Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-12-16
VOLUME XIII, NO. 279.

made on the 9Th Of August with greatly superior fore
{ / under the rebel General Breckinridge General "
lams gained NEST signal victory, but feil in the iE
Z Ourloss was 90 killed and go wounded We burr
800 Of the eueny dead left pom the fed On :he Il
of August the garrison a Baton Rouge wcs wlthdra'
10 New Orleans
On the 24th OF October General Butler sent a fol
under Brigadier General Weizel b operate the
bank Of the Mississippi ia the Lsf0uTehe Dis ret.
engaged considerable body Of the enemy the ..
: about nine miles from DonaldsouviiIe and dessat
them, with the loss OF tbelr commander large numb
Of killed and wounded and 25s prisoners Our loss "
lS killed and 60 wounded This victory opened q
, whole Of that part Of the country.
General Buffers reports Of the military operations
bis department are Submitted herewith marked exhit
In ihs department Of the South, the only militia
operations whieh have been undertaken The reco
n1isances Of the Pocotaiigo and Coosswatche rivera
These expeditions under BClgadier-Geueral Branns
and Colonel Barton encountered considerable force
the enemy on the 23d Of October and enesgsnents el
sued ia which We lost % killed and $50 wounded III
with, marked exhibit 10 g.
In the department Of North Carolina, our force ha
also been TOO small TO attempt any important oensv
| operaiions On the 9Th Of September a party Of Oh
enemy surPFi'ed The garrison o. Washington, bat wer
soon driven out. Our loss killed and 36 wounded
and that Of the enemy % killed and about leo ouudsf
Several successful reconnaissance have been made int
the interior The official reports of the affair a. Wash
/ ilgtou are marked exhibit No. o.
IL is seen fom this brief summary of military opera
tiCns during the last three four uluths that Will
our soldiers have generally fought with bravery an
gained many important battles these victories hsvs
produced the usua results n many instances the dc
feated foe was not followed from the battle field.
even where pursuit was attempted 10 almost invariably
failed % effect the capture or destruction Of any part
! the rssrsafIng army.
This ia a matter which requires serious and careful
Consideration. victorious army IS supposed 90 be ir
condition 70 pursue It's defeated zoe with advantage aut
during such pursuit 20 do hin serious fatal Hjary
This result has usually been attained Ia othsr c0unirias
s there any reason Why t should not be expected 81
It is easily understood that ia country ike that be
tween Yorktown and Richmond, the thickly wooded
swamp OF Mississippi sad Louisiana retreatns force
by telling trees across TIRE roads and destroying bridge
over deep and maEshy streams ef4ctuslly proven
any rapid pursuit The in fsT minutes blocks up
or destroy roads which the other clear repair
for hours days The pursusr has very te hop
Of over akiug h flying foe But this reasoning s not
applicable Maryland and the greater part Of Virginia
kentucky, and Middle Tennessee 1t NUT be admitted
that in these theaters Of war the rebel armies have
hbited much more mobility and activity than our own
Not oHy DO they outnsrch both In advance and r.
treat but on two em0rsos occasions thoircsvay havs
made with impunity the entire circuit of tns Army
the Potomac II it be true that the suecass o. army
depends upon It's arms and it, legs ours has shovI
itself deficient in the latter Of these essential requstss
This defect has been attributed 10 our enormsus bag
gage and supply trains and to want OF wing ir
I makins marches.
There is no doubt that the bagga-e trains Of our ar
mics have been excessively large Every possible e1r
has been made within the ast few weeks TO redaCe them
but TINS no easy task Once sccust1med 10 certain
amount Of transportation amy is unwilling TO ID
| without the Injuries which il supplies in the hed
By the recent increase tn the army ration which wal
previousy larger than in any other cJuntry e0nsid
cradle amount Of transportation is employed in NOV
ing provisions a1d supplies which not necessary fo
the subssence cf the soldiers. An examination Of the
returns OF the general few days since
developed the fact that the Army Of The Potonae in
GLIDING the troops around Washington, (nost o. whcE
are without held trans) a dfy four thousand auss
aud that nine thonssnd OF these were employed trans
porting aabulsnees snd hospital sores In addition Il
ali this the roads streets and wharves are sucumberet
wit frr u F1F
LEM stores Nc matter how large the main body Of az
army msy be, it can never move rapidly with such
mass Of rlpediment And yet speculative projects aT
almost daily urged the War Department 10 increas
! the immobiity Of our armies IN the field Again on
troops especially those in the East have been very m
accustomed - marching at least to that kind of march
Ing usu. iv repaired BY active operations In the field
Absenteesm one Of the most serious evils iu all ou
armies. Hundreds Of officers and thousands Of ar
almost continually a7Tay froH th=ir command ManI
Of these are really strsggers and deserers Ia regar
to officers the evil Is being abated by summary dsis
sa and II the law could be strngently enforced agaus
the mgni Il would soon put an end 70 deseruons Bu
struggling the march and IA battle, can De prsvente
only by severe and summary punishment inflicted OF
I the spot
| In this and many other important particulars o.
