
war, and have placed implicit confidence in
the men invested with its conduct, have look
ed for something better. 1t is not to be de-