The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1862-08-29

1
1 II is reported that tho President said
notlong since: NJ cClelan may be great
military man; no ought to be, and nis
officers and soldiers say he is, But teere
ID something wrong am afraid heis q
man who masse. his opportunities
How he has missed splendid opportun-
| tiles is shown by Mr.. Hurlbut. who no.
Gently escaped from the South, aud whose
testimony is given in the following ex-
tract from a Washington letter to the
Chicago Tribune.
A weird Of what Mr.. Haribat, who will
soon publish ! narrative OF his personal
experience and observation, Gays, touch
ing one or two much -mooted question:
He believes the rebellion stronger to-day
than ever before, but weaker in fighting
strength than IL generally thought. He
does not think the total number Of men
under arms in the South more than 3O0,-
900. On the ED Of last February they
had according to bis positive knowledge
as he says only 400 regiments in all, Az
eraging 500 mon each. They have un
doubleday added more than loo. 600 more
since that time but it must not be for.
gotten bow rapidly an army wastes away;
theirs, more rapidly than ours, because in
transportation, commissariat, and medical
and sanitary matters, We are greatly their
superiors. Mr.. Hurlbut says that all
well-informed persons in Richmond admit
that General Mcclellan had four if moi
five opportunities of capturing the rebel
capital. .s4l
Once. before Manassas was evacuated,
since according to the positive assertion
General 10. johnson, he had At no time
more than 40. 900 soldiers there, large
proportion Of whom could not be account
ed able bodied and that he commenced
his preparations to evacuate rs long ago
as October. intending to start the instant
he was seriously threatened. McClellan's
second opportunity, says Hurlbut, was
after the battle at Williamsburg; his
third after Fair Oaks or Seven Pines his
fourth after Malvern Hill; his fifth. he
believes, but is not so positive about that,
after the attack upon Fitz John Porter
over the Chickahominy.
Mr.. Hurlbat, who Is Charlestonian BY
birth, and went South firm in the belief
that the rebels were oontending for their
constitutional rights, returns disposed to
to regard and 10 treat them AZ nation Of
enemies, Of whom what few Unionists
there may be have "no more backbone
than a chicken He is for war to the
knife aud for emancipation as powerful
weapon Of warfare.
~ From the following extract OF .
letter to the Cincinnati Gazette, from
Helena, Ark. Aug. 10th, We infer that
business of some sort is to be done in that
region pretty soon: aa
"Gcn. Curtis has returned 10 his com.
mand, and the old hero of Pea Ridge does
not pass many idle moments. Those who
have seen fit to malign him and charge
him with frauds and corruption in the
cotton business, and set the report flying
that he had been called from his command
J by the authorities at Washington to un
|, dcrgo an investigation, and, as = matte
of course, he was to zoe relieued Of Al
command will certainly feel not littl
uncomfortable when they arc informed 0
the facts In the case. BY an agreemen
between the two, Commodore Davis ant
t Gen. Curtis ,oent not called to Cairo !,
consult the War Department in regard (
the future operations of this army. Thus
, fur General Curtis has been conduct
ing his movements In accordance witt
: the plaas furnished him by Gen. Halleck
, He (Curtis) now thinks that he has an
other plan that will operate more effectu
ally and it is understood that upon con
sultation with our newly made Comman
der-in-C Chief, that his plans were wholly
approved of, and he hastens back to brin1
those plans to maturity. Tho mere fac
that this consultation was held along with
Commodore Davis, would indicate the
direction in which these plans direct tn.
movements. And now. as that great ter
ror to our Mississippi fotilla--the Arkan
sas-has disappeared a. rapidly as she ap
peared, We may look forward to day !
NO great distance, when the great Fathe
i of Waters will be cleared OF the last rebe
. obstruction, and viii once more be tn
: free aud noble and vital artery Of tn
great West.
!, In accordance with the orders Of tn
: War Department, every regiment in tn,
J, army WAS mustered yesterday, and til
: returns are being made out. But com
.. paratively few were absent unaccounts