The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1861-08-01
WAR ITEMS.

We clip the following from Col. Richardson'-
ofhcla report OF the battle at Bull Run It will be
seen that he charges Col. Miles with having been
drunk and unfit for duty
was to defend the position which then occu
pied in front Of the enemy called the Blsckbnrn
ford, and about one mile in his front WHARF we
had been for the last three DAYS | was aIso or
dered to consider myself under the C ,mmand of
Colonel ID. :. Miles, United States army, who was
to command his own brigade at Centreyiiie as we'll
as my own and that OF Colonel Davies, midway be.
tween the two, these three hrigades CONSTITUTING
what then called the reserve. I
| Before Captain Alexander gave me this last d.
rection learned that Colonel Miles had altered the
position of some regiments which had placed b.
lore, especially the third Mchig an regiment which
mad ordered to form close column by division tn
remain as reserve, and await further orders
RON me. me oihcer In command OF the regiment
at that time, lieutenant Colonel Stevens (Colous
McConnel being unwell, but on the proundl i'm,
| medlateiy executed that order, and put his repi.
ment IN close column. | went to some other mart
OF tue hald, and on returning found this regiment
uepinyed lii line OF battle, and in smother position
immediately inquired of Colonel Stevens the re A.
| son of their position being altered He told me
| that Colonel Miles had directed this movement |
asked MIN WhyE Colonel Steven replied, 81 do not
Know, but he had no confidence in Colonel Miles ~
inquired the reason why? Colonel Stevens an
| swered, "Because Colonel Miles is drunk" That
closed the conversation. | sent Col. Stevens back
Win MS regiment, to form close column hy divi-
| Low
| ander that had been interfered with in INV dis
position OF the troops during the day and couId
not carry out General McDoweIi's orders as lone 7
was lnterfered with by drunken man. Captain
| Alexander then answered.. that General Mcdowell
now vested the whole disposition of the troops with
| me, and that must my owu Judgment. |
went to place aonther battuion in line and I was
met by Colonel Miles, who ordered the to form that
! regiment in another direction. replied that 81
should obey no more orders that he might see fit
to give me-" Colonel Miles then said, Colonel
Richar dson shall put you in arrest" | told him
81 never should obey his arrest, and that he never
could put me in that position" Colonel Miles an
SWered that he did not understand this | said
nothing, and went on with further disposition Of
the troops.
The Late Flag of Truce to Washington.
The following extract is from letter written by
President Jefferson Davis to President Lincoln, in
reference to an exchange of prisoners:
RIcHMoND. July C, 1861
10 ABRAHAM LINCOLN, President and Comma nder-
ln-Chlel ot the Army and Navy of the United
States:
1t is the desire of this government so to conduct
the war now existing to mitigate its horrors as
lar as may be possible; and with this intent. its
treatment of the prisoners captured by its force
mas been marked by the greatest humanity and
leniency consistent with public obligation; some
nave been permitted to return home on narnle
others to remain at large under similar conditions
within this Coniederacy, and all have been furnish
ca with ratl9ns tor their subsistence, such as are
allowed to our own troops. 1t is only since the
news has been received of the treatment of the
prisoners taken on the savannah that have baen
compelled to withdraw these indulgencss and to
hold the prisoners taken by us in strict confne-
ment.
just regard to humanity and to the honor of
this Government now requires me to state exnIicit
y: that, painful as will be the necessy this Gov
ernment will deal out to the prisoners held nv il
the same treatment and the same fate as shall be
rpd nv ,rnl Al
ard il driven to the terrible necessity of retaliation
oy your execution OF any of the officers or crew of
tue savannah, that retaliation will be extended so
Tar as shall be requisite to the abandonment
OF practice unknown to the warfare OF civilized
man. ana SO oarbarous as to disgrace the nation
which shall! be guilty of inaugurating it.
with THIS view, and because it NAV not hp We
reached you, now renew the proposition made to
the commander OF the blockading SQUADRON to ex-
change Tor the prisoners taken the Savannah an
equal number OF those now held BY u.s. accordipr IN
rank. am, sir, yours, &c,
JEFFERSON DAVIS,
and Navy of the Confederate States.
Col. Taylor, who it will be remembered was the
bearer of the flag, thus writes to President Eavs
RICHMOND, July 10, 1861.
To his Exceency Jefferson Davis, President oi
the Confederate States:
About o'clock p NJ Colonel Van Rensselaer,
senior aid de camp to General Scott was sent to
convey me to General Scott's headquarters, where
found General Mcdowell, to whom | delivered
! General Beauregard's letter. After reading Gen.
