Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1862-12-19

We condense such portions as are Of the greatest
interest;
oSr mLLroS or NAY.
oflhe force in the Geld, at this time and he
estimates fcr the future, the Secretary says:
THAT portion Of the United States which is
ow, or has been during the last year, the scene Of
military operations is comprised within ten mill
itary departments. The armies operating in
these departments, according to recent official
returns, constitute force ofsevsn hundred and
scscnty-five thousand three hundred and thirty
six officers and privates, fully armed and equip
ped. Since the date Of the returns this number
has been increased to over eight hundred thous-
and men. When the quotas are filed up the
f0rea viii number a million men, and the esti-
mates for next year are based upon that number.
THE SITUATION IN rHE EAST.
Having spoken Of the operations which have
had Washington as base, he sums up as follows:
"The invading army which recently threaten
ed the Capital and the borders Of Maryland and
Peunsylvania, has been driven back beyond The
Rappahannock; Norfolk, captured by Major
General Wool, is in our possession. Suffolk aud
Yorktown are held; a strong army corps under
its vigilant and efficient commander, Major Gen.
Dix, al Fortress Monroe, threatens aud harnesses
the enemy, aud what is especially gratifying it
has been proved that the loyalty Of the State Of
Maryland cannot be shaken, even by the pres
ence Of the rebel army"
rus GENERAL FIELD.
he then reviews the operations ofthe depart
ments of the West, of North Caroliua, tho De-
partment of the South, Of the Gull, of the North
west, the Indian War, and Pacific aud the Ter
ritories. and makes this general survey;
@From a survey ofthe whole field of opera
hat
arms may have suffered at particular points, a
great advance has never the less been made since
the commencement Of the war. When it began.
the enemy were in possession Of Norfolk, and
every port of the Southern coast. They held
the Mississippi, from Cairo to New Orleans
Now, the blockaded ports OF Charleston and
Mobile only remain to them on the seabOard,
and New Orleans and Memphis have been
wrested from them. Their possession Of Vicks-
burg obstructs the Mississippi, but it is to them
Of no commercial use. Their strongholds on
the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers have beer
captured. General Andrew johnson, rs Military
Governor of Tennessee, holds Nashville. Tn,
enemy have been driven from Kentucky, Wesi
Tennessee, Missouri, part of Arkansas; are flee
ing before Grant in Mississippi, and all their
hopes Of Maryland are cut off In commercial
political and stragetical points Of view, more
success has attended the Union cause than was
ever witnessed upon so large a theatre, in the
samo brief period, against so formidable an en-.
eny."
The Union forces are eager for vigorous pro.
secution Of the war, and spirit Of earnest ac
tisity pervades the battlefield A tribute i,
paid to the noble dead, and an allusion made I,
the faetthat medals of honor are to be ready fol
distribution to private soldiers in January next
ESLIsrMESrs AND DRAFTING.
OF the result ofthe calls for volunteers, ard
the order for drafting be says:
"The Adjutant Generals office is charged
among other important duties, with the bust.
ness relating to enlistments, recruiting and
drafting militia. Under your calls OF july and
August, there are already in the field over foui
hundred and twenty thousand new troops. o.
which three hundred and ninety y-nine thousand
are volunteers, three hundred and thirty two
thousand OF whom have volunteered for three
years or during the war;
SUMMARY ARRESTS.
Upon this important and much discussed
point, the Secretary says;
ANXIETY was felt in some ofthe States at The
probable success Of these disloyal practices, ant
the Government was urged to adopt measures o
protection by temporary restraint of those en-.
gagged in these hostile acts. To TINT end pro.
vest marshals were appointed for some of the
States, upon the nomination of their Governors
to act under direction of the State Executive
aud the writ OF hdbeds corpus was suspended BY
| your order. BY order ofthe department. arrest
were forbidden unless authorized by the Stat,
| Executive or by the Judge Advocate. Som,
instances of unauthorized arrests have occurred
and when brought to the notice of the denart
ment the parties have been Immediately dis
charged. By recent order all persons arrest.
ed for discouraging enlistments, or for disloya
/ -
teers and militia are filled up, have been releas
ed. Other persons arrested by military com
manders and sent from departments where theii
presence was deemed dangerous to the publ,
safety, have been discharged upon parole to b,
of good behavior, and do no act of hostilit,
against the government Of the United States.
While military arrests Of disloyal persons
form the subject of complaint in some States
the discharge OF snch persons IS complained O
in other States.
It has been the aim Of the department to avoi,
any encroachments upon individual rights rs "a
as might be consistent with public safety an,
| the preservation of the government But re
hecting minds perceive that no greater eneour
agenhent can be given to the enemy, no nor
dangerous act of hostility can be perpetratsl il
this war, than efforts to prevent recruiting ant
enlistments for the armies, upon whose strengtl
national existence depends. The expectation
of the rebel leaders, and their sympathizers il
loyal States, that the call for volunteers woul,
not be answered. and that the draft could no
be enforced, have failed, and nothing is left bu
to 'claInor at the means by which their hopes ar
frustrated, and TO strive TO disarm the govern
ment in future, if in the chances of war, anoth
er occasion for increasing the military fore
should arise"
4 EXPENDITURES.
The expenditures for enlistments, recruiting
drilling, and subsistence of volunteers regular
and militia, amounts to the SUM Of twenty mil
linns six hnndr,nl and tL..1,....L IN