I military laws require revision and amendment The.
were mostly enacted for small army and FOR times
peace aud unsui-sd to TIE govsrne t Of the ARM
We now have, and the war in which We are now en-
Very respectfully, your obs5lens servant.
II. W. HALLECK,
Geunrsl. in Chief
Exhibit, Nos aud2. being Gen MoCleuau's pro
test aganst the order for him to withdraw from th
Peuiusula and Gen. Halock's response thereto ap
| peared 10 the Times Of Thursday morning.
| Exhibit 10. 81
HEADQUABTERs Army OF VIRGINIA,
/ No g August 2s-9 p. n
MsjoI-Gensrsl HsIieck, Commsnder-in Chief:
The column Of the enemy alluded TO fin my dispstcl
Of 1890 p NJ, to-day passed Gaines Cross roads, an,
when steen near sunset was passing 70 the northeast
under the base Of Buck mountain in the direction Of Ss
lem and Rectortown. am inclined 20 believe that thi
column Is only covering the flank Of the main bod
/ which is moving toward Front Royal and Thoruton'
gap, though Of this AN not certain shGil push
strong reconnaissance across the river at Waterloo brdg
and Sulphur Springs early in the morning to ascertain
whether the main body Of the enery has really lef
# So push forward to their There is certainly
no force opposite RappshsnHock station
McDOweis is the only corps that is az al reliable tha
suggest that some ofeer Of superior rank be sent
comm msnd his army corps His cOuduct to-day has 0Cca
stoned me great dissatisfaction.
Banks corps very weak not amounting 90 more ha
FIVE thousand men, and IL much dsmOralized
Kearneys division the only that has yet Ieache
me from Alexandria
I shall, at all events, push hcD5wells corps AN
Kesrneys division upon the enemy's rear if fud D.
zuspei0us confirmed in the morning. 1 shsH also pu
Reno across the river At Rappshannock Statio9, and
rect him to omovs cautiously upon Culpeper Banks corp
be left somewhere ia tho rear 20 be set up agar
sgels corps, although composed Of some Of the bei
ghtr material we have, never do much service unde
vii. communicate further with YOU in the mornin.
[Siguedl JOHN PoPE, MsjOr-G.Heral.
J. G. KLLToS, Asst ADJ. Gen.
Exhibit No. 5-Copyl
WAR DEPARTMENT, WAsHNGT0N CrrT-}
II October p ls62.
| GENERAL-It has been publicly stated that the arm
under General Mcclellan has been unable TO move d
ring the tine weather Of this fsll f want Of shoe
! clothing, and other supplies. You viii please report
this department upon the following points
lss To whom, and in what matter, the requisltioi
for supplies TO the army under Con Nc lesn have be-
made since you assumed eommsnd General in Chig
and whether any acquisitions for supplies OF ki1
hes SINCE been made on the Secretary Of War or cor
muuestons had with him except through yOui
3d. II you, as Generalin- Chief, have taken pains
ascertain the condition Of the army in respect 20 supp
Of shoes clothing, arms, and other necsssaries ~
whether there has beer any neglect or delay, by sn
department or bureau, filling the acquisitions for s1
plies and what has been and is the conditions OF IN
army compared with other armies in respect to 81
, 3f At what date amer the battle OF Ante.am Il
orders TO advance sgsinst the enemy given TO e
Mcclellan, and how often they have been repeated
z 4th. Whether in your opinion. there has been a.
want in the army under Gen. Mcclellan Of shoes sOt
ing arms, or other equipments or supplies that ought
have prevented its advance against the enemy when
L | order was given
18th How long was It after the orders 10 advance we
given TO Gen Mcclellan before be informed YOU th
b any shoes OF clothing were wanted In his army, a
d what are his means OF pronptly communicating {
wants Of the army to-you TO the proper bureaus
,t | the w ar department.. yours lfuyf
/ ISignei EDYIS NJ SrANToS.
i Secretary OF War.
s SisioT-G General Hallsck, General-in-CieE
q [Oficisl eOpy.l
{ Headquartefs Of the prmy, Washington, D @,
q vember % 1902 J-C. EELT0S,
f Assistant Adiqtaqt General
z Ezhibit No. 81 WAsHINeroS, October2s, 1902
d Hon f. NJ Stanton, Secretary Of Var;
. Sur In reply % she several utsrrOgatores contain
D. in your letter Of yesterday. have to report:
\ fst That reqCsitiou for supplies 90 the army dnd
I. Cen Mcclellan are made BY his staff officers or
s chiefs Of bureas hereihat s fer qua;termasters en-
plies By his chief qlarermaster the qusrtsrn ast
As general; for eommssry supplies BY his chief comm
e ssrv on the com nnissBryg6neraf No such requi
n tons have been. 10 my knowledge made upon q
o. Secretary Of War and upon the genersl-inch
Il Q On several occasions General Mcclellan hss te
graphed that his army deficient ip certain