The New York herald., 1861-12-06
New York, Friday, December G, 1861.
THE SITUATION-

The position of the army on the Potomac re-
mans without change. An order has been just
issued under date of November q, BY General
Mcclellan, directing that all officers and enlisted
men of the volunteer service now prisoners in the
hands of the enemy, or reported as missing III ac-
tion, or that may hereafter be taken prisoners or
reported missing in action be transferred to skcle-
ton regiments, to be formed by the Governors of
the respective States, aud to consist entirely Of
such missing officers and men. The vacancies thus
occasoned in the organized regiments will be
filed by the Governors of the various States to
which the regiments belong. The same order dis
misses from the service Major Isaac Lynde, of the
Second infantry, for suirondciing Fort Fillmore
in New Mexico, to the rebels, ia July last, the
forces OF the latter being inferior to his own.
Major General Hallcck has issued an important
order to his commanding officers in Missouri,
directing them to arrest and hold in confinement
every one found in arms against the government,
or those who, in any way, give aid to the rebels
and ordering that all persons found within the
lines of the army, in disguise as loyal citizens, and
giving information to the enemy, and all those
taken from the ranks of the rebels in actual SER
vice, shall not be treated prisoners of war but
as spies and shall be shot. He further orders
that the Provost Marshals of St. Louis shall take in
charge the numbers of Union families who are
crowdng into that city-having been plundered
and driven from their homes by the rebels-and
quarter them upon avowed secessionsts, charging
the expense Of their board to them, on the ground
that, although they have not themselves plundered
and driven forth these unfortunate people, they are
giving aid and comfort to those who have done So
BY way of Cairo we have intelligence of re-
ported battle at Morristown, East Tennessee, on
Sunday last, between the Union forces uuder Par
son Brownlow ard the rebels, in which the Inter
were totally routed The story comes from the
Memphis papers, and they admit that it was a
Union victory. Brownlow is said to have had
force of three thousand men, but the number of
the rebels is not stated.
From another Memphis paper we learn that the
rebel General Rains had cut to pieces the Union
forces Of General Montgomery, and taken the Gen.
eral prisoner; also that Ben. McCulloch had COM
pletely surrounded General Sigel at Sedaa, put
ting him in very awkward position, between sur
render and annihilation. Taking the same au-
thority for what it is worth, we have the fact
stated that the rebel General Price was advancing
on st. Louis-havjng crossed the Gasconade river
that the people were focking to his standard, and
that he would enter St. Louis with an army of sixty
thousand men
The Dublin F'eeman's Journal, of the 20th No.
Vember, reports the object Of. Archbishop Hughes
visit to Europe thus:--The Most Rev. Dr. Hughes,
Archbishop of New York, was among the pas
sengers on board the Africa, which arrived at
Queenstown on Monday. His Grace will stay a
short while in this country, in order to obtain a
sufficient number Of Catholic ccrgymen to afford
q chaplain to each of the Unien regiments requir.
ing one. He will then proceed to Rome ia. obtain
the necessary power to grant faculties to such
chaplains, so that they can ofliciate in whatever
diocess the regiments to which they NAV no
attached may happen to be.
CONGRESS-.
In the Senate yesterday Mr.. Rice, of Minnesota.
asked and obtained leave to record his vote in
favor of the expulsion of the traitor Breckinrjdre
Mr.. Chandler, Of Michigan, offered resolution
providing for the appointment of a select commit.
tee TO inquire into the causes Of the disasters to
ment was offered to extend the inquiry so as to
embrace the battles at Springfield Wilson'S creek
and Lexington. The amendment was rejected,