Daily Nashville union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1862, 1862-06-08

Conversations with Rebel Onlcers-
The Errors Of the Rebel Generals
Frank Admissions Concerning the
War.
From an Occasional Correspondent.
HEADoUARrrRs 44th N. Y. Va
New Bridge, Va Gin vicinity Of Richmond,
May a. 1862.
purpose 20 place before the readers Of
the EUeHipg Pos, some further details Of the
conversation which took place between the
officers who were taken prisoners Of war by
our forces 10 pursuit Of the enemy from
Yorktown, and the writer Of this communi-
cation-part Of which conversation appeared
in your columns Of the 18th inst.
II was my intention 10 carry out this pur-
pose before our regiment again joined the
advance, but other duties prevented. As the
armyis now resting for the night in bivouac,
from long aud oppressively warm aud sui.
try march. desire that ether parts of this
conversation may also have a historic record.
HOPES AND ERRORS OF THE REBELS.
Q.--"Wbet hopes did your people enter
tain that induced them to hazard such dar-
ing and high handed rebellion ~
Awe supposed that the conservative
parties Of The North, both Wing and Demo.
cratic. would sustain us. We were induced
to believe this from the speeches and votes
of your prominent Northern conservative
statesmen. (The speech of Elk President Fill
more; delivered at Albany, was referred to,
as an example, and parts of it carefully and
accurately quoted The writer here re-
marked, "that perhaps the South would
have been supported by small party at the
fv0rvn II tue uUtucK nau not ueen made upon
Fort Sumter, and If the South had not
struck the FIRST blow" To which remark it
was replied eve had 10 strike the fret
blow TO commence the revolution"
e Q--"What military errors do you think
your Generals have committed in conducting
this war p
A" First The past policy of our Iced
ers has been 10 hold all Of our seaport and
river towns. however small or of little im
portance. For this purpose our army has
been too little concentrated. Secondly In
stead Of placing our army on the Southern
boundary of Kentucky. we should have at
once marched it to the Northen. We should
at the outset have held by force every slave
State. We established our line of battle too
far South by several degrees of latitude.
I'VE counted too much on the conservative
spirit of the North; too much on the COM
mercial Importance of cotton, and too much
on foreign assistance. But against all of
these errors we yet expect to achieve our 10
dependence"
MILITARY RESOURCES OF THE SOUTH.
Q.--"What was the condition of the
South as to arms aud ammunition ut the
commencement of the war 2"
A" Nearly all of our arms fell into our
hands by the seizure of the United States
forts and arsenals as we'll as our ammunI
ton. We had some arms and imported some.
But we were nearly destitute of percussion
caps. For the frs two months after the
commencement Of the war the Slate of Vir.
GINA had not three millions of percussion
caps all told. For the first few weeks
the largest part of our percussion caps
came from Baltimore, and were brough.
within our lines by ladies who concealed
them in their skirts and underclothings But
as the war has progressed, necessity has
obliged us to manufacture our own arms and
ammunition. We have now large manufac
tories for the purpose of making small arms,
powder, balls and caps, and of casting artil
lery, In aFgresE part Of the larger cities at
the South"
GENERAL MCCLELLAN.
O." What do your officers think of the
military ability of General Mcclellan ~
At is universally conceded by our Of
icers that he has no equal in either army.
They have long and we'll known his military
ability. They knew it when he was in the
old United States army with them. and they
fear him more to-day than all your other
Generals. He has from the commencement
done lust what we desired him TO do. One
Of our most encouraging hopes was, at one
time, the probability that he wonld be super
seeded. Our former United States officers 10
the old regular service consider Gen. Scott to
be the greatest military genius OF the age but
that his great age would have prevented him
from successfully carrying on the war. They
were many of them under General Scott in
the Mexican war, and they greatly admire
his military ability, but they consider Gen.
Mcclellan quite equal to General Scott in
bis best days. We would willingly have
any two OF our best Generals retire from the
field If you can induce your politicians to
lay General Mcclellan on the shelf"
THE REBEL FORCES AND THEIR RETREATS.
(Which of your Generals possess the
greatest military abiliiy?"
A.-"Generals Johnston and Beauregard.
Johnston excels 10 strategy; Beauregard in
tactics. Johnston is great in design; Beau
regard in execution"
Q.-"Were any wooden guns mounted 10
your works at Centreville ?"
Ayes, Hir. We mounted a large num-
Der of Quaker guns at Centreville at the
time we commenced to retreat"
Q-"At what time did you commence to
retreat from Centreville and Manassas %
Awe commenced to evacuate those
places as early as February. Our forces
were drawn Off by one or two regiments at a
time, and concentrated 10 the vicinity Of
Richmond. We were nearly two months ia
eveeuating those places"
O." Al what lime did your forces com
mence the evacuation Of Yorktown ~
A" Friday night the evacuation com
menced Friday and Saturday we kept up
a more vigorous artillery fire than usual TO
deceive you, so that we might more securely
retreat, rear guard was sent up 70 VIII
liamsburg Friday OF five thousand troOps, 20