BIS letter he passed it to Gen. Scott who being
! informed in this letter that | desired to deliver
| your communication in person. received il of me
| After reading communication TO Mr. IincnIn
! General Scott informed me that a reply would BE-
! returned by Mr. Lincoln as soon as possib!e-Dnd
at the same time instructed me to return to ArIinp
! ton with General Mcdowell, thence to proceed in
| the morning back to our lines which did nrdor
| "a
msnded by Lieutenant Putnam. In nv intercourse
| with General Scott and the other officers of the
| United States Army, have to say that | was re-
| ceived with marked consideration and attention
| and with that courtesy and Kindness which shoud
ever characterize the diplomatic relations of great
| nations, in war as well in peace Understand.
ing that the object of my mission was the delivery
! of your letter to Mr. Lincoln, have the honor to
| state that it done, and subscribe myself your
| obedient servant, THOMAS H. TAYLOR
Captain of cavalry, G. s. A, and Lieutenant Colo
mel Second Kentucky regiment.
| From General Banks Column
! DEPARTMENT OF THE SHENANDOAH, SANDY Hook,
| Washington County, Md, July 81 7
The location of General Banks division is AS
| before stated, at Pleasant Valley, between the
| mountain, known as the Maryland Heights, abut-
,ing opposite Harper's Ferry, and spur of the
! Blue Ridge, terminating with the Potomac at the
| village of knoxville, on the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad. Pleasant Valley is a table, land plateau.
! some two hundred feet above the Potomac, ov, r
| " nI-h
| vile, and commanding the county roads running
| from the former place towards Hagerstown and
Frederick The climate is salubrious and healthy
| evidenced by the almost untenanted hospitals
| The location is nearly unassailable.
The number of troops here is being daily aug.
mented by the arrival Of new and we'll disciplined
| regiments, and in the meantime the Commanding.
Genera' and staff are busily engaged in organizing
| the army into bIigades and divisions. With the
exception OF occasional music by some of the repi
mental bands, and the rumbling of the heavy laden
army trans, the camp Is apparently as quiet as a
| country village on a rainy Sunday Few incident.
| rranspre, worthy Of notice. Rtconnoitering par.
ties and scouts the alert at all hours and il
is impossible for the enemy to arrive in any force
| near enough to threaten us, without giving US
| timely notice. The Commissariat and Quarter.
| mesters' Departments are efficiently ofiicere ed and
! active preparations progressing.
The Rhode Island battery, which fought 50
| bravelY at Bull Run, arrived here this morning,
with their field battery, and have just been placed
| in position.
| There are but few of the three months men now
remaining in this column, but troops for the war
| continue to arrive in large numbers.
There is no regular post office at Sandy Hook
Letters addressed to the officers and men of the
| regiments now stationed here would reach them
with greater certainty by being sent to Knoxville
| two miles below US.
The rumors of the approach of Gen. Johnston to
wards Leesburg has induced Gen. Banks to keep
| up sharp lookout in that direction From indi-
cations Is presumed his force is not of the extra
| ordinary dimensions at first reported Although it
is presumsble that the Confederate pickets range
the hills opposite US, they have not yet made their
presence manifest.
The Volunteer Generals.
| The following is a list of the Ma jor- Generals
Brigader- Generals, and Assistant Adjuta Mt Gene
rails of volunteers recently appointed, in the order
| of their rank. The commissions of the Major. len.
erals all bear date May 18th; those of the Briga
| diers 18th:
Major Genero1s-N. P. Banks, John A. Dix, Ben
| jamin F. Butler.
Br'gadter- -Genera1s-Joseph Lvon, of Missouri
John Pope, ofthe Typographical Engineers: Georg,
A. Metal, OF Pennsylvania: Samuel r, Curtis. q
Iowa: Philip Kearney. of New-Jersev; Joseph ]
Re{noLds,Aof Indiana; Rufus King, Of Wisconsin
D. D. Cox, OF Ohio; Stephen A. HurIbut, of Illinois
| Juiius Slegel, of Missouri; Robert s. Schenck. n
! ONO; d 3 Prentiss, of Illinois.
| Asststdnt Adj"tonf- Generals Donn Patt. of Ohio
Assistant AdIu ant General, rank of Captain; Jc
seph b. Smith, of New York; Marcus j Parrot,
| of Kansas; Henry J. Biddle, of Penpsvlyania
George :. Rose, of Indiana; Simon NJ. Preston, a
| Illinois. '
| "en' raj seott's Views on the Publication O
Regimental and Brigade REPORTS
Gen Scott is greatly incensed at the publicatio
OF copies OF the official reports Of regimental an
brigade commanders. He objects to it as improper
unmilitary, il-timed and mischisvous. BE had